Post by rannochboy on Aug 5, 2009 8:59:24 GMT -5
I've been cooking ribs for as long as I can remember - my Grandfather and I were cooking Beef Barbecue as soon as I could walk and let me tell you, in my opinion excellent beef ribs cannot be touched. But, that said, there are certain universal truths that, I believe, have to be followed to make any barbecue ribs top notch.
So - you can tell I am passionate about my barbecue and I have been doing this for almost 40 years. I cater large events for local companies and get enough repeat business that I can say that I think I know what I am talking about. Ribs are our specialty, but in reality beef is my specialty and my passion. I am not advertising here, and not giving out my recipes, just sharing some time tested techniques with you in hopes of furthering the traditions of great barbecue.
- Let's start off with quality, and by this I am not necessarily talking about the difference between select, choice or prime. In fact, if you are making barbecue with prime meat I think you are wasting your time. What I mean here by quality is the freshness of the meat. Dry aged meat is indeed a fine thing, but it can be expensive and isn't really ideal for barbecue (you need moisture to make barbecue magic). However, avoid meat that is grayed over or has that green tinge to it - not so good for slow cooking and it can put your guests into a place they never anticipated going.
- Next let's talk about selection. Having lived all over the world I have made barbecue out of just about anything (beef, lamb, goat, pork, ostrich, llama, and a number of other wild game). But when it comes to ribs you should stick to the majors - beef, pork, or lamb. Why is this you ask? I am glad you did. Exotic meats don't tend to have enough fat content to keep the adjacent lean tissue moist during smoking. It is a personal choice of course, but I just tend to stick to the majors.
- This part is absolutely critical no matter what kind of rib you are smoking - you have to trim the ribs. If you can find a butcher who will do this for you, fine, but, in my opinion, this is critical. Every rib, beef, pork, etc... has a membrane on the inside curve of the rib - you must remove this. During smoking it just becomes tough and chewy and it actually blocks absorption of the smoke thus preventing the creation of that all-important smoke ring.
- To boil or not to boil, that really isn't the question. I say NO NO NO!!! It is O.K. to soak your ribs in a marinade, but boiling is for people who don't really like their meat. Every once in a while I will get a craving for some pork ribs and I hear some people tell me to boil them - why in the world would you cook your meat before you smoke it? If you boil your pork ribs then the only thing they are good for is baking in the oven or grilling (which is not barbecue no matter what planet you come from). So, if you are smoking your ribs go ahead and soak them for a while in some beer or other marinade if you wish, but please, don't boil them.
- Seasoning. Some smoking purist might tell you that seasoning isn't necessary, but I would like to disagree. The one thing I will tell you is to avoid over salting or over sugaring your barbecue. With the right selection of wood chunks and charcoal the sweetness of the meat is brought out and is absolutely amazing. When you over salt the meat you can dry it out, but likewise over sugaring the meat (you brown sugar and cane sugar lovers know who you are) you tend to hide the flavors of the meat's natural yummy goodness.
- Why The Smokenator is awesome. I have a ginormous smoker - more than 50 square feet of shelf space in three zones, but when you have a smoker that big you also had better be prepared to feed the local citizenry. Even if I just used one zone I would be looking at 500 pounds of meat at a minimum. So, for regular family gatherings I use The Smokenator - it is amazing. In fact, I have one Weber set up with The Smokenator (my settings are tack welded in place) and one for just regular grilling. With 300 cubic inches of smoking space I can put a nice large batch of ribs on top and a couple of tri-tip on the bottom rack. Just enough to feed around 15 people. Like I said, my Smokenator is awesome.
- Time - it is your friend, not your enemy. Go slow. I let my beef smoke on my Smokenator for at least 6-7 hours, preferably 8-10. Pork a bit less, around 4-5 to 6-7 hours. Start early in the morning, take cat naps and keep a timer with you so you can add charcoal, wood chunks, and water as needed, then get some more rest. I tend to not do this because I am busy preparing my sides (sauce, beans, and - of course - coleslaw).
- Wood selection and charcoal selection. With The Smokenator I use Kingsford mesquite charcoal and additional chunks (not chips) of a mixture of apple-wood and mesquite (1 part apple-wood and 2 parts mesquite). Experiment on your own to find the right combination that works for your taste buds.
So - you can tell I am passionate about my barbecue and I have been doing this for almost 40 years. I cater large events for local companies and get enough repeat business that I can say that I think I know what I am talking about. Ribs are our specialty, but in reality beef is my specialty and my passion. I am not advertising here, and not giving out my recipes, just sharing some time tested techniques with you in hopes of furthering the traditions of great barbecue.
But I learned how to smoke them low and slow, so all is well. 