Night ribs, the cold edition

[Huskee]

I have an odd night off in the middle of a few on, so when that happens I keep to a night schedule. What better way to pass the hours when everyone's asleep that to smoke something? There'll be some Pit work and some guitar, and quite likely some Scotch or bourbon thrown in there somewhere.

Tonight it's 2 racks of baby backs (2.8lbs ea, which is around my personal upper limit for BBs). Cooked on the 26" kettle/SnSXL, with black cherry & almond wood. Rub is a mix of BBBR, MMD, and HRR. Little extra brown sugar topper.



It's 4 degrees out and falling. My ash sweeper handle was frozen open, got that remedied though. Game on!

[xaugievike]

God speed! those look tasty.

[kmhfive]

Oh, yeah! No better way to spend a night off in the middle of a stretch!

[RonB]

Lookin' mighty good.

[DWCowles]

Those are beautiful Huskee I just got done trimming a brisket and 3 racks of BBs for tomorrow's cook.

[Huskee]

The night before a big cook makes me feel like a kid. Exciting. Love it.

[Pirate Scott]

Looks great, have fun.

[Mr. Bones]

Wowzers! Nee-ice, Huskee!

[Steve R.]

Smoke on, Huskee! There's something magical about tending the smoker in the wee hours of the morning.

Also, as I learned this week, it's super easy to get nice clean smoke in those cold temperatures, since you have to get that fire so hot.

[Henrik]

Nice! That's one of the best cooks, when you all of a sudden have time to do just that, cook. Tending the fire, waiting in anticipation. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product!

[Spinaker]

I know it gets chilly over in Stockholm. What is the coldest cook you have done?

[Henrik]

This winter has been mild, but -15° C (5° F) so far. But that was two years ago.

[Spinaker]

I was just looking at the almanac, it appears you guys stay pretty "mild" being that you are so close to the Baltic. Similar to Anchorage, AK. I just find stuff like that interesting. Call me a nerd.

[Troutman]

These are interesting times bros .... sub-arctic conditions but the yearn for man, fire, food must be satisfied. As my wife so apply put it, it's an addiction to cooking meat !!!

[Huskee]

Update: Ugh.... not a good end result.

Here's what happened.

Bourbon happened.

I could end it there, but the rest of the story is I should've known better than to sip bourbon while trying to remain awake. I intentionally cooked hotter, 270-280ish, to make a shorter cook. I fell asleep and cooked way too long at this hotter temp. I meant to check them at 4 hrs. I woke up at the 6.5 hr mark. YIKES!

Rushed outside with tongs to 2 racks of ribs that both broke in half when I tried the bend test. Got them inside, they'd hardly slice. The bark was thick & jerky-like and they just shredded. It was a disaster that I could have avoided. I definitely know not to overcook baby backs for that reason- the loin meat gets nasty when overcooked.

So irritated, these were supposed to be my work lunch next couple nights. But, my kids all liked them. I think they were just starving this morning, they haven't quite learned the polite thing yet so I don't think it was that.

Now I just need to repeat the almond & cherry wood experiment when I can pay attention better....

[Mr. Bones]

Sorry that happened. Cut off the meat, chunk up, make some slow simmerin chili, mebbe? Or were they too far gone?

[Huskee]

Mr. Bones that might work! They're not "too far" I don't think, but far from succulent.

[Mr. Bones]

Cool, I've saved some overcooked ribs that way, before!
Chili turned out danged good, at least!

[Jon Solberg]

It happens, or so I've been told hehehehehehehe

[Huskee]

100% of the ribs you served me were excellent. I trust they always are. I am a third-rate pitmaster

[Jon Solberg]

NA NA you are not Sir. Pitmaster 1st class be you!

I can totally relate to the store. (Runaway WSM and Peppermint Schnapps)

Huskee

[Brewmaster]

You might say you got Buffaloed

[Huskee]

I love it! Definitely got Buffaloed.

[BourBonQ]

Well, that's NEVER happened to me . (Did the same thing near the end of a hot PB cookbook, ended up with a dry stringy clod of something resembling a rotten stump).

There's always next time!

[Steve R.]

I may have been spurred by wild turkeys a time or two myself.