I'm hoping to squeeze-in 2 racks of spare ribs on the wsm before tomorrows predicted 4-12 inches of heavy wet snow! I was going to use Harry Soo's recipe. He advocates using apple wood for the ribs but I assumed hickory was a better choice? Does anyone have any thoughts on what woods are best for ribs?
Ribs-Smoke-Snow?
- Thread starter Dave Wr.
- Start date
Dave Russell
TVWBB Honor Circle
Doubt anyone here would argue with Harry Soo, and he's right. Applewood is great.
If you want to use hickory though, go ahead. I just wouldn't use too much, and by all means, don't add any more midcook.
Personally, I like fruitwoods for ribs and poultry but the smoke often peters out sooner than I'd like. Lots of folks simply add more, but I don't like to add wood midcook since the initial smoke can be pretty nasty when the chunks first start smoking.
My favorite nowadays for ribs and poultry is probably pecan. Being a good dense nutwood and in the hickory family, it smokes for a good long time, but after seasoning it's quite a bit milder than the other hickories and oak. Not everyone can go to the store and pick up pecan, though, so lots of folks compromise and use a combo of fruitwood and hickory or oak. For example, two medium chunks of apple to one of hickory is a popular choice for ribs in a wsm.
By the way, if you use water in the pan or foil the ribs fairly early, you can get away with more smoke, but bottom line is that most folks probably oversmoke ribs. Just my opinion, of course.
If you want to use hickory though, go ahead. I just wouldn't use too much, and by all means, don't add any more midcook.
Personally, I like fruitwoods for ribs and poultry but the smoke often peters out sooner than I'd like. Lots of folks simply add more, but I don't like to add wood midcook since the initial smoke can be pretty nasty when the chunks first start smoking.
My favorite nowadays for ribs and poultry is probably pecan. Being a good dense nutwood and in the hickory family, it smokes for a good long time, but after seasoning it's quite a bit milder than the other hickories and oak. Not everyone can go to the store and pick up pecan, though, so lots of folks compromise and use a combo of fruitwood and hickory or oak. For example, two medium chunks of apple to one of hickory is a popular choice for ribs in a wsm.
By the way, if you use water in the pan or foil the ribs fairly early, you can get away with more smoke, but bottom line is that most folks probably oversmoke ribs. Just my opinion, of course.
Brian Staley
TVWBB Fan
I have found apple doesn't give me enough smoke on ribs. I do love the apple, so I will use about 25% to 75% hickory.
I have also got in the habit of letting the wood burn for a good bit before I even put the smoker together.
I have also got in the habit of letting the wood burn for a good bit before I even put the smoker together.
Thanks for the reply Dave! I've been picking up wood chucks from Home Depot/Lowe's and I have yet to see any pecan in my neck of the woods. I do however have some maple from trees I cut this summer that I could cut some chunks with - I wonder how well the maple would work?
Thanks Brian - when you say "burn for a bit" do you mean smolder (with the smoker lid on) or actually burn away with the smoker uncovered? I wondered about this when I started a cook and tossed the wood on the lit coals. At first the burning chunks "smelled" kind of acrid due to catching on fire quickly but during the cook the smoke "smell" mellowed out? When I tossed the wood on I would quickly get the meat in place and cover the smoker because I thought the chunks shouldn't burn like that so fast.
Eric Michaud
TVWBB Super Fan
Sugar Maple is all I have been using lately, we cleared a bunch on one of our building lots, seasoned it, and chunked it up.
I am a big fan, not as strong as hickory, a nice sweet smoke. I also tried a mix of maple and apple and it was great.
Curious to see what Mother Nature brings, I am throwing a 10 lb. butt on in a couple of hours. I actually love it when it snows and I am grilling or smoking.
I am a big fan, not as strong as hickory, a nice sweet smoke. I also tried a mix of maple and apple and it was great.
Curious to see what Mother Nature brings, I am throwing a 10 lb. butt on in a couple of hours. I actually love it when it snows and I am grilling or smoking.
Eric -Are you going to "set it and forget it" for the overnight? I think I'm going to try some and apple and maple tomorrow
Not sure how much snow we are actually getting but it doesn't sound like the light fluffy stuff so I'm going to put the smoker on the end of my covered back porch
Eric Michaud
TVWBB Super Fan
Dave I have wait up an hour or so after the smoker is lit and stabilize the temps. I have a Maverick remote, set my high and low and go from there. Once things seem stable I crash on the couch, that way if the Maverick goes off I am the only one it wakes up.
My smoker is on my covered porch as well so no worries there, hopefully the wind stays calm overnight and I should be golden.
When I have mixed maple and apple I went 3/4 to 1/4 maple to apple. Seemed to work for me. Try and mix things up, Everyone has different tastes so what works for some may not work for you. Good luck, time to set up.
My smoker is on my covered porch as well so no worries there, hopefully the wind stays calm overnight and I should be golden.
When I have mixed maple and apple I went 3/4 to 1/4 maple to apple. Seemed to work for me. Try and mix things up, Everyone has different tastes so what works for some may not work for you. Good luck, time to set up.
Eric Michaud
TVWBB Super Fan
Dave let us know how the ribs came out, 16 hours later my butt is done, about to wrap it and hold in a cooler for a bit.
Snowing like crazy here, hope we don't lose power, lights have flickered a bit here.
Snowing like crazy here, hope we don't lose power, lights have flickered a bit here.
Eric Michaud
TVWBB Super Fan
Dave the butt turned out great and it was probably my best #5 sauce yet. Where did you post the pics?. Lost power about 10 seconds after I pulled the pork, still don't have it and it seems Farmington will be one of the last towns to get it back.
My Mom got hers back on tuesday so we have been sleeping there, waking up to a 45 degree house was no fun. Been a crazy week especially early on, trying to find gas, a generator, pumping out my basement, and just getting around with all the road closures. I will be happy when things get back to normal.
My Mom got hers back on tuesday so we have been sleeping there, waking up to a 45 degree house was no fun. Been a crazy week especially early on, trying to find gas, a generator, pumping out my basement, and just getting around with all the road closures. I will be happy when things get back to normal.
Hi Eric,
Very sorry about your power situation!? I lost power on the last hurricane for 6 days and it was miserable! I also had to run a generator to run the sumps - the good part was I got to grill every night
I posted the pics on another thread - "Slap Me Soo
I'm currently smoking some wings and I'm just about ready to pull them off....
Very sorry about your power situation!? I lost power on the last hurricane for 6 days and it was miserable! I also had to run a generator to run the sumps - the good part was I got to grill every night
I posted the pics on another thread - "Slap Me Soo
I'm currently smoking some wings and I'm just about ready to pull them off....