Well folks, I'm back just like I promised to let you know how my ribs turned out. They were . . . ribs. I ate them because I was hungry, but wouldn't serve them to guests.
This is my second attempt to smoke baby back ribs on my Weber Kettle with Slow n Sear. The first didn't go well - after 5.5 hours between 210 and 250 (most of the time around 230) they didn't pass the bend test so I had to put them in the oven for 2 hours at 325 to finish them up. Three weeks ago I successfully smoked a 5lb pork butt so, for my birthday, I felt encouraged to try ribs again, this time using the Maple Glazed recipe:
https://amazingribs.com/tested-recip...bq-ribs-recipe
Here's how it all went down.
The night before I removed the baby back rack from the packaging, rinsed it, removed the silverskin, and patted it dry with paper towels. I then added the salt to the outside, wrapped the whole thing in parchment paper, and put it back in the fridge. I prepared about 1/4 cup of MMD for the rub the next day.
I started at 11:45 with the goal of having them ready no later than 5:30. It was 48F and windy, and my kettle was in direct sunlight. First I covered the rack with MMD and rubbed it in. Next I boiled a quart of water, then put 14 briquets of KBB in my chimney starter, wadded up a piece of packing paper (about the size of a newspaper page) and lit it under the chimney. Once the coals were mostly ashed over I poured the water into the trough and shoved the burning briqs to one side of the SnS, filled the rest of the SnS with unlit briquets, put two apple wood chunks on top, and closed the lid. One probe of my TP-17 was clipped to the grate and I watched it till it reached 225. Once it hit that temp I moved the damper handle to the smoke mark. It settled in around 241 a couple minutes later. I opened the lid and put the baby backs on, and then spent a couple minutes fiddling around with the probe clip to try to keep it out of the cold air bubble around the meat. (Side note - every time I measure the temperature on the indirect side of the grill, the wired end of the probe ends up above the SNS. Is that cause for concern?) Then I closed the lid. 15 minutes later, it was still at 241. All good, I reckon.
After 2 hours I poured the apple juice on the ribs and wrapped it in foil per the recipe. The temperature had peaked at 260 earlier but I constricted the damper to just left of the smoke mark and it was now at 239. Ribs go back on the grill and I walk away.
1 hour later I removed the ribs from the foil. The temp is now down to 212. I opened the grate, knocked the ash through the fuel grate with a grill brush, gave the ash a couple sweeps with the meat still to the side, shoved the remaining lit charcoals to the side, and added more unlit charcoal. I pushed it up against the lit coals, replaced the meat and closed the lid. About 30 minutes later, with the vents wide open, it finally crept up to about 230. I then put the lower vent back on Smoke and set the timer for 1 hour.
I took the juice from the foil inside and went to work on the glaze. When time was up I applied the glaze, but the ribs definitely did not pass the bend test. I know, I know, you're not supposed to use a thermo on ribs, but I inserted my TP-15 into the meaty part and got a reading of 130F. Not close to being ready. It's now after 5 so I took the ribs inside and wrapped them in foil. I set the oven for 325 and put them in. 40 minutes later, they didn't pass the bend test and were 150 in the meaty part. Now I was really getting agitated, so I cranked the oven to 400 and put them back in. 20 minutes later they just barely passed the bend test so I glazed them once more and served.
There was a distinct smoke ring, but that was about the only thing right. The pink meat was tender but the center was white and tasted like a pork chop. I removed the silverskin before brining, but the tissue on the underside was still tough. The glaze was very spicy, and not in a good way, especially when I was expecting it to be sweet and maply. My wife said "your last ribs were better."
Ouch.
I can identify three major problems:
1. Temperature control. My SnS didn't hold a consistent smoking temp for even three hours, and it took a half hour raise it from a low of 212 just up to 230 with added fuel.
2. Meat doneness. Baby backs are supposed to take four hours: mine spent about five in the smoker and more time in the oven before they were done. Even with my temp problems, I don't think it should take so long. It's happened twice now; I don't know what's going on here.
3. That glaze. I couldn't taste apple or maple, but boy could I taste the hot sauce. I don't know what Meathead meant when he said to add two teaspoons of hot sauce to the glaze, but when I read "hot sauce," I think Tabasco. A little voice in my head said "Don't add it! It's too spicy!" but instead I listened to the voice saying "Follow the recipe! Do not deviate!"
