Bacon-On-A-Stick (St Louis Cut)

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Bearcarver

Gone but not forgotten RIP
Original poster
OTBS Member
Group Lead
Sep 12, 2009
45,279
18,182
Macungie, PA
BACON-ON-A-STICK (St Louis Cut)

Smoked Pork Spare Ribs cured with Tender Quick

Smoked in my MES 40

I put this in the “Bacon” forum because it is called "Bacon" (on a stick), and it is cured, and it does taste about in between Bacon & Ham.


Awhile back I smoked two untrimmed racks of Bacon-on-a-stick, and they were awesome. This time they had a good price on St Louis Cut, so I figured I'd try it that way.

Like the other Bacon-On-A-Stick, these are the best Ribs I ever had, and were right up top in being one of the best things I have ever smoked!!!

STEP BY STEP:

First Day:
Cut the 2 racks of Pork Spares into 4 pieces, so they will fit neatly into 4 Zip-Lock bags.
Remove membrane from back of Ribs, and trim loose fat from surfaces.
Rinse well, and pat dry with paper towels.
Weigh each piece, and calculate how much Tender Quick should go in each bag, with each piece.
Weigh the right amounts of TQ for each piece, and put these amounts on marked paper plates, ready for rubbing.
(One TBS (1/2 ounce) of TQ per pound), just like other TQ Dry rubs.
Rub each piece with it's proper amount of TQ, and put them in individual Zip-locks.
I also added one TBS of Brown Sugar to each piece, and threw any TQ that fell off into the bag with the piece it fell off of, so the proper amount of cure stays with each piece.
Put these packages in Fridge, laying flat, for 4 Days, flipping & massaging Daily. (Fridge set at 37˚/38˚ F)

Note: This time I cured for 4 days, so I can use lower temps, and I don't have to worry about the Danger Zone. These ribs were less than 1” thick.

Day #4A:
Remove pieces from curing bags, rinse well, and soak in cold water for 20 minutes, to remove surface salt..
Slice a couple thin pieces off, note internal color, and fry to test for salt flavor.
If it tastes salty, soak for an hour. Repeat as needed. These were Perfect after the initial 20 minute soak.
I have never had to soak anything to get rid of salt flavor, except when I used Hi Mt BBB Cure & Seasoning.
However---I always do a Salt-fry-test---Just in case!!!
Rinse pieces one more time, pat real dry, and put on smoker rack (bones down).
I also sprinkled both sides with Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder.
Then I ran a fan on low over the Ribs for one hour to begin to form pellicle.

Day #4B (Smoking Day):
9:30 AM------------Pre-heat Smoker to 140˚.
9:30 AM------------Fill 2 rows of AMNPS with Hickory Pellets, and light one end real good. Do not put in Smoker yet.
10:00 AM------------Put meat in smoker on number two position. No smoke yet, to allow pellicle to finish forming.
10:30AM------------Put well lit AMNPS on bars, on left side, at bottom of Smoker.
11:00 AM------------Bump heat to 160*.
1:45 PM--------------Bump heat to 220*.
2:30 PM-------------Stack meat on wire rack in a foil pan, pour10 ounces of Apple Juice over ribs, and cover with doubled foil.
2:30 PM-------------Also remove AMNPS, and return covered meat to 2nd position in Smoker.
2:30PM-------------I also checked internals, and they ran from about 148˚ to 154˚ at this time.
4:30 PM-------------Cut heat back to 100˚, and close vent all but the thickness of my Smoker probe wire. This stops the cooking process.
4:50 PM-------------Remove meat from Smoker, unwrap, take pics, cut up Ribs, plate, add sides, and enjoy Great TQ Cured and Smoked Pork Spare Ribs!!!


These Really Were Awesome!!
Great flavor, moist, and tender!

Note:   I will mention that in the end these were slightly salty (nothing offensive), so if you follow all of my method, you might want to soak the 4 pieces for an hour or two, instead of 20 minutes. I think it was because I used the full weight of the pieces in my calculations for TQ, and much of that weight is bone.


Thanks,
Bear






Two nice Pork Spares (St Louis cut):
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN0275.jpg.html


TQ & Brown Sugar rubbed & bagged:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN0276.jpg.html


Too many steps down to my Meat Fridge, so Mrs Bear has to share the kitchen fridge. Bags in bottom drawer:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN0278.jpg.html


Soaked for 20 minutes, tested, rinsed, dried, and put on smoker grill:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN0279.jpg.html


Fan on Low for one hour to begin to form pellicle:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN0281.jpg.html


Fill 2 rows of my Handy Dandy AMNPS with Hickory pellets & light one end:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN0285.jpg.html


A peek through the looking glass:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN0292.jpg.html


Fresh out of smoker & uncovered:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN0294.jpg.html


Sliced into individual Ribs:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN0297.jpg.html


Bear's First Helping:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN0299.jpg.html


Close-up:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN0301.jpg.html


The Rest. Bag on left for Bear Jr & his wife. Container for my fridge:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN0302.jpg.html

__________________
 
Last edited:
Oh man! That ever look great!!

drool.gif
 
Oh, Bear. Those ribs are stunning. This is one of those posts that make your mouth water and drive you out to the smoker.

points1.png


Disco
 
Look great bear! I got some country style ribs curing now to do the same thing.
 
