45 racks of spare ribs for tomorrow

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va_connoisseur

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
Dec 13, 2007
338
13
DC Metro - Northern Virginia
Smokie and Smokettes,

I have an issue. We are doing a cook out tomorrow for our cigar shop. The head chef decided he wanted to do 45 racks of spares on a 250 gallon drum grill. I have some serious reservations as he is telling me this can be accomplished in 2.5 hours.

OK, help me out. I this possible? Should I use a simple(r) rub to assist with cooking? I'm just real nervous about this whole process.
 
I personally don't know how you are going to get spares tender and ready to serve in 2.5 hours.  You may want to question your buddy.  I'm not saying it can't be done, but I think you have a right to be concerned.  Maybe he is going to par cook them and just finish them on the grill.
 
Yeah.... I would agree with Smoke, if he is starting raw there is no way he can get them tender that fast. I wonder if he is planning on boiling them then finishing on the grill....
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yeah spares go by the 3-2-1 method, 3 hours on open grill, 2 hours foiled and 1 hour on open grill or keep them foiled the last hour too your choice....B backs are 2-2-1 or what i did were 2.5 hours on grill and 2.5 hours foiled till 5 hours were up then rest them in foil for 45 minutes....i can't see spares being done from raw on just the grill.........bob

....
 
Yeah.... I would agree with Smoke, if he is starting raw there is no way he can get them tender that fast. I wonder if he is planning on boiling them then finishing on the grill....
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Yeah, I feel the same way. I'm just seasoning them but I hate to have my name attached to something that is not up to par. If I had known he was going to take this route, I would have been out of town this weekend.

Is there a rub or marinade I can use to at least salvage this train wreak? All my rubs have high sugar/molassas because I use the 3-2-1 or 2-2-1 technique and at such low temps, it does not burn. I have a feeling this grill is going to be over 400 degrees tomorrow.
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Definitely leave out the sugar/molasses. At the temps he's going to have to cook those, your sugar will burn.  I might go with a spicy rub, then a sweet sauce to serve on the side. 
 
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Thats the answer BEER you will need a bunch for all the folks that are going to try an eat the ribs. I used to do ribs on the charcoal grill and I quickly ran out of folks to eat them. They came out really burnt and not real tastey either. Ribs take time like everything else. You should just step back into the back ground and let the "Chef" have at it. But I might smoke a couple of racks at home and bring them along and then serve them to your friends and then compare the finished products.
 
Only way he can do ribs in 2.5 hrs is to par boil them . Really won't matter what rub you put on them as it will all come off in the water.

 i would talk to this fool and ask him to explain his cooking process . If he's going to boil there is no use wasting perfectly good rub.

  Or he is going to try to grill them at high heat and they won't be right. again there is no use wasting good rub . S & P and make a good sauce .
 
I have a Friend who bakes his ribs in a pan covered in foil with some sort of fluid for a couple hrs and firms them up on the grill/they are always on the bland side.all you can taste is the sauce.
 
It depends how he said it.

If he said:

"You can do ribs in 2.5 hours".~~~~~~~~~This can be done.

But if he said:

"You can do good ribs in 2.5 hours".~~~~~~~~~~~This can not be done.
 
Sounds like he's thinking grilling and not smoking, big difference. You can cook ribs in 2.5 over a open flame, but you can't rush a low and slow smoke job.
 
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Thats the answer BEER you will need a bunch for all the folks that are going to try an eat the ribs. I used to do ribs on the charcoal grill and I quickly ran out of folks to eat them. They came out really burnt and not real tastey either. Ribs take time like everything else. You should just step back into the back ground and let the "Chef" have at it. But I might smoke a couple of racks at home and bring them along and then serve them to your friends and then compare the finished products.


This my plan. I have 5 full racks cut down Saint Louis style and the WSM loaded in the back of the truck
 
You have to stop this monster. That is going to be a huge waste of good meat. Have the ribs already been purchased? Perhaps you could convince him to do chicken thighs.


Or---When that "Head Chef" isn't looking throw the 45 racks of ribs in a cooler to take home, and replace them with 30 pounds of hot dogs.
 
Smokie and Smokettes,

I have an issue. We are doing a cook out tomorrow for our cigar shop. The head chef decided he wanted to do 45 racks of spares on a 250 gallon drum grill. I have some serious reservations as he is telling me this can be accomplished in 2.5 hours.

OK, help me out. I this possible? Should I use a simple(r) rub to assist with cooking? I'm just real nervous about this whole process.
let him do what he thinks will work even though you said it can't be done....just don't let him put your name to those ribs as his helper....if he is your boss where you work, well good luck....can you or do you have the means to smoke all those 45 racks....git him to let you do it then..........bob

....
 
Just goes to show how little the restaurant community actually knows about making GOOD ribs.  And people wonder why I wont order BBQ when we go out to eat...
 
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