Direct Heat / Live Fire Ribs on a Pellet Grill - Anyone Doing It?

[kevinstaggs]

Most pellet grills have a way of exposing the meat to flames, direct heat, live fire - whatever you may choose to call it. Before you shoot me down, I do realize that some may not provide enough of a "flame area" to cover an entire rack of ribs, but if you remove the flamezone covers on a MAK or if you have a SmokeFire or some other similarly equipped cooker it should work.

My question is has anyone tried this (sorry if I missed the post)? What was your process, time, temps? Could you tell any difference? Based on Kettle or UDS cooked ribs that I've had, the difference is real...

Appreciate your help.

 

[Back9Q]

I used to do this all time with chicken and steak on traeger


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[huskerfan1200]

I've followed Chud's method and did them on the Weber 26". Turned out great!

Beginning to end was about 2 hour process, from trimming to eating.

Temps were 400+ with the Vortex and then seared each of them for a bit at the end.

 

[JAKs Q & brew]

I think you can call it flames or direct heat but not live fire.

To me, live fire is the description of the fire itself, which is logs burning down to coals in an open (e.g. unrestricted air flow) area. What you chose to do with the output of the fire to cook food should probably have its own description including indirect, direct, hot smoking, cooler smoking, on coals, in coals, under brasero, etc.

It's all fun stuff either way and makes great food.

 

[SmokinAussie]

Now assuming you have been doing these ribs indirect or even in a (sorry) oven or crockpot for a while which will deal with the collagen...

Yes. Restaurant wise, or in places that don't have the real deal it's common to reheat / finish off ribs on a grill which can be pretty much anything that provides a direct heat. Pellet, Santa Maria, Gasser, woodfire grill, woodfire pizza oven.

Common in my area are Pizza places that will slow cook ribs in any way that works for them. Store till ordered then shove them in the Woodfire pizza oven to give them the final crisp up and the smokey flavour.

Not traditional, but effective. In my area, they call them BBQ ribs but they don't advertise true BBQ authenticity.

Is that what you wanna know?

Bill

 

[kevinstaggs]

...
Is that what you wanna know? ...

What I was really trying to get at was will uncovering the fire pot on a a pellet grill produce the "fat on coals/wood" flavor that you get from a drum or similar cooker?

 

[bschoen]

I think you can call it flames or direct heat but not live fire.

To me, live fire is the description of the fire itself, which is logs burning down to coals in an open (e.g. unrestricted air flow) area.

I agree:

View attachment 203708

 

[rwalters]

What I was really trying to get at was will uncovering the fire pot on a a pellet grill produce the "fat on coals/wood" flavor that you get from a drum or similar cooker?

From my experience, there is no way to recreate the “charcoal flavor bomb” flavor profile other than letting drippings hit a real charcoal fire. Yes, you can get a fantastic (and cleaner) flavor by letting drippings hit a diffuser plate, reverse flow plate, etc… but it will never give you the authentic charcoal taste. For example, I love skin-on thighs from my MAK… a lot, but they are different than skin-on thighs from my kettle when grilled on GrillGrates directly over the fire from start to finish… which I also love a lot! Just different.

That said, direct over charcoal is not a flavor that I want every time I grill as it’s pretty intense. Very good, but intense.

Just my 2 cents

 

[kevinstaggs]

From my experience, there is no way to recreate the “charcoal flavor bomb” flavor profile other than letting drippings hit a real charcoal fire. Yes, you can get a fantastic (and cleaner) flavor by letting drippings hit a diffuser plate, reverse flow plate, etc… but it will never give you the authentic charcoal taste. For example, I love skin-on thighs from my MAK… a lot, but they are different than skin-on thighs from my kettle when grilled on GrillGrates directly over the fire from start to finish… which I also love a lot! Just different.

That said, direct over charcoal is not a flavor that I want every time I grill as it’s pretty intense. Very good, but intense.

Just my 2 cents

So to make it MAK specific - have you cooked ribs with the covers off. And if so, on bottom rack or up 1, how did it affect flavor, time and temp?


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[rwalters]

So to make it MAK specific - have you cooked ribs with the covers off. And if so, on bottom rack or up 1, how did it affect flavor, time and temp?


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I assume you are only talking about low n slow cooks. Haven’t tried any low n slow cooks (>275°) with FZ covers removed. I would be very surprised it there was a flavor difference because you are still getting the same flavor from dripping fat and wood smoke. As far as time and temp, I would think it would speed the cook up a bit as you’ll have more direct heat hitting the protein. Haven’t tested though, so just a guess.

As far as your rib and which grate position… I have cooked ribs at all grate levels and there is a little difference when cooking on the bottom because you are closer to the radiant heat coming from the FZ setup. Not a big difference, but the heat is more intense down low.