Brummie Smoker New Guy

tombirmingham · Aug 11, 2015

Evening UK Smokers.

Ordered my first meat from the butcher, decided to stay local and use my organic butcher in Birmingham. Originally I was going to feed my 2 brothers and nephew but my middle brother won't make it so it's going to be just me and my brother/son for beef ribs on Saturday before the rugby at 8pm. I have ordered 1.5kg of short ribs/jacobs ladder cut for 15 quid. I'll pick them up Saturday AM from the butchers.

The ribs will be served with slaw, beer and maybe some pudding afterwards.

http://www.macsbbq.com/beef-short-ribs - I have this recipe or this one http://www.smoking-meat.com/february-14-2013-smoked-beef-short-ribs - any tips or recommendations, both have different cooking times. I'd like to be sat watching the game around 7:30.

Wil document with photos !!

p.s. - using Aussie Heat Beads and Oak Woodchips to smoke with.

resurrected · Aug 11, 2015

Kiska95 made some great beef ribs at the meet the other weekend. I'm sure he'll be along to give some advice.

smokin monkey · Aug 11, 2015

Get Ready to be Kiskaed! [emoji]128515[/emoji]

He cooked some good ribs, so he should be able to tell you time and Temps

tombirmingham · Aug 12, 2015

Cool.

Also interested in the 321 method and if it's worth going for ? The Mac's BBQ recipe is 8-10 hours cooking time which is 4 hours less than the 321 method !

smokin monkey · Aug 12, 2015

Hi Tom, 3-2-1 is generally used for Pork Ribs. I have looked at the link from macs bbq, very good advice etc, but one fundamental problem, no cooking temperature given.

kiska95 · Aug 12, 2015

Hi Tom

Sorry for a bit of a late reply.

The 321 is a defo with pork ribs, works every time. But the trick is to make a braise in the foil pouch on the "2" section. I used Golden Syrup, Light brown sugar and Orange Juice (not loads) but you can use what ever you like. Some say do 221 for baby backs though! Then BBQ sauce slathered over the top on the "!! section

For the beef ribs and mine were big...........a couple of ribs I rubbed with franks mustard and then S&P the others just S&P.
With the ribs being quite thick (have a look at them on the SMF weekend pics page) I cooked to IT. Wade had the weber rocking at about 115c using the snake method using heat beads and I believe oak pellets. I foil wrapped midway (no braise) when the meat was pulling back from the bones and took them off at between 85c and 90C and rested in a coolbox for hour or so. All in all they were on about 6 hours plus an hours rest. If the butcher has trimmed well then the 321 should work just test IT
If your planning to be eating around 7 I would get them on around 9.00am to 10am or sooner. They will keep warm wrapped in towels and in a cooler for hours.

Hope that helps

tombirmingham · Aug 12, 2015

That more than helps, will probably get the meat on the smoker around 11 and then see what happens. It's not imperative to finish at 7 but it would help, don't mind watching the game whilst eating anyway !

Just checking IT means internal temperature ?

resurrected · Aug 12, 2015

It does. Make sure the probe isn't touching the bone when you take the IT reading.

tombirmingham · Aug 15, 2015

So just had my dinner, had the beef ribs with some slaw, a bottle of Bathams Bitter and not much else. I think there were some wayward situations and overall I enjoyed the experience, I am still amazed at the Pro Q ability to hold temp. I went out for a coffee and sadly the smoker went up 30c for about 30 minutes to my estimation, I refilled the water pan and it stabilised back at 105c.

So photos and thoughts....

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tombirmingham
Aug 15, 2015

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tombirmingham
Aug 15, 2015

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tombirmingham
Aug 15, 2015

I think the butcher misunderstood the order and cut the ladder of ribs in half, therefore I had even shorter short ribs - I still went on and cooked for 5.5 hours until they hit 82c. I then rested for 30 minutes. Overall the taste was ok to good, the meat was buttery and a little chewy in certain parts of the cut. The overall smoke flavour was fairly weak but I did gett a fairly meaty taste from the ribs, very beefy and almost broth like. I used american mustard to cover and to hold the rub which was a garlic powder, cayenne, black pepper, paprika. I covered it all over. I cooked with a full basket, minion style and used apple wood chips for the first 2 hours. There was a stall at 4 hours in, it lasted for around 30 minutes.

