Hello from California. I decided to try my hand at smoking. I just bought an Oklahoma Joe’s Highland smoker, and I thought I’d start by smoking some ribs. I’ve been watching Youtube videos, and the process seems fairly straightforward, but there are some things I’m not clear on. Here’s the process as I understand it from the videos:
Trim excess fat
Conflicting opinions about the need to remove the membrane. A compromise position seems to be to score the membrane.
Apply rub, with or without binder (mustard? olive oil?)
Put charcoal that’s been started in the chimney into the firebox
Add a chunk of smoking wood
Cooking chamber temp should be around 225 to 250 F. I bought a temp probe, because some say the external gauge doesn’t show the temp at the rack level
Here’s where opinions vary. Most seem to favor wrapping the ribs after three hours, others say it’s not necessary. Many don’t like the meat to fall off the bone, others do like it. I’m going to try wrapping, but only for an hour, followed by unwrapping and sauce application, then cooking for another hour.
Now here’s my question: I assume that if the ribs are wrapped, it makes no sense to use smoking wood. But to maintain heat, I assume I might need to occasionally add charcoal? Do I add unheated charcoal to the heated coals, or do I need to start them first?
Hi there and welcome!
This is going to be a big post with a lot of info so bare with me :D
I think the guys are getting you on the right path for sure. BTW this site is the BEST and most accurate source of legit info you will find. It puts all those youtube videos and blogs, etc. to shame.
If just getting started I would say to keep it simple. Much information you read about in other places is all myth, ceremony, and extra unnecessary when it comes to smoking meat.
It's best to just start simple.
Your first battle will be learning your smoking, how it works, how to keep the heat going, and how to get good smoke.
THEN the next battle is dealing with the specifics and quirks of each kind of meat your cook. They are all different and have their own quirks or processes vs the same process for all of them being the same.
With that said, go with what is simplest to learn your smoker when it comes to your fire. I run an electric so I'm not the best source for telling you charcoal vs splits vs other things, but many guys here are great sources.
When it comes to food though I got you covered. Pork ribs are a great choice as they are pretty forgiving and again the simpler you keep things the better.
Seasoning Pork Ribs
if you pull the ribs out of the pack they wet juice on them will hold enough seasoning for you to not use a binder. I never use a binder on anything but that is because I pull it out of a wet pack or a wet brine etc and immediately season.
IMPORTANT: Ribs are extremely easy to over salt!!!! Rarely do you see anyone say this and you learn it the hard way.
Because of this I suggest you don't use any pre-mix rubs/seasonings. Simply go Pepper, Onion, Garlic, and if you want a little Paprika for more flavor and color and you can put little or plenty as it will be fine. THEN do the Salt but don't go too heavy, remember much of that cut is bones.
As for the membrane/bone side. I wouldn't go wild just rub a little seasoning back there and you are good, no need to season it much but I do like to have a little back there.
I left out sugar in the seasoning because you can always mop on bbq sauce or something like that towards the end of the cook and if you have sugar in the seasoning and want to cook at a higher heat then it can burn up and get bitter on you.
Membrane vs No-Membrane
I leave it on and cook to where the bone/membrane side of the ribs is towards the heat source. This is a preference thing but again in the name of SIMPLICITY and to reduce the number of things to worry about, I suggest leaving it on.
If you leave it on then it helps retain moisture and is easy to peel off when the ribs are done. Also you could stoke the flame at the end of the cook and burn it off or if you cook hotter it could basically just disintegrate.
Smoker Temp
Pork ribs do not care what temp you are cooking them as long as you aren't burning them. Notice I don't include any sugar in the seasoning suggestion above. We don't really do sugar in rubs in Texas but if you must have it then don't have a constant a smoker temp above 250F or else the sugar could burn and get bitter.
If you have no sugar you can do 275F no problem or even go hotter. Again as long as you aren't burning them, the ribs won't care.
I go to 275F with my smoker on ribs because there is no need for me to go lower AND that is the max temp that doesn't stress the foam insulation of my smoker :D
Also don't fret about your smoker temp being steady on this smoke. You can fluctuate all day between 225F and 325F and it will be ok as long as you aren't burning the meat.
Often you will find that your setup and your smoker will want to behave and hold only in specific ranges. Like many people report "my smoker likes to work around 250F so I just let it do it's thing", or some other temp.
Do not give into the myth of "225F, low and slow" for everything. That is not exactly accurate or efficient info, it is simply something that does work but at the expense of an approach that works MUCH better.
Think of it like this. You could walk up largest hill in town to get to the top and you would get there. OR you could get in your car and drive up to the top of the hill and get there with less hassle :D
The ribs don't care so again don't fret on your smoker temp, fret on how to make your smoker behave consistently and hold a temp consistently, and when to add fuel or mess with the smoker to keep consistency going at an efficient and acceptable temp for the meat :D
Cooking Method plus Wrap or Not
This too is preference AND dependent on how your smoker behaves. If your smoker doesn't retain moisture and dries things out easily then you probably want to wrap at some point.
I rock an electric smoker that holds moisture like a champ so I don't even have to add a water pan and I smoke ribs unwrapped the entire time for superior flavor and amazing bark.
if your smoker dries things up you may need to wrap once they look good like they have bark and you don't want to dry them out.
Next is "when are they done?" Pork ribs are a cut that is done when it is tender to your liking. You check for tenderness by stabbing with a toothpic and it going in with no resitance or you learn by how it feels when you pick it up. The toothpic is easier especially when starting out.
Now, a trick with pork ribs is that you can put a thermometer temp probe into the meat between the bones and when the meat temp reads 195F then you are in bite off the bone tenderness and getting to 200F or more is approaching fall off the bone territory.
I take mine to 198F and check for tenderness and they are good to go. I like mine to be bite off the bone but to where I don't have to do ANY fighting with getting meat off the bone, while at the same time it's not falling off the bone.
The things I just explained are the "quirks" of pork ribs and things to deal with them. A different cut of meat has a different set of quirks and way to deal with them.
So, foil wrap, 3-2-1, etc. can all work BUT they often don't explain that pork ribs are done when they are tender and that different size ribs may have different results with cooking methods that don't check for tenderness on ribs.
Answer to your initial question:
No, there is no need to add wood if you're ribs are wrapped. Wrapping in butcher paper may allow some smoke in but foil wouldn't and with pork ribs being a faster smoke I don't think it makes sense to be producing smoke when they are wrapped in any capacity.
I'll let the charcoal and split guy speak up on how you best to add more fuel to an existing fire but my understanding is you just add unheated charcoal/splits while there is still plenty of fire going and that will do the trick.
Conclusion
With you just starting out you will have plenty of learning and battles to fight with just figuring out how to operate your smoker. This is always the 1st battle, so keep the meat side of things simple. You chose pork ribs which are not difficult so that is a good start. Go simple with the seasoning and prep and the cooking process for them because you don't need to add more potential issues as you are learning.
I threw a lot at you so ask all the questions you have. Don't be nervous we all learn, you just have the benefit of lots of great guys and REAL experience here vs a video or a blog that just wants eyeballs and clicks versus educating you and ensuring you succeed :D
. As for binder usually dont use, I put my rub on the night before and let them sit in the fridge. Membrane I just leave on, I dont score it or anything thinking it will hold the juices in, but that's my brain at work. I sauce them about an hour before taking them off. The best advice I can give you is dont over think smoking meat it really isnt rocket science. You just need to try different ways to see what you like best.
