Rib Cooking: Kamado vs Pellet Grill

[Charcoal_Addict]

A couple of Year's ago Green Drake was kind enough to provide a head on comparison between a Kamado and Pellet smoker on a Rib cook. He used the Harry Soo Method to make sure the cook was done as close as possible.

http://pelletheads.com/index.php?topic=8248.0

So, four racks of spares, identical seasoning and time/temp...pic one is on the Traeger, Pic two is on the Kamado Joe after two hours in the 260-270 range. Took them off to brown sugar, honey and foil...going to only do one hour in foil then back on the grill...a modified Harry Soo method...we shall see how the results turn out. Coloration is totally different. Sorry for the blur, cell phone camera is not so steady.. GreenDrake




Personally I'm thinking you should be able to get the same tenderness and moisture on a Kamado as you would on a Pellet grill. I think the cooking technique would need to be adjusted for the strengths and weakness of using a Kamado.

What would you change about the Harry Soo cooking Rib technique to get a better results cooking the ribs on a Kamado grill?

[slammmed]

it's harry soo, not harry woo sorry for some reason that was buggin me lol.

I make harry soo's recipe all the time and just switched from a WSM to a kamado so i'll let yu know how they turn out. My initial thought on the different is either too heavy smoke in the kamado or to high of a heat.

[Charcoal_Addict]

I prefer to smoke my ribs at solid 225 grate level temp. Thick walls and air tight seal on the Kamado should maintain moisture better than any metal cooker can.

[Ron_L]

I've cooked ribs in my BGE a couple of times and ribs are the one thing that I have cooked in there that I wasn't impressed with. I used the standard BGE indirect setup of a platesetter and drip pan. I like to cook ribs at 260-275, and at that temp the heat radiated from the platesetter was enough to make the edges of the ribs a little too dark. Also, At that time I flipped my ribs half way through the cook and with the meat side down the bark was so tough it was hard to cut through. Maybe 225 is a better temp in the BGE, but I have such good results with ribs in my FEC-100 that I didn't bother to try them in the Egg again.

[gmag]

I couldnt agree more. Anything above 225 in my Kamado Joe and the edges are toast!

[JS-TX]

I go 275* in my keg and my ribs are just fine. 3 hours total if I wrap the last hour, 4 hours if I don't wrap.

[Charcoal_Addict]

I'm also thinking that you don't want to add anything with sugar too soon into the cook. Sugar just burns too quickly if you add too early into a cook.

[jsperk]

I cook my last rack in my ceramic at 275. Came out great. I put foil on the grate in the front and back so the end of the ribs aren't getting direct heat. I'm not sure of Harry Soo method. I just cook 275 until done, no foil or spritzing or anything.

[ICDEDTURKES]

I would have to question his thermo on the EGG.. Cannot fathom how they would look like they do at the 2 hour mark..

[dajogejr]

I've turned out my best looking, texture and tasting ribs on my XL BGE.
Heat and rub type (we make our own rub) are the key.
I don't let it get above 240 dome temp, and I shoot for 225. If mine creeps up past 250 or 260...that's where I see the ends/bones starting to look burned.

[nucornhusker]

I like ribs off both products, but they will be just a bit different. KJ ribs I cook have a smoker flavor and don't get dark like the ones in those pictures in the link show.

Pellet ribs do have a lighter and very pleasant color and smoke flavor. Tenderness and moisture are pretty darn close from all of the ones I've cooked on each.

One thing you may not know about a pellet grill if you haven't used one dips the food comes off very, very juicy in them. The KJ does turn out a very juicy product too, but a pellet grill can cook some things juicy that may dry out easier by a different method of cooking. If I'm cooking anything that is lean, white meat (chicken breast, pork loin, wings, turkey breast, etc) they go on the Yoder and come out with tons of juice.