Smoking Baby Back Ribs tonight...tips?

[Evan!]

I'm definitely not a n00b when it comes to smoking ribs, but I was just wondering if anyone had any particular tricks or tips for smoking baby back ribs in particular. I have a nice hybrid St.Louis/Carolina sauce made up...so...hit me!

[Barley-Davidson]

Loves me some ribs. Here's a coupla tips

Peel the membrane
Don't put your sauce on until the very end (if then)
Use a dry rub
If grill space is tight you can roll the ribs and hold them like that with a bamboo skewer

[Red Dawg]

Loves me some ribs. Here's a coupla tips

Peel the membrane
Don't put your sauce on until the very end (if then)
Use a dry rub
If grill space is tight you can roll the ribs and hold them like that with a bamboo skewer


+1 Peel the membrane on the backs

[Lerxst]

Loves me some ribs. Here's a coupla tips

Peel the membrane
Don't put your sauce on until the very end (if then)
Use a dry rub



Aye...and the sooner you have it sitting w/ the rub the better. I like to coat them the night before if possible. High smoke, low/indirect heat is the way I roll.

[Barley-Davidson]

I don't use too much smoke on ribs - there's such a huge surface area (compared to brisket or boston butt) I find you can overdo the smoke. I go with 1 or 2 hickory or apple chunks for 3 racks of ribs.
+1 one on longer is better for the rub.

What's everyone's position on yellow mustard before the dry rub? Personally I don't do it, but I know lots of people do.

[Lerxst]

mmm..hickory or cherry on pig, oak on cow.

[PseudoChef]

East, West, or South Carolina?

I love 'em all. Don't care too much for the thick/sweet St. Louis ones though.

[Union Brewer]

I roll with the yellow mustard before the rub. I also put the rub on the night before.

+1 on the membrane. You prob already know this, but cut off all the other crap and make them true baby backs, some people leave that crap on there but it only takes away from flavor and tenderness.

I go with a spicy rub and very little sauce. You have me craving ribs now. Maybe I will smoke some next week.

This is the smoker I have. It is the best. 6 slabs of ribs in under 1.5 hours.
http://www.homebrewchatter.com/board/picture.php?albumid=90&pictureid=681

[adrock]

Your ribs are ruined. Send them to me for proper disposal. :k2:

[Brewingchick]

What about the "mop sauce"? Is that something people do, or don't do?

[marzen41]

for me ribs on the firepit on a slow smolder with cherry taking several hours to cook and add the sauce after the ribs are done

[Barley-Davidson]

I mop when grilling but not so much with bbq.

[Evan!]

FAIL. Just finished. Too tough. I thought 3 hours or so would be enough, I was wrong. Oh well, next time, I'll hit 'em for 4 hours. The sauce was good, though!

[Barley-Davidson]

What sort of grill/smoker are you using?

[davebl]

FAIL. Just finished. Too tough. I thought 3 hours or so would be enough, I was wrong. Oh well, next time, I'll hit 'em for 4 hours. The sauce was good, though!


You have to check rubs for doneness by pulling them apart. Grab two bones, and pull... the meat should let go clean, not stick to the bone.

http://www.wholehogcafe.com is my family business... I know a little about BBQ.

[Shenanigans]

Try smoking them for 3 hours, then wrapping them in foil and cooking them in the oven for 2 hours at 350.

[Red Dawg]

Low and slow works for me... about 4-5 hrs at about 225 in the smoker. As said above you can tell when they are done by easily pulling apart OR visually the meat will pull up the bone close to an inch.

[mr x]

This is the smoker I have. It is the best. 6 slabs of ribs in under 1.5 hours.You can get tender ribs in 1.5 hours in that thing? Are you pre-cooking them before smoking? I can't get anything quality under 3 hours...

[Union Brewer]

No pre-cooking. The thing works like a convection oven. Charcoal in the ring on the bottom and some in the top. It stays sealed up. I line the bottom (inside) with wood chips to get the smoke. It's a miracle.

