We're having typical weather here in Chicagoland for this time a year- it's a mild winter, then snows, then gets really cold, then two days later we're in the '60's, another cool down & now rainy, dreary & 50 degrees. Last month I was able to get the smoker going for the first time since last fall & we enjoyed a great cook of Mexican pulled pork. Now I like the pulled, but I've had a hankerin' for some ribs for a couple of months now. My wintertime rib consumption is usually limited to eating out, or the occasional crock pot cook. I've been planning today's cook now for a couple of weeks & ribs it will be.
Yesterday I went & got the meat. I had the local butcher cut me up some nice back ribs. Last night I made my sauce. This morning I got up early, got my rub on, made my spritz & put everything back in the fridge for a few hours.At about 9 am I fired up the smoker, got my hickory together & got going. Now I haven't wrapped ribs since the first time I used this smoker, which was about a year ago. I've smoked them several times since & have been happy with how they turned out naked, but today the plan was to crutch'em up & add some liquid in. I made me a mixture of Pepsi cola, Parkay squeeze butter, honey & apple juice for just that purpose. They are currently wrapped up & cruising along at a comfortable 260 degrees, after seeing about 2.5 hours of hickory smoke first.
Last year I discovered how good twice-baked potatoes were in the smoker! This is the one side the wife & I agree on 100%. I really love beans (her not so much) & she loves mac & cheese in the smoker (where I prefer it baked or done on the stovetop), so spuds it will be. I just got the potatoes in & I'm hoping everything's done now in a couple of hours, I plan to check the ribs after being in the foil about an hour or so, & then making the call about when to put my homemade sauce on. I like to finish them up in the smoker sauced for up to a half hour or so, getting them nice & tacky.
Rubbed & ready-
Three hours of hickory-
Pepsi, squeeze butter, honey & apple juice-
Wrapped-
Taters goin' in-
Startin' to smell real good around here.
TW
Yesterday I went & got the meat. I had the local butcher cut me up some nice back ribs. Last night I made my sauce. This morning I got up early, got my rub on, made my spritz & put everything back in the fridge for a few hours.At about 9 am I fired up the smoker, got my hickory together & got going. Now I haven't wrapped ribs since the first time I used this smoker, which was about a year ago. I've smoked them several times since & have been happy with how they turned out naked, but today the plan was to crutch'em up & add some liquid in. I made me a mixture of Pepsi cola, Parkay squeeze butter, honey & apple juice for just that purpose. They are currently wrapped up & cruising along at a comfortable 260 degrees, after seeing about 2.5 hours of hickory smoke first.
Last year I discovered how good twice-baked potatoes were in the smoker! This is the one side the wife & I agree on 100%. I really love beans (her not so much) & she loves mac & cheese in the smoker (where I prefer it baked or done on the stovetop), so spuds it will be. I just got the potatoes in & I'm hoping everything's done now in a couple of hours, I plan to check the ribs after being in the foil about an hour or so, & then making the call about when to put my homemade sauce on. I like to finish them up in the smoker sauced for up to a half hour or so, getting them nice & tacky.
Rubbed & ready-
Three hours of hickory-
Pepsi, squeeze butter, honey & apple juice-
Wrapped-
Taters goin' in-
Startin' to smell real good around here.
TW
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