Baby Back Help

[Juneviking]

Just got my BS this weekend. Did some chicken qtrs. Turned out great. Want to graduate to ribs. Got a stupid question. Do you put the ribs bone side up or down so they are lifted off the rack? Does it matter? Also anybody have a good simple baby back recipe to cut my teeth? Please include all the basics since I'm a newbie (time, temp, flavor, etc.)

Thanks
Juneviking

[nsxbill]

The last ones I did were done as follows:

Pulled the membrane, then cut the racks in half, and into a plastic bag with Wishbone Italian dressing for 24-30 hrs in the refer.  

Ribs out of the bag onto racks (Bone side down).  A dusting of the rub of your choice, and then into 210° Bradley for the first 4° with smoke, change the water, rotate the racks, and then cooked until meat temp at 185°-190°.  Approx 12 hours later, ribs out then a towel, and into a coleman cooler for a couple of hours.  Some put bacon on top rack to drip down during smoking and cooking.  I like this.  It keeps the ribs moist and adds flavor, and the bacon later is delicious.

To die for.  Purists just do the rub.  I like the added taste of the Italian dressing used as a marinade while getting cozy with each other in the refer.  I also like the sauce applied about an hour before the ribs are to come out.  Serve with sauce and beer.

Bill

[humpa]

http://home.comcast.net/~humpa/DSC_1314.JPG  
 June....I agree with Bill on marinating first. The rub also is important. I also agree with the beer!!! When they are all done, they will look like this http://home.comcast.net/~humpa/DSC_1319.JPG I did turn mine over after 3 hours of an estimated 5-6 hour cook, but the other side was browning up pretty good anyway. I used smoke for the first 3 hours at 225deg and then just cooked till they were done. The bacon is a great idea....it works well. The whole secret is slow and easy. Maybe next time I'll do mine at 210 deg like Bill. Happy smoking and let us know how they came out.
                   
                                     Humpa

Hey Doc...I'm down to 2 racks a day!!!

[MallardWacker]

June,

When you do ribs for the first time, these are just my thoughts here, take'm or leave'm as they say.

First I would do only loin/baby backs for the first time, spares(to me)can be a pain.  To make it easy and not real technical, I would:

For the first time get 3 full racks(easy to control for the first time).

Pull the membrane, cut the racks in half and dust good with your favorite rub the night before. Wrap in suran~wrap.  I would stay away from the Lowery brand rubs, what they call rubs is not what we think of rubs.

Pull the ribs and prepare the BS by preheating to something over 225 for an hour or so.  The temp will drop when you put the meat in.

Put three halfs on each rack and use the top two slots.

Target the cooking temp from 190-200, not over 200.

Use 4hrs of you favorite smoke.

Look for a internal temp of about 185 or till you the bone twist from the meat.

Caution: I know you want to open that door~~~DON'T.  Check the ribs around 3-4hrs and you may want to rotate the racks but keep that door shut so the smoker can do its thing.

After they reach internal temp, do the FTC~~Wrap in Foil, then in a Towl, then place in a cooler for at least an hour.

Listed below is a thread with a bunch of us that put our two cents worth in that mught help.
http://www.bradleysmoker.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=161

Sorry about the wordy disortation, but I think I might be know for that around these parts.  HTH and have fun...




SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know.  But...

[Juneviking]

Thanks to All who responded. This Forum is such a great tool. I'll let you all know how they turn out this weekend.