My Best Ribs Thus Far

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yotzee

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
Jul 8, 2013
427
35
Pittsburgh, PA
Almost every cook I try to do something a little different with ribs.  Trying to master my technique so to speak.  I had been wrapping for a while but didn't feel like doing it yesterday.  Just wanted to go with the smoker.  Mostly I make my own sauce but sometimes I will go straight store bought or alter a store bought sauce.  Mostly my rub is the same all the time.  Sometimes I use apple, sometimes pecan, sometimes hickory.

Yesterday I think I nailed my best ribs ever.

1. My rub which is a brown sugar base that I love.  Rubbed the ribs with no mustard or oil, 30 mins presmoke.

2. Didn't want a heavy sauce so I took about a half cup of Sweet Baby Rays and cut it with ACV and apple juice.  Thin like a mop.

3. I usually do ribs at about 225.  I ran about 250-260 the entire cook.

4. Just a few chunks of applewood the first 2 hours

5. 3 hours in began mopping the ribs about every 40 mins.

6. After 2 mops threw another chunk of apple wood on to smoke the mop a little.

7. When they passed the bend test and toothpick test I pulled them.  About 5.25 hours total cook time.

Here they are.  They were pull off the bone tender, not overly sticky and just full of flavor.


That's what Sundays are all about
 
Looks great! Haha I am the same... I don't know if I will ever perfect ribs because I like to experiment every time. I agree with your no mustard coating on ribs... I think the rub sticks better without it! I'd haven't tried the southern tier porter yet! How was it?
 
Looks great! Haha I am the same... I don't know if I will ever perfect ribs because I like to experiment every time. I agree with your no mustard coating on ribs... I think the rub sticks better without it! I'd haven't tried the southern tier porter yet! How was it?
It was really good but not by any means their best (which is to say still above average).  I am a HUGE Southern Tier fan and I was driving by a beer store that had a sign outside "Southern Tier $26.99".  Slammed on the breaks and went in to find out it was a case called the Fuse Case.  8 Porters, 8 IPAs and 8 PMX American PA.  SO for the price I figured "hell its still Southern Tier".  They encourage you to mix the beers (Fuse) for different effects, but I haven't.  They were all good and for that price, really good, but not up to any of their 2X series of beers. 
 
Bend test - ribs that are done will bend almost 90 degrees when picked up by tongs on one end.

Toothpick test - insert a toothpick. If there is no resistance, they are done.
 
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 Your ribs look awesome!
 
 
Ribs look awesome Yotsee!  Nicely done...
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Red
Thanks Red!!!
 
Awesome, Yotzee. Do you think you will keep cooking the ribs this way for a while or you going to keep mixing it up?
I think I landed on something here and am going to roll with them for a while, except next week when I plan to do a Thai Rib I found on line yesterday that looked to die for.

The only "criticism" was from Mrs Yotzee  and it was in regards to the spice factor.  They had a nice heat that warmed the back of your mouth, but she thought they were hotter than usual.  I attributed it to not foiling and thus not having some of the rub wash away.   I used my same rub recipe as always which always has 1TBSP of Cayenne in it.

But she's 9 months pregnant so we'll give her a pass since she has constant heartburn right now
 
Looks great! What is ACV
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I like cooking my ribs higher heat as well. I start the fire in my WSM right around 215 in order to not let the fire get out of hand, and to minimize time to TBS
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. Then when I open the lid to place my racks, it inevitably heats up a little. Then I bump it about ten degrees every time the Thick Blue turns to thin blue til I am at 245-250 (don't want to burn that sugar). I really like my ribs that way.

EDIT: NVM...ACV=Apple Cider Vinegar.
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Thanks Everyone!

Yeah, I'm just not a big fan of thick, sticky sauces, but I prefer them a little wet.  Few weeks back I went with a mop of my pulled pork sauce and that was good too.
 
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