Smoking a rack of pork 2 with Qview

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teebob2000

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Sep 8, 2011
197
15
Hi all -

I'm doing a "rack of pork" cut from Costco today.  This is I think the 4th one I've done of this cut and it's been fantastic every time.  First time was documented in my thread "Smoking a rack of pork" from Oct 2011.  For those not familiar, it's essentially a halved pork crown roast.  And it is amazing cookin'!

I'm largely repeating that same process for this go-round, except that I'm using a heat buffer between the firebox and the cooking grate in my WSM from the start.  The first time I didn't initially use a water pan but then added it when the heat got very high very quickly.  I now use a terracotta tray filled with gravel on the middle grate for pretty much every smoke, and doing the same here.  It's a very tender cut do low-and-slow isn't absolutely necessary, but I want it to get well-infused with the alder smoke, and also leave some room for reverse searing temp-wise.

Below is the rack with rib-side membrane removed (as you do on regular ribs) and I made superficial diagonal cuts into the meat side.  It's in a foil-lined small foil banquet tray (also from Costco).  I leave it in there for the duration of the smoke and don't put it directly onto a grate until the reverse sear at the very end of the process.


Next is the slather/marinade of a 1/4 cup traditional basil-based pesto, 1/4 cup EVOO, 1 TBL chopped garlic and 1 TBL balsamic vinegar mixed well...


And covered the rack on both sides and then left to sit in the fridge for about 5 hours.


More to come as I put it on the WSM in a little while.

Tom
 
Those things are awesome!  Pre-brined, so difficult to dry out.  Season them, then smoke 'em up!

I am actually curing one right now for Christmas ham.  I backed off on the Kosher salt because they already have a salty brine in them.  I used 1/2 gallon water, 1&1/2 cups sugar, 1 T Kosher salt, and 3/4 tsp of Cure #1. 

I made one before as a tester and it came out great.
 
 
Those things are awesome!  Pre-brined, so difficult to dry out.  Season them, then smoke 'em up!

I am actually curing one right now for Christmas ham.  I backed off on the Kosher salt because they already have a salty brine in them.  I used 1/2 gallon water, 1&1/2 cups sugar, 1 T Kosher salt, and 3/4 tsp of Cure #1. 

I made one before as a tester and it came out great.
Oooo that sounds really good, Scott!!  I've picked up a couple of these for the freezer because Costco has them very infrequently, and I'll have to try that!
 
 
Oooo that sounds really good, Scott!!  I've picked up a couple of these for the freezer because Costco has them very infrequently, and I'll have to try that!
They are good to have around! 

I mis-typed the amount of cure.  For 1/2 gallon, it is 1&1/2 tsp. 
 
I dumped a full-size Weber chimney loaded with white-hot coals into the firebox and then added a dozen or so more on top.  Put the foil pan on the top grate with the bone side down.  All the bottom vents are open.

Temp's been steady at 300F.  It's been on the WSM for an hour now and so time to turn up on end so the rib bones are pointed up, pic below.  IT is at 94F so it's making good time.  Probably another 90 minutes or so, I'll check it again in an hour.  Looking/smelling GREAT so far.  I also dumped in another dozen coals.

 
Looking amazing!

drool.gif
 
Teebob, looks good again. I moved back home to S Dakota and they just opened a Costco here so I picked up a couple, guess I have will have to follow you again. Scooper I like the ham idea, going back to get one or two for the freezer

Gary
 
Sorry, everyone, I didn't get the chance to snap finishing pictures!!  We had guests and I was running around like a nut at the last minute.

At 115F IT I closed the 3 bottom vents just to cool the fire down slightly for the reverse sear.  At 130F IT, I removed the center section of my WSM and set the cooking grate onto the bottom section directly over the firebox.  I then removed the pork from the foil pan and set directly on the grate meat side down over what seemed to be the coolest part of the fire, and replaced the lid.  At about 5 minutes I flipped the pork bone side down and put on the lid again for about another 5.  I then removed the pork to a heated Pyrex serving dish and covered with foil for about a 20 minute rest while I prepped the rest of the dinner.

At the end of the rest I carve the meat into individual slabs along the ribs.  I pour the juices from the foil pan over the slices and then spoon juices from the Pyrex pan over the plated slices.  The pork turned our really nicely like the times before.  I think the only way you could ruin this cut is if you way over-cooked it and dried the heck out of it.  It's a pretty forgiving cut as it's naturally tender and juicy.

What goes really nicely with this is herbed oven potatoes I make.  Cut small-medium red potatoes into wedges.  Smaller ones can be 6 wedges, larger one into 8.  I then toss them in EVOO, garlic and the Tuscan seasoning mix from Costco which is really good!  I turn out the wedges onto a baking sheet and then set them so they're skin side down and sprinkle with paprika.  (I turn them pre-cook so I don't have to bother with turning them while they're cooking; they end up evenly browned.)  I roast at 400F for about an hour or until they're fork-tender or done how you want them.
 
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