Boston Butt, Spare Ribs and Beer!

[jaynik]

Well, Friday night, I put my butt (boston butt) in the smoker for 6 hrs, then I had to get some sleep! Got up at 6 am Saturday and put the butt in the crock pot with some Stubb's pork marinade and let it go until 2 pm when we ate! It turned out GREAT! I was worried about cooking, cooling, then cooking again, but had no problems at all. Plenty of smokiness and it was perfectly done. I used the marinade and rendered pork fat as the "finishing sauce". Everyone was happy with it.

I also smoked 4 racks of spare ribs from 6 am till about 3. They turned out very tasty, but the spare ribs don't get as tender as baby backs. I was looking for quantity though as I expected around 20 people, so went with the meatier (tastier) spare rib. People really enjoyed them as well. The best part of the ribs though was the piece of skirt I cut off of one of the racks and smoked for 4 hours. I ate that piece as chef's choice while the rest was cooking. It was excellent!

I rubbed both the ribs and butt with a store-bought (Durkee) rib and chicken rub that I like. you just have to go easy on it with the ribs or they'll be too salty. Didn't want to experiment too much with a crowd.

My next smoke will be mesquite smoked venison loin marinated in my stepfather's bourbon soy sauce brown sugar marinade. This is one of the best meat marinades I've ever had!

 

[willkat98]

Looks good jaynik

I like cooking that skirt flapper like you said, but when doing a mess of them, after smoking 4 hours, I chop the heck out of them and add them to a pot beans

 

[georgepat]

Hi Jaynik,

That looks like a perfectly cooked butt to me. I bet it was mouth watering to taste and wish I had been there to try it.

I don't know what your talking about with the skirt thing on the ribs or perhaps know it by another name...please refresh my memory.

Also, I love your smoker. What kind is it?

Any chance I can be added to your invite list? LOL

Georgepat

 

[Dutch]

Georgepat, the skirt meat that they are talking about is the flap of meat on the bone side of the ribs. This is the muscle that makes up the diaphragm. Depending on how you get your spareribs from the butcher determines if the skirt is intact or not. Try to find untrimmed packer ribs in the cryovac pack. I've found them at Costco's, Sam's and Walmart. If you're not afraid to do a little cutting and trimming, these make for the best ribs as you can trim them up the way you want and can control how much fat to take off or leave on.

The ribs on the left are regular trimmed spareribs that has the breast bone still attached and the ribs on the right are Centre cut spareribs and have the breastbone and the ribtips (cartilage) cut off-aka St. Louis style ribs.

 

[prplptcrzr2003]

I trim the skirt and man oh man...that's some good snacking! Escpecially while I am smoking ribs and want to enjoy a "taste" with a good beer or 2! I just grill them directly over the coals in my smaller grill and talk about a tasty treat! And sometimes, when my wife makes spanish rice, I save the skirt and some of the bones when I trim the ribs - it gives the rice dish such an awesome flavor. Heaven!

 

[Dutch]

Sam, Most often than not, when I do ribs I also do my baked beans. The trimmed skirt and meat from the rib tips gets smoked, chopped and added to the beans. Can check out my Wicked Baked Bean recipe.

 

[nmayeux]

I like to use the skirt meat in my beans also, but lately we have been going with BBs as this seems to be what most people around here prefer. I just tried a new bean recipe, but now I guess I'll have to try those Wicked ones! On a different note, I have never finished a butt in the crock pot, as I usually wrap and finish in the smoker, or oven in a pinch. That is an interesting idea, and I might have to do a little experimenting!

 

[prplptcrzr2003]

Oh yea...skirt meat in beans is awesome! And your recipe Earl looks "outta this world". I love using pineapple chunks in my beans along with a little cayenne in it. I also add (sometimes) a little Dr. Pepper to my beans for a different taste.

"The sweet with a little heat makes a mighty fine treat!"