On stl or spares with no rush, I go 225° for about 7 hours. If in a crunch for time, 3, 2, 1; but I feel the foil crutch hampers bark a bit, and gives it a sort of "washed out" flavor. If sauced, I sauce 30 minutes into the 1 hour mark. On small cooks ill finish under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes or with a torch to get the sauce to sizzle on.
I rarely wrap as well. My only advice is to start with the simplest approach, and then add one variable of complexity at a time. That's the only way to have a shot at knowing just which change resulted in which outcome.
Good quality ribs smoked unwrapped with minimal seasoning will be absolutely delicious, and folks can sauce to taste tableside. For those guests you say aren't big fans of smoke, well... maybe make some in the oven too, for them? Or simply lie through your teeth and tell them they had only a couple hours worth of smoke, and then when they love 'em to bits you fess up
I wrap but I do different techniques for my wife and daughter than I do for me and my son. I run the BBQ at 225 (it's a stick burner so there is a fair bit of temp variation - 15 degrees plus and minus the whole time). My wife and daughter like "fall of the bone" ribs so they get a full two hours of wrap and a quick (30 minutes tops) period out of the wrap. The bend test does not work for this style. If I bend them, they break. I use a pizza peel to move them around so they keep their integrity. When they cool a bit, they tighten back up. My son and I like a rib with a bite and I do wrap for no more than an hour and finish off for about an hour and a half. They do bend without breaking. I find that when I go naked or do not sauce, the ribs are not nearly as smokey. I think that saucing in the last hour and a half renders a smokier rib. It is my unscientific belief that the sauce really picks up the smoke.
I think not as much and the reason why is because when I wrap the ribs they have brown sugar, butter and sometimes honey (as well as more rub). When I remove the wrap, they are moist with the mixture but SEEM to be less smokey than when I sauce them. I would love to do an experiment with this from now on. Another phenomenon I notice is that if I reheat in a moist environment they taste smokier than on the first day. If I simply bake at low temp they do not taste as smokey.
On stl or spares with no rush, I go 225° for about 7 hours. If in a crunch for time, 3, 2, 1; but I feel the foil crutch hampers bark a bit, and gives it a sort of "washed out" flavor. If sauced, I sauce 30 minutes into the 1 hour mark. On small cooks ill finish under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes or with a torch to get the sauce to sizzle on.
Those look beautiful!
Are you saying that you sauce them 30 minutes before you pull them off the smoker?
Sounds like most don’t bother to wrap or at least wait near the end.
I wrap but I do different techniques for my wife and daughter than I do for me and my son. I run the BBQ at 225 (it's a stick burner so there is a fair bit of temp variation - 15 degrees plus and minus the whole time). My wife and daughter like "fall of the bone" ribs so they get a full two hours of wrap and a quick (30 minutes tops) period out of the wrap. The bend test does not work for this style. If I bend them, they break. I use a pizza peel to move them around so they keep their integrity. When they cool a bit, they tighten back up. My son and I like a rib with a bite and I do wrap for no more than an hour and finish off for about an hour and a half. They do bend without breaking. I find that when I go naked or do not sauce, the ribs are not nearly as smokey. I think that saucing in the last hour and a half renders a smokier rib. It is my unscientific belief that the sauce really picks up the smoke.
Thanks for that. Very interesting observation. I’ll keep that in mind.
Many ways to smoke ribs and they all work as mentioned. My preferred method is unwrapped. It works well with my Yoder pellet smoker and matches our tastes preferences. You don't have time for this cook but try some different methods to see what you like.
Very Interesting.
I have read that if you don’t wrap, you should baste.
Like bacon, most everything is better w/ butter.
Did you season the butter so basting wouldn’t dilute the flavor of the rub? How much seasoning did you add?
At what points in the cook did you baste?
I wonder which would result in a better product, butter or ghee?
JD
captainlee
At what point during the cook do you baste?
Do you add rub to your butter too?
Did you notice any difference in smokiness when basted?
Thanks in advance.
JD
My....no plan is a good plan methodology
I rarely wrap at this point
Sometimes I dry brine
Sometimes I spritz mostly don't
Sometimes I sauce on the smoker sometimes don't
....depends whether I remember to or not....
Smoke between 260 n 300
Use the toothpick probe test method
Only consistent thing in my method is I do not use cryovaced ribs any more.
Fresh ribs only.
....things usually work out....
My....no plan is a good plan methodology
I rarely wrap at this point
Sometimes I dry brine
Sometimes I spritz mostly don't
Sometimes I sauce on the smoker sometimes don't
....depends whether I remember to or not....
Smoke between 260 n 300
Use the toothpick probe test method
Only consistent thing in my method is I do not use cryovaced ribs any more.
Fresh ribs only.
....things usually work out....
Thanks smoking,
No cryovaced… interesting.
May we please ask why?
Thanks in advance.
JD
I just find I get better results with fresh ribs
With cryovaced, and this may all be in my head, I don't get the results I'm looking for with these ribs
And face it results are different for each of us, this is one of my little phobia's, be something new next week
I usually use a little Worcestershire as a binder for whatever rub I am using, spritz with apple juice around every hour for the first couple of hours, then let them run without wrapping. I am too lazy to wrap lol. I tried it a couple of times and decided it wasn't worth the trouble for me at least. I run 225 to 250 or so and it takes 5-6 hours for spares. A little less for back ribs. And I sauce the last hour or so if I sauce. And I really like Porter Road spares. I try to keep some on hand, that is about the only mail order meat I buy anymore.
When it comes to ribs I only do baby backs, and cook’em Memphis style - dry rub. Only reason I ever wrap is if I need to hold them for an extended period.
Sadly I’ve never done brontos. I’m a huge brisket fan, and have lost count of how many I’ve smoked over the years, but my local markets rarely have brontos, and the couple times I’ve seen them they were absurdly expensive. But they’re at the top of my “barbecue bucket list” so I know I’ll do them eventually.
I like Memphis style as well. I do not wrap. I use a heavy rub, MMD, and, contrary to Meathead's estimate in his recent article about sugar content, I put way more than 2 tablespoons per rack. I love bark.
John "JR"
Minnesota/ United States of America
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My thought is to let them roll as is. No wrapping. All of this 3,2,1 etc. is too confusing and not really worth all that work, IMHO. If you want a lighter smoke profile, let the KBQ run with the top poppet closed. Run the KBQ at about 300, average temp. That will give you some really clean smoke.
You can baste or spritz them to help keep the surface of the meat moist. For a spritz, I use equal parts Champagne Vinegar, Liquid Aminos and water. I spritz before I put it on the smoker. Then every half hour or so after that until the 3 hour mark. Cooking at 300, should you choose to do so, might get those ribs done early.
TBH, the KBQ smoke is amazing and to not let it do all the work is a bit of a crime. LOL.
My thought is to let them roll as is. No wrapping. All of this 3,2,1 etc. is too confusing and not really worth all that work, IMHO. If you want a lighter smoke profile, let the KBQ run with the top poppet closed. Run the KBQ at about 300, average temp. That will give you some really clean smoke.
You can baste or spritz them to help keep the surface of the meat moist. For a spritz, I use equal parts Champagne Vinegar, Liquid Aminos and water. I spritz before I put it on the smoker. Then every half hour or so after that until the 3 hour mark. Cooking at 300, should you choose to do so, might get those ribs done early.
TBH, the KBQ smoke is amazing and to not let it do all the work is a bit of a crime. LOL.
Thanks brother,
300 is a bit higher than I expected.
I've never heard of liquid aminos. What are they and what do they do?
JD
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