sous vide baby backs....GOODNESS GRACIOUS

[Ernest]

I'll tease y'all with this then I'll be back with details. I'm in tears right now, OK OK it all started with a rack of baby backs, salted and vacuum wrapped. Yes just salt. Filled the hot tub time machine and heated to 145 degrees. Time set for 48 hours. Time is up, dunked them in an ice bath for 20 minutes then refrigerated Here's where things got interesting. I got home today and my daughter is asking for ribs. I wasn't planning on finishing these today but this is where sous vide cooking shines. So I went to the refrigerator and pulled out the rib pack, Not appetizing, I know. Hit them with my rub. Git the Weber performer going with Ozark oak and a chunk of pecan wood. It's the one flaming. I wasn't concerned about temp here, kids were hungry. 20 minutes in Meanwhile, it just hit me that I got no sides or BBQ sauce. So into the kitchen I go. These carrots were sous vide a few days ago and refrigerated 45 minutes later..... Ladies and gentlemen.......these ribs picked up enough smoke you'd think that I never used the tub. Very tender, juicy. My 3 year old had to be restrained.

[David Parrish]

Wow. Were they fall off the bone? Looks that way with the clean bones. Curious how you feel these compared to a full blown last meal ribs approach.

[Huskee]

Hot tub time machine, I like it. My offset is the 'hot tube time machine' I guess.

[DWCowles]

I like that Huskee "Hot Tub Ribs" LOL

[Huskee]

Hot tub was Ernest's words, credit where it's due

[Ernest]

PB, my wife thought they were smoked from start to finish. I think the smoke session right out of the refrigerator did the trick instead of actually grilling them.

[David Parrish]

Gotcha, but did these beat out your typical last meal rib cook? That's what I want to know.

[Ernest]

Close call, I'll pick these, yes.

[David Parrish]

Hmmmm. Now you got me thinking Sous vide.

[Dewesq55]

BUT, that "under an hour" doesn't include the 2 full days in the HTTM, right? Just sayin'. But they look good and I am getting an Anova for my birthday in April.

[Mosca]

Well it wasn't really under an hour; it was 48 hours first! But I get what you mean, yes.

[David Parrish]

Imma thinkin bout it!

[Dr ROK]

You're killing me Ernest! With my limited budget I was going to get a PBC, but now I'm torn! I can do poor man sous vide for short cooks, but not multiple day cooks! I can do most anything in my small cookshack, but a PBC would let me do so much more volume wise. Decisions decisions!

[Ernest]

That's a no brainer, get the PBC

[eugenek]

This looks great! So just the rub and sauce on the side?

[Ernest]

I applied my modified Memphis dust and whipped up a quick vinegary glaze with star anise and mace

[Henrik]

Heck, now I'm thinking of a sous vide machine :-) Need to investigate how much they cost over here. Great ribs, Ernest!

[Stoney]

Wonder if a review of sous vide machines on AR would ever happen. Would seem kinda bizarre with it being mainly about BBQ, but apparently it works pretty damn well with it.

[Dr ROK]

The folks at serious eats have done several reviews of sous vide machines. Here's a link to a search I did that lists several:

http://www.seriouseats.com/search?term=sous+vide+review&site=all

[Huskee]

I doubt it, unless our members/readers wanted to chip in their personal reviews....which of course is VERY welcome!

[Mosca]

I have a sous vide oven. I've used it twice in the last year. The issue isn't that it is good, or not good; the issue is that I don't plan meals 48 hours in advance. Or sometimes even 6 hours in advance. I'm old, and set in my ways I guess.

[Ernest]

I'll give you $50 for it.

[Mosca]

Nah, I'll get around to using it someday. I guess I'd trade it, but I have no idea for what.

[Ozric]

+1

Those ribs look great.

I love sous vide. I have an SVS on my kitchen counter and use it all of the time. Wouldn't trade it.

But...

I have had an issue with sous vide ribs that I haven't yet resolved. When prepared this way (sous vide 48 hours @ 140°F and then finished on the grill), the fat in the ribs never renders fully. With baby backs, maybe that's not such a problem. With regular back ribs (like the 3-pack Sam's Club sells), there's more meat and fat.

You have to love fridge-to-table in one hour ribs. I should try this again with some baby backs and see what the difference is.

Good work, Ernest!

[Ernest]

Yes and that's why I decided to do baby backs. I don't think they STL ribs would work well.

[David C]

I used to use a slightly reversed version of this. Smoked in my Bradley for an hour or two first, then 48 hours in the thermal bath, then finish them on a grill. I got the idea from Modernist Cuisine, and wrote it up back then at: http://sousvide.org/. However, while I still absolutely do a version of that for short ribs, I've gone back to the "old-fashioned" smoker only style for spare ribs & baby backs (on my Memphis now). Somehow they seem to have more tooth to them, and it is easier to get the crust (at least for me). Although now that I have the Memphis, maybe I should try the sous-vide combo again.