Mr. T's Rib's "P.I.T.A. vs. K.I.S.S."
or
"Ribs with Friends versus Ribs with your Spouse"
P.I.T.A. Ribs:When you are having a few friends over for ribs the guy's set around the smoker taking in an occasional waft of smoke as the ribs do their thing for hours on end discussing the complexity of producing a true delicacy only to be enjoyed on special occasions all while consuming a favorite beverage. The women are down at the creek, wading in icy cold water, looking for pretty rocks and wondering when in the hell we are going to eat.
The recipe for such ribs is usually a long drawn out and complex method that includes many ingredients and a multitude of steps that requires frequent attention, thus the need for continuous hydration. After all, the more complex the cooking is, the better cook you are, right?
K.I.S.S. Ribs:
When it is just my wife and I who are having ribs, things work a little differently. Seems over the years she has picked up on my hydration excuses. Now it's when you get the ribs on, I have a few things I'd like you to do. Not wanting to do any more than needs to be done preparing and cooking the ribs the procedure is quite different. Rinse, remove membrane, rub in-house seasoning (4-1-1), place in the Amerique smoker/oven set at 275° with a 1.75 oz. Hickory chunk and come back to check in four hours.
The following are two examples.
P.I.T.A. Ribs
First you have to make the mop, glaze and foiling sauce.
Ingredients: Rub, brown sugar, mop, glaze, preserves, foil sauce, imitation butter.
Membrane removed, and rub applied the ribs are ready for the smoker. 230° and a 2 oz. chunk, of Apple.
Rack after 2.5 hours.
Ribs are ready to be foiled after applying preserves, sugar, foiling sauce and Parkay.
After another two hours, the mop is applied and placed under broiler.
After a few minutes under the broiler to set the glaze, the ribs are completed and ready to be cut.
K.I.S.S. Ribs
Ribs with the membrane removed and a simple rub applied.
Ribs done after 4 hours at 275° and 1.75 oz chunk of Hickory.
Door not opened, no spritzing, mopping, foiling or glazing.
The finish temperature along the rack ranged from 203° to 206°.
If they had cooked any longer, they would have begun to dry out.
Ribs ready for the table or packaging.
Ribs cooked with this method are juicy and tender with a light smoke flavor and a good crust.
We prefer the K.I.S.S. method although both are very good.
Tom
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