RECIPE SITE

[turko77]

I am trying to get into the recipe site and they are asking me for a username and password.........I am going to try the competition rib recipe today and I can't get into the site! Trying to figure out if I have to register or is there a problem with the site.  My ribs are getting nervous in the fridge and so am I........... ;D    Any help would be appreciated


                        turko77

[squirtthecat]

I am trying to get into the recipe site and they are asking me for a username and password.........I am going to try the competition rib recipe today and I can't get into the site! Trying to figure out if I have to register or is there a problem with the site.  My ribs are getting nervous in the fridge and so am I........... ;D    Any help would be appreciated


                        turko77

It was going to be up and down for maintenance today.   Ray had a post about it yesterday morning, I think.

[squirtthecat]

Which recipe?   I have the recipe database on my PC here...  I can look it up for you.

[turko77]

The competition rib recipe I believe it was called, thank you for the help!

[squirtthecat]

The competition rib recipe I believe it was called, thank you for the help!

No problemo...  Give me a couple minutes.

[squirtthecat]

Let me know if this is the one..



Competition Ribs
From ICEMAN / Patrick Gbur


How Most Competition Cooks Prepare Ribs:

This is some input from forgotten sources and various experts (not me, that's for sure) that visit my house from time to time and many grease stained notes of mine. Hope this kind of explains things enough to get folks started. Have a good time smoking.

Feel free to add on. Enjoy!!! First of all understand we use "smokers" when we cook ribs.

The secret to GREAT ribs is to cook them at low temperatures for long periods of time. In competition, we cook all our meats at around 225 degrees F, and it takes 6 hours for ribs, 10 -12 hours for pork butts and up to 18 hours for brisket.

First lets explode a few myths about ribs:

MYTH # 1:

The secret to great ribs is to boil them first! WRONG!!!... NEVER, EVER boil your ribs!!! I don't care what your mother taught you or what famous chef on the Food Network did. NEVER EVER BOIL ribs!!!

OK! let me explain what water does to meat. There is a certain degree of osmosis that takes place when you boil meat in water. This is accelerated even if you use a small amount of salt in the water or on the meat. In essences, what happens is... the water goes in and the flavor of the meat goes out. If you doubt this, taste the water after you have boiled something in it. This is the whole concept of making soup. So when you boil your ribs, all that wonderful pork flavor comes out (notice how greasy the water is).

Now, I do agree you will get a tender cut of meat. But, what does it taste like WITHOUT any rub or sauce. Does it look good? Would you even eat it? If you were blind folded, could you identify what type of meat it is? (Most people fail this test!) Next a simple question... would you boil your steaks or chops or burgers? I will gladly share the secret to making tender AND flavorful ribs. BTW, a truly GREAT rib can be tested by using simply salt and pepper... what is called a "dry" rib (a "wet" rib has sauce on it). I suggest everyone try their ribs this way first... then start experimenting with various rubs and sauces.

MYTH # 2

Boiling/Steaming gets the fat out.

WRONG!!!

Yes, it will get rid of SOME of the fat, but very rarely will it get rid of ALL the fat. This is the single biggest problem that folks have with ribs... even after boiling; there are still pockets of fat.

A quick technical lesson (for sharing over a few cold beers).

Fat can only be rendered in a dry cooking environment over a long period of time and at low temperatures. Here is what happens... the meat must attain a temperature of 160 to 170 degrees F to start the fat rendering process. At these temps, the meat temperature will "plateau"... that is, it will stay at these temps for up to 2 hours on ribs, and 4 to 5 hours on butts and briskets. What is happening is, the collagen "connective tissue" starts to break down... this process releases water, which in turn causes a cooling of the meat. So the temps stay down, the temps will start to rise. It is this process that allows ALL of the fat to be rendered from the rib.

OK... on with it. The night before you should choose your favorite rub... a combination of spices... and apply it to the ribs. Then wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. You want to keep the air out and the moisture in... besides, who wants the ribs to taste like what's in the refrigerator or vise versa.

