Rib Cookoff last Saturday

[CandySueQ]

Non sanctioned but run with solid judging and scoring. A BBQr’s Delight using team won 1st. I ate a rib and it was great! I was 12th out of 20 teams. Ribs are always a hard category for me.

[RiverJeff]

As many ways there are to cook ribs it really amazes me how hard it is to get that really Great rib cook. As you, I just keep on keeping on try try again! Don't give up and keep trying!
Jeff

[FireMan]

I’ve been hemmin & hawwin, now after yer post I need to cook up some Wibs! Thanks. Yers sure look good!

[Huskee]

I'm doin' beef ribs tomorry, get in that Subaru and head on over!

[mrteddyprincess]

Congrats! Those look delicious!

Do you have any suggestions for sources of high-quality ribs?

[CandySueQ]

mrteddyprincess, that's the hundred dollar question! My friend that won Saturday's event cooks duroc. He paid $120 for 4 racks that won a contest in Miami, OK for $400 prize. How many other paid that for much, much less or zero? The ribs pictured above were Smithfield St. Louis cut. I cooked 3 racks on the Gateway Drum. 1 rack was fresh and 2 had been frozen. I turned in the fresh rack. It was juicier. I did not inject. I have 2 duroc racks in the freezer for my next event.

[mrteddyprincess]

And those Smithfield ribs were obtained at a local retail establishment? Like Walmart or Meijer? I guess I asked the question because it got hard for me there for a while to find "big" racks of whole spare ribs. Seems like the ones at the store got small during the pandemic. I've noticed Meijer has whole spares available over 8 lbs last time I went.

I'm sure I would love the duroc ribs but at $30 a rack to feed the family ain't gonna happen. Thank you so much for the info!

[randy.56]

CandySueQ Good looking Wibs, If your were to inject what would you use? never injected wibs before.

[CandySueQ]

I have 2 favorites, Big Poppa Smokers Pork Prod and Butcher BBQ Pork injection.

[texastweeter]

Butchers makes good stuff. I use their BBQ phosphates in my injections.

[randy.56]

Thanks, I use some of Butchers products, and have his pork injection on the shelf. Just never injected Ribs

[fzxdoc]

Well, I'd give those ribs first place, CandySueQ , on looks alone. I bet they tasted delicious. Interesting that the fresh ribs tasted juicier than the frozen ones you also cooked.

I also have never injected ribs. Might be fun to give it a try, or do you think that it's just a technique for competition preferences, many of which don't play well in the real world. After all, we get more than one bite to determine whether a meat is delicious.

Kathryn

[CandySueQ]

I think that injecting may have helped the frozen ribs. There was lots of "purge" liquid in the cryovac which came out of the ribs. Competition BBQ tends to be exceedingly rich because of various additions to the cooking process. It's hard to eat massive amounts!

Injecting as a process is really just speeding up marinating meat. At a contest, there's no time to dry brine to get the salt exchange happening to improve flavor. Hope this helps, fzxdoc!

[fzxdoc]

Thanks CandySueQ for the additional info.

K.

[Huskee]

I can't get those sightly slices for such a ncie presentation. I guess it's my dull knives. Yours are sure purdy!

[WayneT]

Gratz on a win for your brand!