SMOKING ribs, 40 minutes in!

[sickpuppy]

Hi all,

I am 40 minutes into my FIRST spare rib smoke. So far, so good.

I may have made a mistake in the purchase of my ribs. I purchased at Walmart and I passed up the Tyson, which I know are injected with, what they call their broth, and opted instead for a frozen pack of Smithfield ribs, after asking a meat person if they had any that were not injected. I looked at only the Walmart price label, which had nothing about anything being added. After thawing them out I read the Smithfield label and to my surprise they are also injected. Hope this will not make a big difference?

Dry rubbed them last night and wrapped and let rest in the frig overnight. Have put apple juice in the water pan and using soaked hickory chunks with some chips.

Attached is a picture of them going into the smoker. You can see my new Taylor gauge probe hanging down, that I received just yesterday with my eastman outdoor gloves.

Should I spray them with apple juice about every hour or just let them go with the rub for the first 3 hours?

 

[hightower11]

Spray them with apple juice every hour and you might add apple juice to your drip pan. I would rap them in tinfoil after the 3rd hour and let them go for about 2 hours and then unwrap and return to the smoker for 1 hour.... GOOD LUCK BRO !!!!!!!!

 

[sickpuppy]

Here is the finished product. Boy, were they good!

Used the 3-2-1 method with apple juice in the pan and sprayed them with apple juice about every hour. I did remove the membrane. Did not fall off the bone, but were tender and tasty. I think I have to pick better ribs next time. Not the broth injected ones at Walmart. I also did the baked beans under the ribs as crazyhorse and they were great.

 

[soflaquer]

Puppy,

Congrats! You did real well on your first try!

I would suggest that you St. Louis trim the spares prior to rubbing and cooking next time! I'll get with Jeff P. and see if we can but together some basics for you guys to use as a guide (including the proper way to St. Louis Trim).

Jeff

 

[johnnyreb]

those do look good SP.

hit this link for info on trimming spares, i think theres a video on it to!!!


http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/ribselect2.html

 

[sickpuppy]

crazyhorse,

Checked out the site and now know how to trim my spare ribs next time. Slowly but surely, with all the great advice, I am learning to smoke the right way and make tender and delicious smoked meat.

Thanks,
Dan

 

[Dutch]

I do my ribs Kansas City style. After the skirt meat has smoked for an hour or so, I like to dice it up and toss it into the pork and beans. It's really hard not to eat it all up before it gets to the beans!! :oops:

 

[soflaquer]

Thanks for the backup, Crazy!

Jeff

 

[sickpuppy]

Earl D-

That sounds good, dice up the skirt and putting them in the beans. But like you, enough my not get into the beans to give them much of the meat flavor.

Thanks to the web site crazyhorse gave me I will be also doing the Kansas City style of trimming.

Looking forward to the next time I do ribs, but I have a brisket in the fridge and plan on trying what I have learned on the forum for brisket.

Thanks all,
Dan

 

[ranger72]

mmmmm-mmmmhhh!!!



Lookin good sickpuppy!!!

ranger72 :D

 

[soflaquer]

After perusing Crazy's link to Spare Rib info., it should be noted that most people refer to a St. Louis Trim (generically) to include what they refer to as a KC trim. i.e. - trimming off the skirt. The "Skirt" is always trimmed from my Spares. You can get pretty imaginative with that slab of meat if you try. I like to stuff them with different acoutrements and roll them up. Then slice them into 1 - 1 1/2" slabs once they're done in the Smoker. Great finger foods!!!

Jeff

 

[wynn_richards]

Jeff,
Why is it important to trim the ribs? Just so they look nice. I understand in competition why you would do it, but just for the family, is it really worth it.

Just wondering as I finish off these ribs we did today.

wynn

 

[Dutch]

Wynn-
I think it's important-presentation is everything, Plus trimming the ribs prior to smoking makes it a whole lot easier to serve without have to try and hack your way through the cartilage and the breast bone. After I trim my ribs, I'll take a meat cleaver and chop through the bone and cartilage but still keep the rib trimmings intact. I'll give them a good dose of rib rub and smoke these along with the KC trimmed Ribs. The rib trimming are a little tricky to eat but the meat is MMMmmmm good! :D

 

[soflaquer]

Wynn,

Trimming Ribs is done for several reasons. Firstly, it removes unwanted fat, cartilidge, membrane and bone. By doing this you allow the "good" stuff to smoke and makes them much easier to eat. Secondly, as Earl expressed..........it's done for presentation at competitions and restaraunts.

This is done primarily with Spareribs. Most Babybacks are already pretty clean with the exception of removing the membrane.

Dependant on how good a slab you may find, you can still smoke the knuckles and skirt separately for finger food............if nothing else, your Dog's gonna love you for the knuckles!!!!

Jeff

 

[wynn_richards]

Yeah that's what I thought, but as you said Jeff, I use baby backs and I guess they are already taken care of except for the membrane which I take off all the time. Next time I'm at the Alberstons or Safeway I will take a look at the spare ribs and see what you are talking about.

Thanks to Jeff and Earl!

Wynn,

PS= Jeff how did you survive Katrina? My friends mom and sister live in Palm Beach and they haven't had power since Friday.

 

[soflaquer]

We really didn't get a whole lot from Hurricane Katrina where I'm at. They must live in the southern part of the county. We dodged the bullet this time, but we still have to get thru September (the busiest part of the season!).

Jeff

 

[leland_71832]

Thanks for the video link!

Good Info!