- Feb 24, 2014
- 2
- 10
Hello all. this is my first post aside from my roll call. I found the forum while researching what went wrong with my ribs this past Saturday. I signed up yesterday and have a few questions... I'm sure I'll have more. I'm going to explain the process and recipe that I followed and sprinkle a couple of questions in along the way.
The ribs were not bad. In fact, the flavor was great. However, they were TOUGH AS HELL. We're not talking didn't fall off the bone. We're talking had to really chew and tug to get em' off.
I'm am a rookie armed with an Masterbuilt electric smoke that I received as a gift in December. I do have an offset as well that I have used with mixed success in the past. A few side notes: This was not the first smoke with the Masterbuilt as I did a butt for the Superbowl and I did run a full empty smoke before food was ever used. Also, I am relying on the digital thermometer that is built in and the meat probe. Question 1: Is that a mistake? If so, can you recommend a good thermometer and set up for a unit like this?
Here is how it all went down: I was following a recipe from the book Slow Fire which is written by Ray Lampe. Question 2: Anyone know if this book is decent? If not, is there a better one to get me going?
I picked up 2 slabs of St. Louis style ribs from the supermarket. They were previously frozen and had some additives according to the package, but they looked pretty good. Question 3: Big mistake? should I have gone to other stores looking for fresher or never frozen? Friday night I peeled the membrane and rubbed them with a generous amount of the rub from the recipe. It is some sugar in the raw, kosher salt, coffee, chili powder, garlic powder and a few other spices. I think its a pretty decent rub and better than a store bought. I placed them in a pan and covered the pan with plastic wrap and let them sit in the fridge overnight. Question 4: No mustard, too long, not long enough, not wrapped?
Saturday around noon I let them come to room temp for about an 1/2 hour and they went into the smoker at 235 with a mix of apple and hickory wood. I smoked em for 2 hours meat side up, flipped em bone side up and smoked for an hour more. Took them out and wrapped in foil with brown sugar, butter, honey, and Frank's red hot. They went back in for another hour. (This is exactly as the recipe said). After that I finished hit them with a bottled sauce and finished them on a pretty hot grill (natural charcoal and hickory chunks) for a few minutes on each side............. End result was tasty ribs that were TOUGH AS HELL.
Any thoughts and answers to my questions will be greatly appreciated... Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to provide enough detail and context. Zach
The ribs were not bad. In fact, the flavor was great. However, they were TOUGH AS HELL. We're not talking didn't fall off the bone. We're talking had to really chew and tug to get em' off.
I'm am a rookie armed with an Masterbuilt electric smoke that I received as a gift in December. I do have an offset as well that I have used with mixed success in the past. A few side notes: This was not the first smoke with the Masterbuilt as I did a butt for the Superbowl and I did run a full empty smoke before food was ever used. Also, I am relying on the digital thermometer that is built in and the meat probe. Question 1: Is that a mistake? If so, can you recommend a good thermometer and set up for a unit like this?
Here is how it all went down: I was following a recipe from the book Slow Fire which is written by Ray Lampe. Question 2: Anyone know if this book is decent? If not, is there a better one to get me going?
I picked up 2 slabs of St. Louis style ribs from the supermarket. They were previously frozen and had some additives according to the package, but they looked pretty good. Question 3: Big mistake? should I have gone to other stores looking for fresher or never frozen? Friday night I peeled the membrane and rubbed them with a generous amount of the rub from the recipe. It is some sugar in the raw, kosher salt, coffee, chili powder, garlic powder and a few other spices. I think its a pretty decent rub and better than a store bought. I placed them in a pan and covered the pan with plastic wrap and let them sit in the fridge overnight. Question 4: No mustard, too long, not long enough, not wrapped?
Saturday around noon I let them come to room temp for about an 1/2 hour and they went into the smoker at 235 with a mix of apple and hickory wood. I smoked em for 2 hours meat side up, flipped em bone side up and smoked for an hour more. Took them out and wrapped in foil with brown sugar, butter, honey, and Frank's red hot. They went back in for another hour. (This is exactly as the recipe said). After that I finished hit them with a bottled sauce and finished them on a pretty hot grill (natural charcoal and hickory chunks) for a few minutes on each side............. End result was tasty ribs that were TOUGH AS HELL.
Any thoughts and answers to my questions will be greatly appreciated... Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to provide enough detail and context. Zach