Holy crap those look good!!! This list of things I have to try is getting long, but this one's bumped to the top!!

Bear you never cease to AMAZE me!!
 
Bear

That my friend looks GREAT! If you say that is the best you ever had. It makes my to do list. Everything I have tried of yours has been GREAT!. I have one thing I'm going to have to change to make it just a little better.

Day 2
cheers.gif


Day 3
cheers.gif


sorry.gif
  
th_dunno-1%5B1%5D.gif
  It might be better.

Happy smoken.

David
 
 
After trying some the other day, I know how good those are now. Those are just killer Bear. Thank your lucky stars that Mrs. Bear shares.
Thanks Foamy!!

Next month will be 45 years with her, and she trained me pretty good!!

Bear
Look great bear! I got some country style ribs curing now to do the same thing.
Thanks Dan!!!

Cured CSRs are Great too !!

Bear
 
I have a butt roast curing now that I am going to follow your foiling method on next week. Now that I've seen this, as soon as the butts out of the fridge and on the smoker, ribs are going in the cure bucket next. Thanks Bear, amazing as always!
 
I have a butt roast curing now that I am going to follow your foiling method on next week. Now that I've seen this, as soon as the butts out of the fridge and on the smoker, ribs are going in the cure bucket next. Thanks Bear, amazing as always!
Gonna be some great smells floating around the Pennridge area!! Glad you like my Step by Steps.

Which cured butt are you doing?

Thanks,

Bear
 
 
Gonna be some great smells floating around the Pennridge area!! Glad you like my Step by Steps.

Which cured butt are you doing?

Thanks,

Bear
I sure hope so, I have to match the great smells coming from the Lehigh Valley to even things out!  I went with a boston butt to make pulled ham out of.  Gonna have that with smoked turkey on Thanksgiving.  I used Pop's Brine for the cure and I'm following your recipe for the rest.  The only exception is I didn't separate the fat cap for bacon this time and I may toss in some honey powder I recently obtained.  The bacon is on my short list to do as well.
 
Thanks for sharing another great looking recipe of yours with us Bear. I have to agree with themule, that every recipe of yours that I've tried has been great! 

Also glad to have you back after your episode with the hosp.and spreading some of that sav'vy around to us once more....Got this copied and will be trying it out soon. Fixin' to do another batch of that great nekkid beef stix of yours.
 
 
I sure hope so, I have to match the great smells coming from the Lehigh Valley to even things out!  I went with a boston butt to make pulled ham out of.  Gonna have that with smoked turkey on Thanksgiving.  I used Pop's Brine for the cure and I'm following your recipe for the rest.  The only exception is I didn't separate the fat cap for bacon this time and I may toss in some honey powder I recently obtained.  The bacon is on my short list to do as well.
Great !!!

My Son's doing the same thing. He's making Pulled Boston Butt Ham out of a whole Butt. He's dry curing it, but there's nothing wrong with Pops' curing brine. He's been doing it a lot longer than I have, even though he's just a youngster.
biggrin.gif


I'll have to tell Mrs Bear's Sister to see if she can smell it down there. She lives on Race St.

Bear
 
 
Just in time for thanksgiving. :) Thanks Bear.
Thanks Carlos!!

Have a Great Thanksgiving!

Bear
 
Bear

That my friend looks GREAT! If you say that is the best you ever had. It makes my to do list. Everything I have tried of yours has been GREAT!. I have one thing I'm going to have to change to make it just a little better.

Day 2
cheers.gif


Day 3
cheers.gif


sorry.gif
  
th_dunno-1%5B1%5D.gif
  It might be better.

Happy smoken.

David
LOL---Thanks David !!!

I suspect a few beers would help on Days 2 & 3, but they wouldn't mix too well with my  strong BP meds. I have one now & then, but not 10 or 12 like I used to.

And Thank You for the kind words!

Bear
 
Great !!!
My Son's doing the same thing. He's making Pulled Boston Butt Ham out of a whole Butt. He's dry curing it, but there's nothing wrong with Pops' curing brine. He's been doing it a lot longer than I have, even though he's just a youngster. :biggrin:

I'll have to tell Mrs Bear's Sister to see if she can smell it down there. She lives on Race St.

Bear


I take it out tomorrow after 2 weeks, I can't wait!
She probably will smell it, I'm just a few blocks over on Main St!!
I'm sure your son's will turn out great as I'm sure he's learned a lot from you.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours Bear!

Tim
 
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