2-Part Momma's Day Smoke: Rib Steaks & 20# Whole Rib q-view

[forluvofsmoke]

Thanks, that was a pretty decent first run...I was kinda wingin' it, as my methods are a bit different than most I've seen here. Man, thinking back on that one, I did have a few moments of elevated pulse and blood pressure...excitement of not knowing how it was going to come out...this one I'm pretty comfortable with.

Thanks, I don't sweat the weather...I smoke when I have time, usually days-off of work I have a smoke going for one if not both days. Mother nature an I have for the most part come to an understanding: I won't cuss her out when she tries to shut me down, as long she plays fair and gives me half a chance to stay in the game! LOLOLOL!!!

Really, I do smoke and grill year-round...blizzards and tornadoes are the exception to my rule. No sense risking death over a great meal, or ruining what could have been a great meal.


I guess it happened just about as I thought it would...145-146*, things really came to a screeching halt...well, almost.









Are ya dead, or what? Nope, just sleeping...still has a pulse and breath sounds...LOL!!!


The crust is just starting to get that dried out look in a few spots, so the baste will help the crust to keep on forming and crisping up. Meat juices are oozing out in several places as the meat is shrinking even more now, judging by the bone ends showing more prominently than before. Aah man, this getting fun, and will be great eating!





OK, I have one stick of salted butter melting as I type, and the baste will begin shortly...I'm trying to get my timing for a 2.5-3.0 hour basted smoke time to get a rich, dark and glossy looking crust, without it getting too dark (blackened), as I am playing with a charcoal fired smoke today, not propane...that can make a huge difference.

I also need to get this accomplished while getting the through the stall at about the right time for a low 150* I/T pull to rest. Anyway, I'll try my best.

Still rolling, my brothers and sisters!

I can only hope this is at least 1/2 as good of a ride for you as it is for me!

Back with more shortly...

Eric

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Thanks brother!


It's alive and responsive to physical stimulation...judging by the outcome of the baste...LOL!!!!!

The Waking Beauty...stall is over...no, that's no butter on my digi-therm...it's raining:



Pre-baste:






Basted for the final stretch of smoky highway:






Almost to the finish line!

Eric

 

[mythmaster]

It's done already! Show us a slice!

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Oh, my brother, if you only knew how much I wish I could right now...


What's this, I ask?


Yep, rain turned to snow and temps are becoming an issue now, and I was just @ 150* I/T:



Oh well, it sure looks good...color is developing really well:






I'm literally pouring the coals to the SNP now to keep chamber temps up. Ash removal from the kingsford blue bag is a regular task, and adding 1# of briqs every 30 mminutes jumped to 20 minute intervals, as I'm running wide open fire box intakes now to keep it cookin'.

Well, I wanted a challenge, so I can only thank myself for asking, and mother nature for helping make it happen...LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tic-Toc, Tic-toc...I haven't eaten anything all day, in preparation for a killer smoked dinner to share with the wife, kids and everyone here who wants to partake...hunger has come and gone...I'll have to shift gears back into chow-mode pretty soon, I hope.

Eric

 

[mythmaster]

I pull my PR's at 145* for medium. 150* is plenty done! PULL IT, MAN! It looks awesome, btw.

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Yea, I'm thinking of getting it out @ 6:00 pm for an hour rest, regardless of the therm readings. I hit stall #2, dropped from 150* to 148* now, and chamber temps are difficult at best to maintain.

I am getting my wife and girls slowly turned around on finished temps. Wife used to like med/well, girls well, and my youngest buy ate well-done.

Lately they'll eat a medium steak, and my last (first) whole beef rib topped out @ 163* during the foiled rest.

Yea, it's time to let her soak those juices back inside and put my steel to a carving blade...

Thanks brother!

Back soon!

Eric

 

[mythmaster]

Well, you're getting some

from me, because I can already see that it's gonna come out awesome, and I'm grateful to you for sharing your rub and the idea of dusting it with flour.

Kudos, my friend! I hope that the girls like it, and I'm sure that they will!

Next time, be sure to figure out a way to catch those juices in a drip pan for Au Jus.

Cheers!
-Bret

 

[forluvofsmoke]

I went ahead and pulled it to rest after I/T's dropped from 150* to 148*, and held there for a bit. The snowy weather is doing a pretty good job at challenging my smoke tending skills, if nothing else.

It's been on the board for 55 minutes and temps are pretty steady still @ 147-148*...hope 1 hour will be long enough.

I know this probably is sheer torture for some of you, but this looked way too good not to get pics while I was patiently waiting with a sharp knife within arm's reach, so....

Top view:



Rib-bone side, as it was in the smoker:



Left end, as it would have been in the smoker:



Right end, as it was in the smoker:



And, the back side, unseen in the smoker:






So far, the crust looks like it held together really well considering my last-minute change of plans to keep the meat intact as much as I could.


5 minutes 'til my knife gets stained from beefy, smoky, juicy goodness...(slurp!!!)

Eric

 

[forluvofsmoke]

You're most welcome...been a fun ride for me. As for the drip pan, I think my larger cuts like this should stay in the Smoke Vault, as there is soo much more I can do with it, and space above or below to play with. I had to try the SNP just for the challenge and great added flavors and colors of the charcoal fire...a guys gotta take the plunge now and then.

Thanks again!

Eric

 

[old poi dog]

Oh my...as soon as I stop drooling I'm going to re-read the post so that I can do it all over again.

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Took me a bit to find and fix a problem with my DSL modem...it's getting pretty unreliable lately.

Anyway, as I was uploading pics while I ate this fine meal, the DSL crashed...now I'm back!

Slicing temp, after a 10 hour smoke and 1-1/3 hour rest on the open board:



The heel slice:








Lil' bit a kick left in this steer! LOL!!!



I just had to have a rib-bone with about 1.3# cut...served with aujus (store bought mix

), mushrooms, a green bean, cheese and mushroom casserole, and of course, a buttermilk biscuit:


The rub was a nicely spiced flavor with some milder heat, and it paired-up well with the beef and smoke I used. I will do this in the Vault next time just for the sake of having a drippings pan...that would have made a GREAT beef base for aujus. I can always add charcoal briquettes to the smoke pan in the Vault so we won't miss out on the additional flavor it imparts to the meat.

The crust was moist, even with resting on the open board...not real firm, but not mushy either...I'd score it @ 7 out of 10 for texture, and, I'd have to give it, say, 8 for the flavor it gave to the richness of the rib...not too complicated, but not a wimp in the background either.

Now, to do it again in the Vault, I could yank the temps to over 300* to finish the crust nice and crisp...worked pretty well on my first whole rib...yeah, I'll be back in the Vault next time.

Sorry SNP, you got voted out of my whole rib smokes now. But don't worry, you do lots of other things very well, so don't be ashamed...your still a great smoker to have around!

Well folks, it's been fun, and now, I'm done!

Many great smokes to you all!

Eric

 

[mythmaster]

Thanks, Eric -- that looks like it came out just fine! The pics made me hungry, so I'm gonna go munch on some leftover PP from this weekend.

You DEFINITELY want to catch those drippings for Au Jus next time!!! Otherwise, it looks like an awesome smoke, and I thank you for posting the pics!

 

[treegje]

Wow excellent job that had to be good

 

[smokin relaxin steve]

That looked insanly GOOD!!!!!!!!!! BRAVO on a job well done!

 

[old poi dog]

Oh My....Great Smoke. Its breakfast time here and I wish I had some of that for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

 

[caveman]

Had to bail last night so I did not get to ride a long with you. But that still was an excellent teaching session & another great saga for the books.

Survey says: Ding!