"Your worst day of bbq is better than your best day with no bbq" Is that a saying? 😄
Just bought an 850dx and this was my first cook. Only maybe my second time ever cooking ribs.
The second rack was a little oddly cut, for sure. They had baby back ribs but these were the only two not frozen and I was determined.
Removed the membrane but otherwise left mostly everything. I figure if it's meat that I wouldn't want to waste I may as well cook it with the rest.
Seasoned heavily with a random jar of bbq dry rub we got years ago as a wedding favor.
Cooked at 225, for an hour, then rotated
Cooked at 225 until ~175 in the thickest pieces, about 2:50hrs total. Rotated it once in that time.
Foil wapped with butter brown sugar and some bottled bbq sauce and returned to the grill for another 1:20hr-ish until I hit 200+. Rested.
It didn't look pretty, not the best pictures, but it was the best I've ever made. Though I didn't taste it, the sodium hangover/headache hit me hard. I didn't look at the packaging but Ive since learned they may have been packaged in brine. That's what I get for buying from Giant grocery store (and not paying attention) I guess.
A few exterior bits got a little rubbery, but not enough to diminish it for me.
Criticism/tips welcome!
by 8BitBanger
6 Comments
When it comes to ribs, you’ll get 100 different opinions if you ask 100 different people lol. Trial and error will reveal what your personal taste is. Some swear by no wrap while others wrap. Some use sauce, others don’t. Personally, I stick to dry rub (Lambert’s Sweet Rub O’Mine is great for pork). Throw them on at 225° with high smoke, let the rub set (usually takes about 30 minutes) then I spritz with apple juice every 20-30 minutes until it hits about 2 hours. Take them off, turn the smoke to low (don’t need it anymore) and then I wrap them up with brown sugar, butter, honey and a little more rub. Meat side down, of course. Put them back on for about another 2 hours. They should be good to go by then. Use the bend test and/or look at the pullback to determine if they are.
225 I have found is the optimal temp to cook at.
The salt level, the bark, the feel at which you should wrap or pull, all these will come with practice and understanding of your smoker. I encourage you to **try** to only change one thing per cook as you narrow down your method, so you can pinpoint what affects what.
Smoke a rack over the course of 3-4 weekends and you will learn a lot.
Good first attempt, would smash. Enjoy.
I usually do mine using the 3-2-1 method
I try to brine mine for at least 6 hours prior in a mix of apple juice and cold water. I use a dry rub with a mustard apple butter mixed as my binder.
3 hours at 200 degrees, spritz every 30 minutes with a mix of apple juice and apple cider vinegar.
2 hours at 225 degrees wrapped in foil with butter and brown sugar and a little bbq sauce.
1 hour or so unwrapped with bbq sauce on them.
Pull them then cut them and serve them
275 is better all the way around for smoking ribs
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Tips depend on how you like them. I don’t like them mushy and don’t like them sweet so most people don’t want my advice.