Here is a good starting rub you can try:

Ingredients:
1 TBS Garlic powder
1 TBS Onion Powder
1 TBS Salt
1 TBS Cayenne Pepper
1 TBS Black Pepper
1 TBS White Pepper
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Paprika

Directions:
Simply mix all the ingredients together. This may be a little hot for some folks, so just cut back on the cayenne.
The day you are to cook, take the ribs out about 1 hour prior to cooking.
Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F.
Place your ribs bone side DOWN... you will NOT turn these over (this allows the fat to travel through the meat and leave all that flavor behind). Place them on a wire rack directly over the drip pan... you want to catch the drippings in this pan.
After 1 1/2 hours of smoking/cooking with your favorite wood (NOT BEFORE!!!) spritz or mop the ribs with a mixture of apple juice and 1 part oil or any mopping sauce you prefer. Do this every 1/2 - 3/4 hour until the ribs are done.
I like to use a combo of hickory/apple, or oak/apple for ribs.
To test for doneness, you can look at the bones and watch for the meat to be pulling back from the ends or use the tooth pick test insert a tooth pick... between the bones and if it goes through easily they are done.
At this time you can spritz them once more and FTC (see note).
Finally you can apply sauces 20 minutes prior to serving or serve it on the side for dipping.
That's it your done. You can toss them on the grill for a minute or two if you prefer or save them for the next day and reheat in the oven or grill wrapped in foil


NOTE:

F = Foil

T = Towel

C = Cooler

Lets say after smoking a pork butt for 4 hours or so then keep it cooking until it reaches the desired temperature 195 F / 210 F or there and about. It could take 10 or 12 hours. Just depends on the amount of meat you're cooking.
You then take it out of the smoker and wrap it in aluminum Foil (maybe add some apple juice or whatever).
Then wrap it in a few layers of old Towels (like beach towels or old bath towels).
Next stick it in an old Cooler you have laying around (NO ICE! You're trying to keep it warm).
Let it sit for a couple of hours so the passive heat can do its magic and you will end up with some VERY, VERY tender, juicy meat.

ICEMAN / Patrick Gbur

Comments by:
ASA; Thanks for putting together Ribs 101 for all. I agree with emphasizing trying ribs with just the dry rub and no sauce - that's what one should aim for, in my opinion. And the importance of what happens between 160 and 170 cannot be overemphasized. I think understanding that is the key to a lot of this type of cooking. It will be valuable to be able to refer back to this in the future when people want to know how to get started. I'm wondering if you also remove the membrane........
Regards, Art

Haellc; What I do to remove the membrane is one make sure your ribs are completely thawed. With a dull point butter knife I insert it over a bone and slightly lift the membrane enough to get my finger underneath it. I take my time and gently remove the membrane; try not to let it start to rip or it will be difficult to get it all completely off.
Good Luck!

Iceman; I use catfish skinning pliers. They ram me about $3.50 at Sportsman Warehouse.

Kiyotei; I find removing the membrane to be an adventure. Some days it pulls right off, other days it's a nightmare. My favorite tools are a small spoon and bottle opener with the sharp pointing side which is used to pierce metal can tops. I slide the spoon under the membrane to try and loose it up before pulling it. I use a paper towel to get a better grip on the slippery membrane. When that fails to work I grab my bottle opener and use that pointy side to scrape at the membrane to help remove it or at least score it a lot.

Wildcat; Good lesson. I already knew that low and slow made meat tender, just did not truly understand the science behind it. I used to slow smoke deer and goats in a home built pit perfectly like I was taught by my uncle long ago, but never understood the science behind it. This knowledge is really going to help.

[turko77]

Yep, that's it!  Thank you very much squirtthecat,you just made my day.......I tried downloading the recipe data, but I can't get it to work darn it. I have windows 7 and am not that good with computers so I depend on the internet for recipe's.

[squirtthecat]

Glad to help.   Good luck with those ribs!

[turko77]

Thanks, my wife says I spend more time with my bradley than her.......I have smoked something every weekend since I got it! Yes, I am addicted

[classicrockgriller]

turko77.

I did these ribs about two weeks ago and they are good.

A tad sweet, but i had some CT for a dip sauce.

And since you are going to be opening the door abit for spritzing,

they will take a little longer to finish.