Pumped about a Stumps!

Pumped about Stumps - First Cook Pics!

Well today was my first ever cook on the Stumps (well any smoker actually) and things turned out pretty darned good! I was pleased with consistent temp though it did take me a bit to get used to just "letting it cook" without checking on the gauge every 5 minutes or the chute or the ash pan....I felt I needed to keep an eye on something but in reality (and as I am sure everyone who has done this for a period of time) I just had to let nature take its course and trust that it will be ok. So here's a few pics:

1) One of the two racks all rubbed up and ready to go in:


2) Ribs done being wrapped and resting and ready for cutting:


3) Lunch plate all made up along with some homemade slaw. My spouse and I dug in and polished off quite a few chunks ourselves!

Quick question for you bbq kings/queens out there: These first ribs were quite moist and came off the bone very easy. The family really liked that but my understanding is that "real ribs" should stay on the bone when bit into....so did I have them cook too long and that's why they fell off? Or is there some other trick? Thx.

Untraceable said:

No, that's just what people say when they cook tough ribs. You keep cooking tender and enjoy the crap out of them

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Well said and thanks...we devoured them!

THoey1963 said:

Those bones look great. What rub did you use? Sauced?

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Just a simple home rub of salt/pepper/granulated garlic/chili powder and paprika. I spritzed with apple cider vinegar along the way plus squirted a little bit of a homemade tomato-based bbq sauce. I was very happy with the results but of course had nothing to compare it to (other than you pros here!)

winochef said:

Do you have a BBQ Guru with that Baby?

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Nope, no Guru (yet). I just let the Baby heat up close to 300 and then started tweaking the dampers to get it to settle at 275 and I was very happy that it barely moved +/- 5 degs over the 4 hr cook. I figure for a longer cook that a Guru will come in handy...it was suggested by the previous owner to grab the Guru along with an iGrill but I don't think the iGrill can work in tandem with the Guru...can it?!?

DanReSQman said:

since you are now cooking with a gravity fed it will not dry out the ribs, thus allowing you to make a moist tender product, for competition judges look for a "clean Bite" where the meat is tender but has just a slight pull. This temp/texture is a narrow window on ribs. fall off the bone ribs or chin slappers are crowd/fan/family/friend favorites. Ive never had anyone but a judge say these ribs were too tender... so enjoy!

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Thanks for the supportive words...I love a tender rib (so does my family) so I'll just focus on making sure the clan has a smile on their faces.

Untraceable said:

BTW, the Merv Griffin episode is one of my Favorites. Kramer is so ridiculous. Scandals and Animals

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Agreed. I've seen it a million times but the whole scenario was making me giggle.

"Excuse me yeah. We're talking ... this way.".

We celebrated the first day of summer yesterday by finishing off the pork from the ribs I made the day before. Took the meat off the bones and then piled up a couple of sammies. Damn good especially for leftovers...these got a huge thumbs up from the family.