First attempt at ribs

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Firemedic76

Smoke Blower
Original poster
May 27, 2019
133
99
Gonna try my hand at ribs Tomm, I’ve basically smoked everything else dont Know why I’ve waited so long to do ribs I’ve only had my smoker a couple years. Thoughts on my approach? So I’m gonna do two slabs of baby backs at 250 on my upright propane master built. My plan is to do one slab unwrapped and one wrapped with the time for the unwrapped planning for 5hrs and the wrapped around 3-4hrs. Gonna hit em with smoke for the first two hrs then pull the one slab wrap em and put em in the oven at 215 to coordinate the time with the other slab which will be cooking the rest of the way on the smoker. Then when the oven batch appears done or close to it I’ll throw em back on the pit for 30min or so. Idk any advice here am I over complicating this by doing wrapped and unwrapped? I just wanna see the diff in tenderness or meat texture between the two, I’ll prob sauce the wrapped slab when it goes back on the pit and I’m gonna leave the other in sauced so the fam can use what sauce they want.

second pic is 2hrs in. Just about to wrap the top rack and the bottom one will cook out unwrapped.

first attempt was a success. Meat was super flavorful, touch of smoke and the meat in both was just super juicy and tender. I now feel confident making ribs going forward. Yum.
 

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Side-by-side comparison experiments are a great way to learn for yourself how process or ingredient changes affect the final product.

I'd suggest that rather than leaving them in the oven while the other one finishes, you should start the longer one 2 hrs earlier so they all finish at around the same time. Leaving anything sitting in the oven at 215 will cook it more. I start many of my smokes at 225, so you are just a little below that, and it will have a non-trivial effect on those.

HTH-
 
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I'd suggest that rather than leaving them in the oven while the other one finishes, you should start the longer one 2 hrs earlier so they all finish at around the same time.

Pure genius! Seriously, good idea ;)



smart.jpg




Edit....hmmm, but what if it's not 2 hrs, but 1 hr, then one is still done and the other not... hmm, just finish 'em as they finish wrap 'em and and into the towel packed cooler... so confusing I should probably stick with quantum mechanics this BBQ stuff is complicated...
 
Side-by-side comparison experiments are a great way to learn for yourself how process or ingredient changes affect the final product.

I'd suggest that rather than leaving them in the oven while the other one finishes, you should start the longer one 2 hrs earlier so they all finish at around the same time. Leaving anything sitting in the oven at 215 will cook it more. I start many of my smokes at 225, so you are just a little below that, and it will have a non-trivial effect on those.

HTH-
I’m gonna put the unwrapped ones on at 1 smoke for An hour then put on the second rack and hot that with smoke for an hour, I just don’t wanna over smoke the initial rack so I may hit that initial rack with smoke for just 30 min that way when I add the other rack I’m gonna wrap I can smoke those for an hour and it’s not like I’m smoking the initial rack for 3hrs. A buddy who cooks some good ribs thinks 2hrs of smoke would be to much he thinks more 60-90min is more optimal.
 
Honesty to keep it easy, for baby backs, I would just throw them on at 225*-250* for 5 hours and just leave them alone. Apply sauce for the last hour if your using sauce. I use to wrap mine but stopped. Just added more work and more times opening the smoker. You’ll know there finished when the meat has some pretty good “pull back” from the bones. And for ribs I always use apple wood and Jeff’s rub, or any rub heavy in brown sugar! Good luck and post some pictures.
 
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I make BBs all the time. 250 unwrapped start to finish. Should take 5-6 hours till they pass the bend test.

my rule for all cooking and smoking is the more simple the method and the shorter the ingredient list the better the product.
 
I'd suggest that rather than leaving them in the oven while the other one finishes, you should start the longer one 2 hrs earlier so they all finish at around the same time. Leaving anything sitting in the oven at 215 will cook it more.
+1 to this advice. Set your meal time and plan your cook working backwards from that. Build in some time for some ”oops” and for you to enjoy a cold one too.
 
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Honesty to keep it easy, for baby backs, I would just throw them on at 225*-250* for 5 hours and just leave them alone. Apply sauce for the last hour if your using sauce. I use to wrap mine but stopped. Just added more work and more times opening the smoker. You’ll know there finished when the meat has some pretty good “pull back” from the bones. And for ribs I always use apple wood and Jeff’s rub, or any rub heavy in brown sugar! Good luck and post some pictures.
Ok I like this plan. And I used a brown sugar based rub on one and a kc sweet and smoky on the other. Gonna use a mix of cherry, apple and pecan chunks.
 
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Let us know how they turn out, with photo’s of course!
Al

I don’t know at first attempt how I could’ve done any better. The unwrapped had just that touch of tug but the meat was super tender and flavorful. Kids and wife liked the wrapped and sauced which I also enjoyed and it’s interesting to see how the wrapping just makes that meat fall off the bone but it wasn’t mushy just super tender. Both racks cooked for 5hrs at 240-250deg using smoke for the first 90min only.
 

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Looks good! Congrats on your 1st BBs
Thanks. Idk any tips like the unwrapped had a nice bark but as u can see the ends got burnt a little. In hindsight I should’ve trimmed em up to get rid of that. I basted the unwrapped once an hour with apple cider vinegar and apple juice mix to keep it moist.
 
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