Legend2TL

I did and also smoked some Chorizo sausage couple weeks ago, here's the final step of high direct heat.

maharajamd

iTrader: (1)

Heaven forbid you question a Texan's smoking techniques.

Pork is only resilient for moisture not texture at high heats.

Pork generally is on the lowest end of the temperature scale. 200-225.

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

oo7spy

Got a bunch of BBQ Gods in here using charcoal and electric smokers.

You can do 200. I'll do 300. You enjoy your ribs, because I sure as hell will enjoy mine.

Jakes_tl

Ack - I know you said you don't wrap your ribs, curious how long does it take for them to get done on the charcoal smoker?

maharajamd

iTrader: (1)

A texan in here cooking ribs at 300 plus degrees

But you're right. You do you.

Jakes_tl

hey maybe some people like their ribs extra dry and crispy...

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

I DO wrap my ribs...I said that I don't use 3-2-1

Mine's more 4-1 or 4-2

You absolutely wrap your ribs, I wrap them after 3-4 hours and sauce them, and continue smoking them for 1-2 more hours. Once they're in the foil though, I serve them in the foil. I don't take them back out and throw them back on the grill.

You definitely wrap them though, you don't want them to dry out
IMG_20160704_183116918_zpsvmk8gahf.jpg

Jakes_tl

My bad, I assumed wrong. So what is the difference between 3-2-1 and 4-2?

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

3 hours vs 4 hours smoke uncovered... 2 hours wrapped with sauce, all the 3-2-1 methods that I've seen say remove the foil wrap and put the ribs back on sauced for another hour, I don't do that. I leave them in the foil and serve right from the foil with sauce on, this way your sauce doesn't burn or caramelize as much and you don't get your smoker racks all sticky and covered in sauce

I learned my 4-2 method as I went, but never have had 1 complaint about my ribs and I've done them several times over with success each time. I never let my smoker go to 325* though

SamDoe1

You get more bark or carmelization out of the 3-2-1 and less work out of the 4-2. Try both and pick whichever you like better. Ideally you'd just do 4-2 and then a 5 minute sear to get the bark before serving but that's a lot of work to get multiple cookers going (if you're using electric).

Jakes_tl

I am definitely looking for a nice bark on my ribs so I'll start with the 3-2-1 method. Thanks for all you the input!

oo7spy

Mine are never either of those. No one here has ever had them, and I would put money on none of you turning them down. I know what good BBQ is, and I'm not too prideful to admit my weaknesses.


The only discrepancy there may be in my claim is that my thermometer is not right next to the meat. Because I use a smoke box on a grill, I turn one of three burners off and put the meat directly over that burner which is over the smoke box vent (to the far left). My thermometer is on the grill lid, front, center, and high. Maybe the ribs are at a lower temp? I monitor them and flip/wrap/remove when needed.

Jakes_tl

what wood chips would you guys recommend for smoking a turkey and ribs? Also with the MES do you still need to soak the chips?

maharajamd

iTrader: (1)

Apple and hickory or pecan. No but you can. I'e done both. The soaked chips don't need filled quite as often but as mentioned above there was some carbon issues. So if you do you have to watch the tray and make sure if you're reloading there isn't stuff remaining. It needs to burn and burn clean and be gone. Don't stuff wet chips on top of half burned one etc.

The past few times I've done it I soaked but only half then mixed. It seemed to fix the issue.

maharajamd

iTrader: (1)

maharajamd

iTrader: (1)

That's not perfect though. Like, I've used apple on almost everything I've ever smoked. Works great. The Mrs doesn't like that hard smoke bite so using a super mild apple is easy.

Jakes_tl

Thanks! Pecan stronger than apple?

maharajamd

iTrader: (1)

Pecan is mild and spicy / nutty. Apple is very mild and fruity / sweet.

Quit sweating the small stuff man. Throw some meat in the smoker! Lol

I would do pork butt. I would follow the smokers directions exactly. I would start with apple wood.

SamDoe1

This was my first go but I used pecan. If you haven't bought a wireless thermometer do it now. You cook to temp, not time if doing a chunk of meat so there's no real method. Stick it in there at 225 and let it go until internal temp is ~200F. It'll take about 1-1.5hrs per pound, mine was on the high end of that.

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

I usually do cherry and mesquite for ribs

Jakes_tl

the smoker i got has a built in thermometer / probe that you stick into the meat, should i not go off of that?

Jakes_tl

I will be doing a turkey breast and ribs at the same time, since i have the meat at home in my freezer so i'll probably go with apple, cherry or pecan and maybe a little bit of hickory.

SamDoe1

I'm sure it would be fine. Advantage of the wireless is I don't have to go out to the smoker to see where I'm at and it will alarm when the temp is reached.

Legend2TL

, if you've got a smoker I can definitely understand using that over the gas grill.

Legend2TL

FWIW, I've switched to using wood chunks over soaked chips in a smoker box on a gas grill.
Still trying to get the technique right (position on heat shield) but the premise is larger chunk of wood that takes longer to burn up over soaked chips.

maharajamd

iTrader: (1)

Chunks will obviously last longer. Unfortunately in the MB you don't have much of a choice...

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

Did someone say wood chunks?
IMG_20130803_150519_zpsf1516949.jpg

Legend2TL

This forum and thread is much easier than R&P, there really is no right or wrong when it comes to barbecue and smoking
:gheyhug:

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

IMG_6544_zpsjuqlgayl.jpg

nfnsquared

Don't laugh, but I think I'm going to give this one a try. It's on clearance at Menard's, plus with another 11% off (starting tomorrow), it's $85 out the door. Mixed reviews on Amazon, but it sounds like minor modifications can make this well worth $85!

http://www.menards.com/main/outdoors...1078035986.htm

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

I looked at those when I was researching the MB's. Not great reviews, but can't beat that price

Jakes_tl

So here's my first attempt at smoking ribs. I had baby back ribs so I went with 2-2-1 as that is what most people were suggesting online but I think I should have gone with 3-2-1. They were good but not perfect and as you can see in the picture hardly any bone is showing so that is a sign of them not not being totally done or am i wrong?

SamDoe1

Well did you eat them and were they done? lol.

maharajamd

iTrader: (1)

You won't get a lot of 'pull away' when using the 3-2-1 as the point of it is to keep moisture in. Most would say perfect competition ribs do not fall off the bone. I prefer them to be receding up the bone and to more or less fall off. Nice and charred too. That's just personal preference. That's also why I'm not a huge fan of the 3-2-1 method.

SamDoe1

When I did the 3-2-1, I got meat receding from and falling off the bone...

What method do you use?

maharajamd

iTrader: (1)

You can make them do anything you want but again typically the 3-2-1 is not suppose to produce 'fall-off-the-bone' ribs.

Jakes_tl

I did the 2-2-1 because these were baby back ribs but next time I wouldn't mind trying something different because I do want them to be more charred / nice bark.

Chad can you please share your rib smoking process?

maharajamd

iTrader: (1)

Sure. You ready for this?

- dry rub overnight
- room temp
- smoke
- spray/mop
- smoke
- spray/mop
- smoke
- spray/mop
- smoke
- spray/mop
- smoke
- spray/mop
- smoke
- spray/mop
- smoke
- spray/mop
- smoke
- spray/mop
- smoke
- spray/mop
- smoke
- spray/mop
- sauce
- smoke
- sauce
- smoke
- sauce
- grill
- sauce
- grill
- rest
- eat



Oh and I don't like being handed a rack of ribs. So I cut them all before serving.