Rib Recipe?

[dAWGS]

ok just started so im all wet behind the ears.   i did 2 whole chickens the other day and they came out awesome.   monday im going to try ribs.   i would like to try both bb and spare in the same session.   is that possible?  1 rack each because im still experimenting.     can anyone link me to a successfull smoking method?

[beefmann]

season the  ribs  with
paprika
salt,
pepper
granulated garlic
ground mustard

smoke with your  favorite wood for 2 to 3 hours and  cook till the meat pulls back from the end of the bone 1/2 to 1 inch

box temp of 210 to 225  and a time range  of 6 to 10 hours

[KevinG]

Tenpoint5 did a good one here. I've done it with success a few times.

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=10182.0

[dAWGS]

doesnt say anything about the vent.   open?  closed?   can i do spare and baby back at the same time?

[KyNola]

Keep that vent OPEN!  Yes, you can do the spares and the baby backs at the same time.  The baby backs will most likely get finished before the spares.

Don't ever close the vent.  Mine is pretty much stuck in the wide open position. 

[ArnieM]

Yep, keep the vent open.

Watch the BB's closely.  The meat wasn't pulling back on the bone for the last rack I did so I cooked them longer.  They came out dry and tough.

Use one or both of the other tests.  Stick a toothpick in the meat between the bones.  If it feels tender, it's done.  The other test is to grab two adjacent bones and pull them apart.  If they pull apart easily, it's done.

You can't always trust the meat pulling back.

[EZ Smoker]

Some people cook the ribs for 3 hours with smoke, then wrap them in foil and continue cooking for two hours, then take them out of the foil, sauce them and continue cooking for another hour or so.   They call this the 3-2-1 method.

As for me, I never foil ribs (or any other bbq for that matter).   My recipe is very simple:

remove membrane
coat liberally with Gordon's Grub Rub (though you can use whatever rub you like)
wrap in saran wrap and let it sit in fridge overnight
put in pre-heated smoker with four hours smoke (I use combo of mostly hickory and some apple) at 225*.  Vent 2/3-3/4 open.
They're ready when the meat pulls back from the bone a half inch or so, or when a toothpick goes through the meat very easily.  

Usually takes 6 hours or so for spareribs.  Maybe a little less for baby backs.
(It should also be noted that I change the water after the smoke, and I rotate the racks front to back and top to bottom [assuming I'm cooking on more than one rack] at about the three hour mark.   I might rotate again later, depending on how long it's taking.)

Using foil gives you more of a braising effect, which some people really like a lot.   But I prefer the taste that comes from cooking unfoiled.  

[KyNola]

EZ has definitely got your back on this.  Nicely done EZ.  I too stopped foiling ribs a while back.  It was that "braising" thing you described that I really didn't care for.  Different strokes for different folks.  Not saying foiling is wrong.  Just saying I like 'em better with no foil technique.

[dAWGS]

alot of options huh?   maybe ill foil half and not foil the other half.   like i said im experimenting   but ill do it at 200-225 with 3 hours of smoke at a total of 6 hours

[EZ Smoker]

Sounds good, assuming you meant you'll foil one rack of ribs and not the other.  But while 6 hours is probably about right, they could take longer.  To make sure they're done, the toothpick test is easy and accurate.   The toothpick should go through the meat very easily.  If there's resistance, you'll feel it and know they're not quite done.   

[dAWGS]

well i was gonna cut both racks in half.   3-2-1 method with half spare and 3-2-1 with half bb.     then just smoke straight up with the other 2 halves

[ArnieM]

well i was gonna cut both racks in half.   3-2-1 method with half spare and 3-2-1 with half bb.     then just smoke straight up with the other 2 halves

Sounds like a plan.  As long as you have the meat and the smoke, why not experiment a little?

[Pachanga]

dAWGS,

I smoke ribs almost exactly like EZ Smoker using my own rub; even down to the apple wood.  I do use a mustard slather which I also refer to as a long term mop reduction.

Foiling can be beneficial and loads of people do so.  I prefer to smoke naked.

Below is a post I made some time ago that expresses the science behind foiling and not foiling.
It may be of some benefit.

I Prefer to Smoke Totally Naked - A Brisket and Ribs Manifesto
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=12455.0

At the end of the Manifesto are some links concerning mustard slathers and mopping.

Good luck and slow smoking,

Pachanga

[Uncle Pigfat]

If you go naked with the BBRs, be careful.  I've had very limited success without foiling.  They're not as forgiving as the spares.  They were always edible, but I never got fall off the bone without foiling considering they don't pull back as much as spares and you can't really peek much with an unmodified OBS.

[Tenpoint5]

I'm STILL foiling my ribs!! That's all I'm Saying