First Go at Babybacks

[ddave]

Am going to do 2 racks of babybacks tomorrow for a little get together. The plan is to remove the membrane and rub them down tonight with Jeff's rub. Tomorrow put them on the smoker using 2-2-1 as a guide. I'll try to keep the temp between 225 and 230 and go at the first stage until I see pullback on the bone, spritzing with a 3-1 apple juice/JD mix every 30 minutes after the first hour. How much pull back am I looking for?

Then put them in foil with some of the spritz for about 1 to 1.5 hours depending on how steady I can keep the temps.

Finally out of the foil, spritzing every 30 minutes again until . . . I can twist a bone freely? can poke a finger between the bones? What's the best way to tell if they are done.

Then, if necessary, foil, wrap in towel and in the cooler until the steaks and hotdogs are ready. I will be starting about 7 - 8 hours before we want to eat so if any surprises come up, hopefully I will have a cushion built in.

If anyone has any suggestions on fine tuning this, please chime in.

Thanks.

Dave

 

[richtee]

You really want the bones to stay on the meat... the term is called "tug". Just a bit of "tug" to pull the meat off the bones is ideal! Go GIT 'em!

 

[ron50]

I think 7-8 hours in advance is too long. Baby backs shouldn't take longer then 5 and usually, at least for me it is less. Ribs are one thing in my opinion that you want straight out of the smoker or at least as close too as you can. 6 hours in advance would be plenty at 225 degrees, 5 would probably be ok too if they are cloer to 250 degrees unless they are BIG racks of ribs IMO.

Pull back should be about 1/4 to 1/2 inch, don;t start using a ruler though, lol.

You can slide a toothpick or your finger in to see if they are done. I can tell by appearance and with practice so will you. When you grab the center of the rack and lift them up, they should bend about 90 degrees. If they fall apart and the bone is coming out, they are done, or overdone if you like a little chew left in them.

 

[ronp]

I use the visual and the finger thing just to be sure.

 

[ddave]

Thanks guys for your input. They are rubbed and in the fridge now.



The 7 - 8 hours includes the hour it takes me to drag all of my stuff together and light and preheat the smoker. But I will try to aim for a little closer to "eatin' time" to pull 'em off. I promise not to use a ruler

this time -- I'll just look at the ruler for reference before I go out to check.

Thanks agaon for your feedback.

Dave

 

[ddave]

Well, the BBs were a success thanks to all the help and guidance of SMF members. I impressed my wife who will be more cooperative when I want to smoke in the future, and my sister-in-law upon taking her first bite exclaimed Oh My Gawd!! which made me feel pretty good.

Was battling temps and the wind but I just kept plugging away slowing trying to make the bed of coals deeper. After almost 4-1/2 hours of temps averaging 210-220 and really no pull back to speak of, I figured, oh well, I have recieved good advice form SMF on how to tell if they are done so I'll roll with it and foiled them. Left 'em in the foil for 2 hours and then out of the foil for an hour. The last hour the guests had arrived and the temps were finally getting up and causing great aromas to emenate from the smoker. I grilled the steaks and hot dogs while the riibs were finishing and everything was ready at about the same time.

I can't thank you guys enough for the tips and suggestions I have recieved here One of my guests tonight had a taste of my first try at country style ribs that I did on my gas grill 2 years ago. Back then, we thought they were gool. We know better now.

Oh, sorry no Qview of the finished product but I think there are some leftovers that I can snap a pic of tomorrow -- if I don't eat them first.

Dave

 

[davy]

awesome!!

 

[tmw611]

Excellent job Dave. Nothin better than the "Oh My Gawd," on the first go around.

 

[crockadale]

Nice job but wheres the Q-VIEW of the finished product. Or did you eat the evidence.

 

[bbq bubba]

No pics....didn't happen!
Musta ordered pizza.....

 

[richtee]

Dang yer a hard case Bubba... LOL! Hmmm I din't see pizza pix either..so THAT din't happen?!? "If a tree falls in the forest..."

 

[ddave]

LOL Actually I confirmed the existence of leftovers this morning. Will snap a pic and post some Qview after work.

I do have some questions on fine tuning though. The rub never really set up into "bark" status, is this because of the extremely low temps? The meat was incredibly tender -- not quite fall of the bone but only the slightest hint of tug -- would adjusting the foil time give more "tug"? All in all I was pretty happy with it and looking forward to next time.

Dave

 

[richtee]

Both time IN foil and OUT after foiling will affect the "tugginess" <Yeah, I know..I just invented it OK?>. Best way to tell...is experience. I pick up one end a couple bones in... when you get an almost 90° bend in 'em... that's how I like them.

 

[ddave]

Experience . . . EXPERIENCE!!! That means I'll have to smoke a bunch of racks and eat them to get it right.

Oh well, If I have to.

Dave

 

[richtee]

The things we have to go thru for Q...horrible, ain't it?

 

[ddave]

Well, here is a picture of all that was left.



Clearly I will have to make more next time.

Dave