BRADLEY SMOKER | "Taste the Great Outdoors"

Smoking Techniques => Hot Smoking and Barbecuing => Topic started by: Kane on June 01, 2008, 04:54:16 PM

Title: St Louis vs. Baby Backs
Post by: Kane on June 01, 2008, 04:54:16 PM
Hey guys and gals,

St Louis or baby backs? and why?  lets get some votes in.   

Ill be doing ribs next weekend. a Full load... as many as I can fit in the smoker. Ive never tried St Louis cut Ribs. I always do Baby Backs.  I cook my ribs at about 210 with 3 hours of smoke than spritz down and wrap in foil for another 3 hours than sauce em on the grill.

I understand with a full load Ill need to bump cook time up. If I go with baby backs Im gonna give myself 8 hours.

what about a full load of St Louis? 10 hours?
Title: Re: St Louis vs. Baby Backs
Post by: Gizmo on June 01, 2008, 05:02:30 PM
Both, because I like them both.   ;D
I tend to do more back ribs and I suspect because I can get them easier.
Title: Re: St Louis vs. Baby Backs
Post by: FLBentRider on June 02, 2008, 04:33:28 AM
I like both - My family loves Alton Brown's baby back recipe - I have been experimenting adding smoke to that.

St Louis - My personal favorite - more meat.

I tend to not calculate hours so much as watch the internal temperature and / or the "bone wiggle test"

I've also had ribs (from the same cryovac package) turn out very different in terms of tenderness. So sometimes it's the Pigs fault.
Title: Re: St Louis vs. Baby Backs
Post by: Smoking Duck on June 02, 2008, 04:50:00 AM
I too like the St. Louis because they are meatier.  But, there's nothing wrong with baby back either.  Just takes more of em to fill me up.

I'm curious about how you place the probe into the ribs.  I use the ET-73, but am always wary of the temp due to being less meat in which to place the probe.  I always wonder if the probe isn't picking up some of the ambient heat due to not being able to get the probe very deep into the meat.  So, I try and use the pull back from the bone method but find that's not a real good indicator either.

SD
Title: Re: St Louis vs. Baby Backs
Post by: Kane on June 02, 2008, 04:17:55 PM
Ive never used a temp probe for ribs.  I just depend on how they flex to tell me when they are done.
Title: Re: St Louis vs. Baby Backs
Post by: La Quinta on June 02, 2008, 04:24:41 PM
Me too Kane...gotta say...I like spare ribs the best...
Title: Re: St Louis vs. Baby Backs
Post by: FLBentRider on June 02, 2008, 06:42:33 PM
I try to get the probe in a thick area opposite from the bone ends. It is not an exact science for sure.
Title: Re: St Louis vs. Baby Backs
Post by: Kane on June 05, 2008, 05:00:11 PM
I went with Baby Backs. seeing as Ive never done St Louis cut I wanted to be sure on what I was feeding My guests.  My baby backs always turn out