Help a newbie newbie make ribs without an oven

P

platys

Guest
Hi!

The only way I know how to make ribs involves an oven and aluminum foil. However, I have been inspired.

While the husband does have a thing he calls a smoker, I don't think its been cleaned since about 1859, and I'm not touching it.

So, instead, i was thinking of using our Weber Q with foil packet of chips. Would that work? It does hold heat very well. Should I put the ribs up on the bun rack, and the the chips underneath? Or the chips down by the jets? Or just next to the ribs?
 
Can you keep the the temperature of the gasser steady somewhere in the 225 to 245 degree range? If you can then I think you have a great idea of putting the ribs on the bun rack and the foil packets of chips down near the flame.

May I personally thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for you question and desire to do this correct. You've made me very happy today.

Others will chime in soon with lots of suggestions.
 
BBQ Grail said:
Can you keep the the temperature of the gasser steady somewhere in the 225 to 245 degree range? If you can then I think you have a great idea of putting the ribs on the bun rack and the foil packets of chips down near the flame.
Click to expand...

That is a very good point. I think I'll have to just use the center jets, and make sure it doesn't get too hot in the first place. I know it'll hold 350 for just about forever, but that's using the outside jets on low, after heating things up to that point on medium.
 
It's the 320, so the biggest one.

It is pretty darn cold in Illinois, so that'll help keep the heat down as well.
 
I have a straubelstone gasser and have smoked briskets and ribs on it several times. I use the burner on one side and set a pie pan full of chips and cover with water and set the meat on the opposite side with no flame. Works out great - good luck!
 
Any chance you can use some sort of cake pan filled with water to difuse the flames (don't want to expose your ribs to direct flame)
 
I did a test last night to see what was the lowest temp I could keep on the weber q. Sadly, even with it 33 degrees out, I couldn't get it lower than 300 at 40 minutes out. That's too high for smoking, right?
 
Yes it is a bit high, but it's still better than an oven or even Larry's favorite, boiling them....

You are going to have to adjust your timing a bit but I think you can still do it... Think of it this way, even if it doesn't work, you can tell your hubby that you would have done it right if he had just cleaned out the smoker... lol
 
As long as you keep the ribs from direct flame you can still do fine at 300. It will not take as long and you might not get as much smoke flavor, but it will still probably be the best ribs you have ever eaten. Watch for hot spots and be prepared to move the ribs around a bit to get even cooking. Just like using a smoker, half the battle is knowing your equipment and how it reacts. I have smoked on my Weber Genesis before with good results, so it can be done.

Good luck! Preparing like this is the best way to have a success.
 
I'm from Colorado originally - I grew up on beef ribs, boiled, and then stuck on the grill for about 3 seconds with lots of sauce. :) I think one year my mom made them in the oven after boiling them. Thus, my complete lack of taste as far as ribs go. :)

(Swineola should post about the horror I forced upon him for wedding reception food. :) I think our best man almost walked out.)
 
I was thinking that even at 300 it would still be pretty tasty. The Q burner configuration is a bit goofy - it is one burner around the grill like a rectangle, and one burner right through the center. It is really hard to avoid the direct flame but we were going to put the ribs on the bun warmer that stacks a few inches above the rear of the grill surface and as far away from the burner that goes right through the middle of the grill as we can be. I like the pie plate idea to diffuse the heat. We can throw some beer or cider vinegar in there to make it all official :).

I absolutely think this is worth a try this weekend. It is supposed to be even colder (teens) so that will help a bit too I think.

Thank you everybody for your help and suggestions. This place is awesome :).

By the way our wedding fare was tasty oven ribs, cheesy taters, wings, queso dip annd other BBQ friendly food. It was a very nice fat man spread :).
 
Never heard of a Weber gasser with that sort of burner configuration!

Usually there are 2-4 tube type burners, running either front to back or side to side.

Should be easy enough to run on just 1 or 2 burners with the ribs off to the side

Or....maybe you want to run out to the ACE on 75th street and see if they have a WSM???? I guarantee it'd be worth it!
BTW welcome!!!
 
I may need to rerun the test this afternoon when I get home from work. I just realized I stuck the bun warmer smack in the middle of the grill. which is right over the burner. So, towards the back, it should, in theory, be cooler.
 
Howabout proping the lid open a little with a wood chunk or a tongs just to cool down the ambient temp of the cooking area?
 
WineMaster said:
Howabout proping the lid open a little with a wood chunk or a tongs just to cool down the ambient temp of the cooking area?
Click to expand...

My thought as well...in addition to tenting the burner(s) with hd tin foil to shield the ribs...:?::?::?: You may even have enough time to build a UDS...:cool:...or clean out the old smoker.
 
WineMaster said:
Howabout proping the lid open a little with a wood chunk or a tongs just to cool down the ambient temp of the cooking area?
Click to expand...


That's what I was thinking... When I smoke cheese in the char-griller, sometimes the fire's a little too hot so I prop the hood open a few inches to let heat out.

Also, you might be able to get the grill up to temps and then shut all but 1 burner off and keep it closer to smoking temps... and the pan of water/liquid will help suck up alot of that heat too, great suggestion.

Last thing, I didn't see it mentioned, if you have an oven thermometer, it's a good idea to put that on the rack where you intend to have the ribs... you could even move it around inside the grill to find out the coolest/hottest spot.
The grill's thermometer can be off by quite a bit or is often placed in a spot where it gets more or less heat than the rest of the grill... I'd hate for you to go by the thermo probe in the hood and be 50* hotter or cooler than what you think it's running at...

Hope they turn out great!

Be sure to remember the rules... Post the pics! No pics = It didn't happen!! :biggrin:
 
I did use my oven thermometer, and put it on the bun rack. The outside thermometer was off a good 50+ degrees. I was hoping that the temps on the two thermometers would change at the same rate, so I could just add/subtract off the external one, but they don't.

I do have a nice probe thermometer - I was thinking of having it just dangle inside, but swineola was worried it wouldn't work right. But that way, I wouldn't be opening and closing the lid a bunch.
 
JD McGee said:
My thought as well...in addition to tenting the burner(s) with hd tin foil to shield the ribs...:?::?::?: You may even have enough time to build a UDS...:cool:...or clean out the old smoker.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure that foil would work, foil (even the HD type) is really thin and it would most likely burn through it... I would lean toward something like a cast iron griddle or the sort that would distribute the heat better...
 
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