Post by earlybird on Jun 5, 2012 19:03:15 GMT -5
All,
I just used the Smokenator for the first time - in fact the first time I've ever attempted BBQ of any kind - and I am blown away at how wonderfully the rack of baby backs came out and how easily it was achieved. The only imperfection was that the Salt Lick restaurant's rub was overly salty.
I should say I'm serious about eating 'Q, having eaten at numerous BBQ shrines in Texas, the Carolinas, Kansas City and elsewhere. This meat tasted like something you would get there. It was moist, flavorful, perfect amount of smoke with a deep smoke ring and very tender but not mushy. (Judges ding ribs that truly "fall off the bone" and look for meat that pulls away very easily, instead. That's how these came out.) There was a bit of crispy exterior, too. Just awesome. We had friends over and they swooned.
I took copious notes as Meathead over at amazingribs.com suggests. I just thought I'd share how I got to rib perfection.
It was a matter of perfect conditions, following the Smokenator directions exactly, using a few tips I've learned on this wonderful forum, and just dumb luck.
Conditions: 65 climbing to 78 degrees. Low to moderate humidity, no breeze (typical So. Cal Spring day).
Two cheapo, untested dial thermometers on the meat support grate, one cheapo untested dial meat thermometer stuck into one of the vents.
Bottom vents fully open throughout cook, top vents used to modulate temp, but about 1/3 open most of the time.
48 unlit Kingsford blue briquets, 5 smallish unlit chunks of dry hickory nestled amongst the unlit briquets, 12 white hot coals to start jammed into the mix, and a water pan filled with near boiling water.
Two hours at 225 with water in pan + one hour ribs tightly wrapped with foil, laid meat side down, with water in pan + a final hour of unwrapped cooking, no pan in water, and just a tiny handful of soaked apple wood chips. In the last 30 minutes I slathered on some KC Masterpiece sauce (Texas meets Kansas City).
When I unwrapped the ribs after Hour 3, there was significant "pull back," and I just wanted to finish them for another hour to get a dryer, crunchier exterior.
Each hour I checked the water and stirred the coals to remove ash. During the cook, very minor adjustments to the top vents kept the kettle at a rock solid 225.
Just Gnarly!
I made the mistake of putting too-cold meat on too early, which meant it took me an hour to get to 225. Keep this in mind when I say it was a 4 hour cook. It was actually getting a bit of heat about 30 minutes longer as it warmed up.
Thank you Smokenator and all of you on this board for the advice. This is now my religion. I would smoke the cats if my wife let me!
I just used the Smokenator for the first time - in fact the first time I've ever attempted BBQ of any kind - and I am blown away at how wonderfully the rack of baby backs came out and how easily it was achieved. The only imperfection was that the Salt Lick restaurant's rub was overly salty.
I should say I'm serious about eating 'Q, having eaten at numerous BBQ shrines in Texas, the Carolinas, Kansas City and elsewhere. This meat tasted like something you would get there. It was moist, flavorful, perfect amount of smoke with a deep smoke ring and very tender but not mushy. (Judges ding ribs that truly "fall off the bone" and look for meat that pulls away very easily, instead. That's how these came out.) There was a bit of crispy exterior, too. Just awesome. We had friends over and they swooned.
I took copious notes as Meathead over at amazingribs.com suggests. I just thought I'd share how I got to rib perfection.
It was a matter of perfect conditions, following the Smokenator directions exactly, using a few tips I've learned on this wonderful forum, and just dumb luck.
Conditions: 65 climbing to 78 degrees. Low to moderate humidity, no breeze (typical So. Cal Spring day).
Two cheapo, untested dial thermometers on the meat support grate, one cheapo untested dial meat thermometer stuck into one of the vents.
Bottom vents fully open throughout cook, top vents used to modulate temp, but about 1/3 open most of the time.
48 unlit Kingsford blue briquets, 5 smallish unlit chunks of dry hickory nestled amongst the unlit briquets, 12 white hot coals to start jammed into the mix, and a water pan filled with near boiling water.
Two hours at 225 with water in pan + one hour ribs tightly wrapped with foil, laid meat side down, with water in pan + a final hour of unwrapped cooking, no pan in water, and just a tiny handful of soaked apple wood chips. In the last 30 minutes I slathered on some KC Masterpiece sauce (Texas meets Kansas City).
When I unwrapped the ribs after Hour 3, there was significant "pull back," and I just wanted to finish them for another hour to get a dryer, crunchier exterior.
Each hour I checked the water and stirred the coals to remove ash. During the cook, very minor adjustments to the top vents kept the kettle at a rock solid 225.
Just Gnarly!
I made the mistake of putting too-cold meat on too early, which meant it took me an hour to get to 225. Keep this in mind when I say it was a 4 hour cook. It was actually getting a bit of heat about 30 minutes longer as it warmed up.
Thank you Smokenator and all of you on this board for the advice. This is now my religion. I would smoke the cats if my wife let me!
