Hello, everyone. I've been cooking for some time but just grilling. I have just become addicted to smoking (meat). My gateway meat was chicken wing drummettes, then I did a pork tenderloin, and yesterday, in honor of my joining Amazing Ribs, I made SLC ribs for the very first time. I also ordered the SnS and DnG, thanks Dave! I use a Weber Platinum Performer with the gas burner to light the coals, and hardwood instead of briquets.
I confess I hated the idea of wasting charcoal on dry runs to calibrate my grill, but I had marked the stops on the bottom vent so I was able to control temperature for the ribs in a 25 degree range from the ideal (varying between 200 and 250). Next cook will be easier since I know where the approximate stops are and will have the SnS. Got a great smoky flavor, pink smoke ring, and chewy but not unchewable texture. A nice tug removed meat from bone easily. I have a dual thermometer with remote so I could monitor the temperature from indoors.
My rub recipe (not Meathead's Memphis Dust, which I will definitely try on the next batch of ribs) was left over from the tenderloin project, but it proved to be too salty for my wife, who rejected her ribs, thus leaving more for me. This was not deliberate but I suffered through it in the name of science. Last fall she canned a batch of homemade datil pepper BBQ sauce from datil peppers (they only seem to grow in this part of FL) we grew at home, and this sauce combined with the home smoked ribs was divine and overcame the oversalting. I think the other rub worked better with a thicker cut of tenderloin but the salt amount overpowered the thinner amount of meat on the ribs.
If someone could point me to answers to two questions that came up as a result, I would appreciate it.
1) I like dry brining but realize that I need to use a lot less salt to suit our palates. How much can I reduce salt and still have an effective rub and dry brining?
2) My wife prefers more tender ribs than I do. I like the caveman throwback tearing of meat off the bone with my teeth but she wants it less challenging. How do I achieve both? Do I just cook her ribs longer, or use the Texas Crutch, or ???
Thanks to Meathead and the team for this wonderful resource.
I confess I hated the idea of wasting charcoal on dry runs to calibrate my grill, but I had marked the stops on the bottom vent so I was able to control temperature for the ribs in a 25 degree range from the ideal (varying between 200 and 250). Next cook will be easier since I know where the approximate stops are and will have the SnS. Got a great smoky flavor, pink smoke ring, and chewy but not unchewable texture. A nice tug removed meat from bone easily. I have a dual thermometer with remote so I could monitor the temperature from indoors.
My rub recipe (not Meathead's Memphis Dust, which I will definitely try on the next batch of ribs) was left over from the tenderloin project, but it proved to be too salty for my wife, who rejected her ribs, thus leaving more for me. This was not deliberate but I suffered through it in the name of science. Last fall she canned a batch of homemade datil pepper BBQ sauce from datil peppers (they only seem to grow in this part of FL) we grew at home, and this sauce combined with the home smoked ribs was divine and overcame the oversalting. I think the other rub worked better with a thicker cut of tenderloin but the salt amount overpowered the thinner amount of meat on the ribs.
If someone could point me to answers to two questions that came up as a result, I would appreciate it.
1) I like dry brining but realize that I need to use a lot less salt to suit our palates. How much can I reduce salt and still have an effective rub and dry brining?
2) My wife prefers more tender ribs than I do. I like the caveman throwback tearing of meat off the bone with my teeth but she wants it less challenging. How do I achieve both? Do I just cook her ribs longer, or use the Texas Crutch, or ???
Thanks to Meathead and the team for this wonderful resource.
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