For my first smoke it was good and I did feel proud, however I think the butcher cutting the ribs in half effected the overall eating experience. There was a lot of fat which I didnt trim. Also measuring the temp was difficult as different parts were at different temps but not dramatically so, I realised after a while that I was testing the fat temp rather than the meat and it was a lot higher than the good stuff.

Taste I would give 6/10, overall pleasure/experience I would go for an 8. Think the chewy aspect on some parts of the meat was a slight anti climax and the fat was an issue too.

resurrected · Aug 15, 2015

Probably one of the best and first pieces of advice I was given by Chef Jimmy when I first joined this group was don't put water in the pan but to fill it with sand.

So that's what I now do and temperature stability is much better.

Have a read of this http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/201566/a-panicking-noob

kiska95 · Aug 16, 2015

Yeah the butcher has gone a bit cocky and given you a trendy "Jacobs ladder" cut probably charged you more for it too

Maybe try "Plate Ribs" next time they are more forgiving and cheaper. you may have taken them off a bit early hence the chewiness in certain section. Closer to 90C and rested for a longer period may help. The ones below came off at 90c, rested for over an hour and the rack you are looking at cost £6

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kiska95
Aug 16, 2015

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kiska95
Aug 16, 2015

tombirmingham · Aug 16, 2015

Thanks Kiska, appreciate the advice and feedback.

smokin monkey · Aug 16, 2015

Hi Brummie, good effort for your first attempt[emoji]128077[/emoji].

This is a game of trial and error. One bit of advice I was given when I started, was to a notebook. Make notes from start to finish, Weight of meat, rub ingrediants, how much fuel, also things like weather conditions, is it hot or cold, wind, no wind or strong winds. All effect he cooking process.

The cooking temperature, time etc. Then finished results marked out of 10. Then when you do it again you can look back and see what you could do differently to achieve a better result.

kiska95 · Aug 16, 2015

Hi Tom

Just had another look at your "Rib in the Raw" and he has given you the traditional short rib which is the section of ribs just under the Ribeye. Had he cut them in half again then they would have been "Flanken" cut ribs (Korean Style). For more meaty ribs a bit lower down is the plate which are as in the pictures above and are more meaty. They are normally just 3 or 4 bones long and are cut from the brisket end

tombirmingham · Aug 17, 2015

Yes, I have a smoking notebook, similar to a bread one I have for making sourdough - surprisingly the same recording types - bar the smoke and fuel.

Thanks for the feedback and information, I trusted an organic butcher to get this done so I thought he would know the cut when I said jacobs ladder for smoking, where do you get your meat from Kiska ? I want to do this again without having to go through the rigmarole of having to get another incorrect cut.

kiska95 · Aug 17, 2015

Hi Tom

The plate ribs I have been getting are from George Bowlem's in Sedgefield up in the north east. He is a bulk producer to wholesale and retail and has a mountain of plate fibs at any one time but it does take some selection as some are not as good as others but he doesn't do online sales or deliver to retail customers! The problem you have is that most butchers buy brisket in 20KG boxes already trimmed and the Ribeye on the bone comes as it is, therefore they don't have the middle bit, which is where the short "Plate" ribs come from. You need a butcher that regularly breaks down a fore quarter of beef or at least a bone in full brisket and as such will have the plate short ribs. They should be 3 or 4 big flat bones and be about 12" x 8" in size. I know online butchers do them and I am getting my local butcher into it, trying to encourage him to set up an online shop.

If you check out the picture, below the guys right hand is where the rib eye is. His hand is on the Chine bone and feather bones, which will be removed. He will cut this full piece in half about 4" down from his little finger to square up with the other end. The bottom of the picture shows the brisket with the bone in. The bottom of the picture opposite his hand is the plate rib and just above it or the middle bit is where the Short ribs are.

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kiska95
Aug 17, 2015

Try Albert Matthews butchers in Bury they are closer to you and are attuned to American BBQ cuts, Ask for Chris Matthews and mention my name and that of the forum and he should be able to help you out

These ones are Turner & George (trimmed of top layer) and are about £8.75 per kilo so are very expensive when you think I pay £2.75KG (untrimmed of top layer) from bowlems. In most cases they should be about £5.00KG

shortribs_large_451x375.jpg

kiska95
Aug 17, 2015

Hope that helps

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