I was skepticle (sp?) when a buddy told me about it. He let me borrow his and the ribs turned out perfect. I went out the next day and bought one. You can get one at Home Depot. Just put your ribs on the hangers, put the lid on, light the charcoal, come back in an hour and 15 min and they are done.

[mr x]

I gotta check that out.:)

Have you tried anything other than ribs?

[-Dan-]

http://www.wholehogcafe.com is my family business... I know a little about BBQ.

Ahm... want to share your bbq sauce recipies with me? ;)

[Union Brewer]

I smoked a Pork tenderloin and a turkey breast. They turned out great too.

[BlindLemonLars]

I find with baby backs, the membrane is usually so thin that it can't be cleanly pulled off. I'll give it a try, and if it won't peel away I just score it a few times with a super sharp knife.

Slather em' in cheap mustard, then apply a healthy and even coat of dry rub. I prefer to let them sit in the fridge overnight, but a few hours is OK too.

2 hours in a 225° smoker, with hickory and/or apple chunks. Then wrap them tightly with heavy-duty foil, spraying them down generously with apple juice or apfelwein. (I almost never have apple juice in the house, and I always have apfelwein!) Wrap the foil really tightly with folded seams, you want to make a sealed pouch that will retain moisture. Back in the smoker they go, for another 2 hours. There is no need for more hardwood, the ribs have already soaked up a ton of smoke, and besides...they are wrapped in foil!

Carefully remove the foil pouches, snip the corner with scissors and let the porky/apple/dry-rub goodness drain into a saucepan. You'll probably end up with a few cups of liquid. Put the naked ribs back in the smoker, for another hour.

Meanwhile, reduce that saved liquid on the stove until it starts to get viscous and shiny. At this point, I usually add enough high-quality commercial BBQ sauce until I have enough volume to give the ribs a good coat, keeping it fairly thin. After that final hour in the smoker, paint them generously with the sauce.

Be careful handling them at this point...you can literally shake the meat off the bone! The same procedure works well with spare ribs as well. With spares though, it's usually easy to peel the membrane off, and the initial smoking period should be increased by an hour.

http://www.homebrewchatter.com/board/picture.php?albumid=36&pictureid=205

[davebl]

Ahm... want to share your bbq sauce recipies with me? ;)

Sure. You want a sample?

[-Dan-]

Looking at your web site ... I'd like the recipes for Sauce 1-3 ;)

[rooster445]

after the ribs get done. I coat them with honey and grill them on a gas grill to glaze them. Good stuff

[Barley-Davidson]

FAIL. Just finished. Too tough. I thought 3 hours or so would be enough, I was wrong. Oh well, next time, I'll hit 'em for 4 hours. The sauce was good, though!

Reheat the leftovers on the grill, indirect medium heat; might be enough to take the out the toughness.
It's worked for me

[Melana]

We have been 'resting' our ribs after a few hours of smoking with delicious results. Basicly we wrap them in foil tightly after the come off the smoker, put in a cooler, and fill the remaining space in the cooler with towels. After a few hour rest the ribs are still hot and oh-so-tender and tasty.

[Diver Down]

We have been 'resting' our ribs after a few hours of smoking with delicious results. Basicly we wrap them in foil tightly after the come off the smoker, put in a cooler, and fill the remaining space in the cooler with towels. After a few hour rest the ribs are still hot and oh-so-tender and tasty.
#1 on resting! It works great for me:)

[zoebisch01]

We have been 'resting' our ribs after a few hours of smoking with delicious results. Basicly we wrap them in foil tightly after the come off the smoker, put in a cooler, and fill the remaining space in the cooler with towels. After a few hour rest the ribs are still hot and oh-so-tender and tasty.

Resting works on almost any cut of meat. A whole cooked Turkey of 15+ lbs will stay quite hot inside an hour on the counter at room temperature covered with foil, but man does that make the difference when you cut it! Iirc the protein coils get wound up tight when heated and relax during that time period. Kind of like a stretched spring vs. an unstreched one.