Over to you, Pitmasters. What am I missing?
This is my second attempt to smoke baby back ribs on my Weber Kettle with Slow n Sear. The first didn't go well - after 5.5 hours between 210 and 250 (most of the time around 230) they didn't pass the bend test so I had to put them in the oven for 2 hours at 325 to finish them up. Three weeks ago I successfully smoked a 5lb pork butt so, for my birthday, I felt encouraged to try ribs again, this time using the Maple Glazed recipe:
https://amazingribs.com/tested-recip...bq-ribs-recipe
Here's how it all went down.
The night before I removed the baby back rack from the packaging, rinsed it, removed the silverskin, and patted it dry with paper towels. I then added the salt to the outside, wrapped the whole thing in parchment paper, and put it back in the fridge. I prepared about 1/4 cup of MMD for the rub the next day.
I started at 11:45 with the goal of having them ready no later than 5:30. It was 48F and windy, and my kettle was in direct sunlight. First I covered the rack with MMD and rubbed it in. Next I boiled a quart of water, then put 14 briquets of KBB in my chimney starter, wadded up a piece of packing paper (about the size of a newspaper page) and lit it under the chimney. Once the coals were mostly ashed over I poured the water into the trough and shoved the burning briqs to one side of the SnS, filled the rest of the SnS with unlit briquets, put two apple wood chunks on top, and closed the lid. One probe of my TP-17 was clipped to the grate and I watched it till it reached 225. Once it hit that temp I moved the damper handle to the smoke mark. It settled in around 241 a couple minutes later. I opened the lid and put the baby backs on, and then spent a couple minutes fiddling around with the probe clip to try to keep it out of the cold air bubble around the meat. (Side note - every time I measure the temperature on the indirect side of the grill, the wired end of the probe ends up above the SNS. Is that cause for concern?) Then I closed the lid. 15 minutes later, it was still at 241. All good, I reckon.
After 2 hours I poured the apple juice on the ribs and wrapped it in foil per the recipe. The temperature had peaked at 260 earlier but I constricted the damper to just left of the smoke mark and it was now at 239. Ribs go back on the grill and I walk away.
1 hour later I removed the ribs from the foil. The temp is now down to 212. I opened the grate, knocked the ash through the fuel grate with a grill brush, gave the ash a couple sweeps with the meat still to the side, shoved the remaining lit charcoals to the side, and added more unlit charcoal. I pushed it up against the lit coals, replaced the meat and closed the lid. About 30 minutes later, with the vents wide open, it finally crept up to about 230. I then put the lower vent back on Smoke and set the timer for 1 hour.
I took the juice from the foil inside and went to work on the glaze. When time was up I applied the glaze, but the ribs definitely did not pass the bend test. I know, I know, you're not supposed to use a thermo on ribs, but I inserted my TP-15 into the meaty part and got a reading of 130F. Not close to being ready. It's now after 5 so I took the ribs inside and wrapped them in foil. I set the oven for 325 and put them in. 40 minutes later, they didn't pass the bend test and were 150 in the meaty part. Now I was really getting agitated, so I cranked the oven to 400 and put them back in. 20 minutes later they just barely passed the bend test so I glazed them once more and served.
There was a distinct smoke ring, but that was about the only thing right. The pink meat was tender but the center was white and tasted like a pork chop. I removed the silverskin before brining, but the tissue on the underside was still tough. The glaze was very spicy, and not in a good way, especially when I was expecting it to be sweet and maply. My wife said "your last ribs were better."
Ouch.
I can identify three major problems:
1. Temperature control. My SnS didn't hold a consistent smoking temp for even three hours, and it took a half hour raise it from a low of 212 just up to 230 with added fuel.
2. Meat doneness. Baby backs are supposed to take four hours: mine spent about five in the smoker and more time in the oven before they were done. Even with my temp problems, I don't think it should take so long. It's happened twice now; I don't know what's going on here.
3. That glaze. I couldn't taste apple or maple, but boy could I taste the hot sauce. I don't know what Meathead meant when he said to add two teaspoons of hot sauce to the glaze, but when I read "hot sauce," I think Tabasco. A little voice in my head said "Don't add it! It's too spicy!" but instead I listened to the voice saying "Follow the recipe! Do not deviate!"
Over to you, Pitmasters. What am I missing?
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