Grange
03-03-2012, 09:43 AM
Last weekend I started a thread about my first attempt and spare ribs on my BGE. See the thread below if you're interested
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=127078
I said the ribs tasted fine, but were tough. Well after reading the suggestion in the thread I decided to give it another go yesterday. This time instead of using whole spare ribs I decided to buy St. Louis Style spare ribs from the get go.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-01195510.jpg
I rubbed them with the same rub I used for my first pork butt a few weeks ago. The rub is from Chris Lilly's recipe for pork butt. I then wrapped them and put in the refrigerator over night.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-01202623.jpg
The next day I heated my BGE to 225 and again used a combination of cherry and hickory wood. There was still some wood left over from my first attempt I didn't want to dig out the old pieces so I just added a couple more. I also didn't use a rib rack since I was only doing one rack.
The rack after an hour or so. I did spray with apple juice.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-02140831.jpg
After 2.5 hours. I again sprayed with apple juice after I took the picture.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-02152547.jpg
I pulled the ribs a few minutes later and wrapped them in foil with some brown sugar and apple juice. I put a hole in the first layer and had to double layer the rack with foil. I should have added more juice to compensate for what I lost, but I didn't.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-02154146.jpg
After close to two hours wrapped I pulled them.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-02173231.jpg
I again used Butcher BBQ sauce and put them back on the grill.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-02173520.jpg
This time I kept a much closer eye on the ribs and after 15-20 minutes I tried the bend test that I read on here. I also tried the toothpick test and it went in very easily.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-02175829.jpg
I let the ribs go for about another 10 minutes hoping the sauce would caramelize more before I pulled them for good. To me this was very critical, because I think this is the part where my first attempt went wrong. I left them on the smoker too long. I pulled the ribs and did the bend test and toothpick test again. All seemed OK.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-02175958.jpg
The finished product. I would have like a little more bone showing, but was maybe overly conscious about leaving the ribs on the smoker too long.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-02180030.jpg
I cut a couple ribs off the larger side to see the smoke ring. There was a smoke ring :-D.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-02180253.jpg
I tried the bite test that I've read about on here, where a properly done rib will pull away from the bone, but leave a bite mark. These ribs seemed to do that fairly well. They were a touch chewy, but really not bad at all.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-02180419.jpg
Finally onto the plate they went. I served them up with homemade baked bean and frozen corn.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-02180741.jpg
Overall I'm happy with my second attempt. There is room for improvement, but hell that's half the fun.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=127078
I said the ribs tasted fine, but were tough. Well after reading the suggestion in the thread I decided to give it another go yesterday. This time instead of using whole spare ribs I decided to buy St. Louis Style spare ribs from the get go.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-01195510.jpg
I rubbed them with the same rub I used for my first pork butt a few weeks ago. The rub is from Chris Lilly's recipe for pork butt. I then wrapped them and put in the refrigerator over night.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-01202623.jpg
The next day I heated my BGE to 225 and again used a combination of cherry and hickory wood. There was still some wood left over from my first attempt I didn't want to dig out the old pieces so I just added a couple more. I also didn't use a rib rack since I was only doing one rack.
The rack after an hour or so. I did spray with apple juice.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-02140831.jpg
After 2.5 hours. I again sprayed with apple juice after I took the picture.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-02152547.jpg
I pulled the ribs a few minutes later and wrapped them in foil with some brown sugar and apple juice. I put a hole in the first layer and had to double layer the rack with foil. I should have added more juice to compensate for what I lost, but I didn't.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-02154146.jpg
After close to two hours wrapped I pulled them.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-02173231.jpg
I again used Butcher BBQ sauce and put them back on the grill.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-02173520.jpg
This time I kept a much closer eye on the ribs and after 15-20 minutes I tried the bend test that I read on here. I also tried the toothpick test and it went in very easily.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-02175829.jpg
I let the ribs go for about another 10 minutes hoping the sauce would caramelize more before I pulled them for good. To me this was very critical, because I think this is the part where my first attempt went wrong. I left them on the smoker too long. I pulled the ribs and did the bend test and toothpick test again. All seemed OK.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-02175958.jpg
The finished product. I would have like a little more bone showing, but was maybe overly conscious about leaving the ribs on the smoker too long.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-02180030.jpg
I cut a couple ribs off the larger side to see the smoke ring. There was a smoke ring :-D.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-02180253.jpg
I tried the bite test that I've read about on here, where a properly done rib will pull away from the bone, but leave a bite mark. These ribs seemed to do that fairly well. They were a touch chewy, but really not bad at all.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-02180419.jpg
Finally onto the plate they went. I served them up with homemade baked bean and frozen corn.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l265/Summit_02/2012-03-02180741.jpg
Overall I'm happy with my second attempt. There is room for improvement, but hell that's half the fun.