First Time ABT'er on a smoker

[trondogss]

I'm using my electric smoker for only the 2nd time.  1st time we did a pork loin roast, it turned out great.  Now we are doing ribs for Superbowl, but we wanted an app.  I was looking for how long to smoke (ribs are set to 225) the ABT (btw, it took me like 30 minutes to find this sub forum).  It looks like we are going to go about 2ish hours with this.

So...Here's my question:

We have been baking ABTs for years, thought smoking them would be better.  When we baked them in the past, we always rubbed brown sugar on the outside to kind of "candy" the bacon.  Will this work in the smoker too?  Has anyone tried this?  Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[graystratcat]

Hey Trondoggs, there is a bunch of info on the site about doing ribs.  If they're baby backs (BB), then do a search for the 2-2-1 method.  Basically this is smoking your ribs on the smoker racks for 2 hours, then taking them off, double wrapping them in alum foil, tossing in a cup or less of apple juice or something similar, smoking for 2 more hours (you don't need to produce smoke when they're wrapped unless you have something else in the smoker) and then for the final hour, take them out of the foil and smoke for an hour with no foil. 

For spareribs (SR), it's the same method except it's 3-2-1.  A ton of guys on the forum swear by this method.  I personally don't use it since I don't like my ribs completely fall off the bone - and doing the above method will give you fall off the bone ribs.  I prefer to smoke my ribs unwrapped-unfoiled.  BB for 5 hours at around 225* - 250* and SR for ~ 6 hours.

As for the ABTs I usually smoke mine for 1 1/2 hours at the same temps listed above for the ribs.  As for rubbing my ABTs with sugar, can't help here, have never done it but would love to see your results.

Good luck on your smoke and post some q-view!

-Salt

 

[trondogss]

Thanks for the info.  We decided to just add the brown sugar.  We'll have to take pics and post them here.

 

[sprky]

I have sprinkled brown sugar on the bacon before and had good results. 

 

[trondogss]

Here is the result:

Tasty, but the Hickory overpowers most of the other flavors.  The sugar is barely noticable, so maybe we'll use more next time, or maybe the temp isn't warm enough to make a candied coating on the outside.

For some reason, I can't attach the picture of our ABTs, but once I figure it out, you will get to see our results.  I was able to upload the picutre to an album on my profile.  Cheers!

 

[SmokinAl]

ABT's can be made any way you like!

 

[trondogss]