Pork Spare Ribs - looking for tricks!

[tastyeatsathome]

I have an offset smoker, new to smoking. 2 weekends ago, smoked some pork spare ribs (after a dry rub overnight). Used all oak, kept temp around 250, for about 4 hours. Came out tasty, falling off the bone a bit, but a bit dry. I mopped using an oil/herbs/lemon juice mop, about every 45 min - hour. Ideas on how to make these babies more moist? Going to give it a go again this weekend.

 

[Stiltz6ft9in]

Here's how I do my ribs:

Rub down the night before. Next day, bring the smoker up to temp. Put ribs on and close lid. Check in about 2 hours. It usually takes about 3-3.5 hours before I pull them, wrap them in foil, spray with apple juice or brush with honey. Put in cooler wrapper in towels for about an hour. I take them put them back on the smoke for maybe 20-30 minutes and serve.

 

[landarc]

The night before I am gonna cook, I strip the membrane and rub down with a light coating of seasoning salt. Let them sit in the fridge stacked and in a ziploc. The next morning, remove and apply my rub, let sit and come to room temperature for an hour. I use a small fan to dry the surface at this time as well. Put on grill as 250F to 260F for 4 to 5 hours. I do not foil.

 

[Countryhb]

I don't rub them until 1 hour before they go on the smoker. I believe adding a salty rub that far in advance actually draws moisture from the meat.

 

[Bushwacker]

I don't rub them until 1 hour before they go on the smoker. I believe adding a salty rub that far in advance actually draws moisture from the meat.

I agree with above, I find that if the Rub contains salt, it pull the moisture out of the meat overnight, The pan that i rubbed then in the night before,contains a lot of juice that the salt sucked out of the meat.

 

[Kettledog]

Aw yes, the heartbreak of osmosis.

 

[Wampus]

I agree with above, I find that if the Rub contains salt, it pull the moisture out of the meat overnight, The pan that i rubbed then in the night before,contains a lot of juice that the salt sucked out of the meat.

Agree. Now....I'm no rib expert, in fact, I just cooked my first spares on Sunday, but after spending Friday and Saturday at a comp (Jasper, IN) with Double D's BBQ, I learned the same thing. Dallas explained that if you rub ribs too early the salt will not only extract a bit of moisture, but they may also end up tasting salty.

Anyway....I went home Saturday after the comp, stopped by my butcher, bought 3 nice racks of spares, tried it HIS way and they turned out FANTASTIC!!! Basically used the 3-2-1 method. I'd say the foil really helps them from getting too dry or dark.

(I can't seem to make photobucket download here at work, so no PRON to prove it)

 

[tastyeatsathome]

AWww, good point, didn't think of that (the osmosis thing). Rub an hour before sounds great to me!

 

[barbefunkoramaque]

The absence of trickery is now a trick.

try this - no marinade, no pre-night rubs, no peeling the membrane... no glazes no mops no sauces.

large grained salt and pepper just before they go on, yeah... I mean both sides too... even the membrane side.... yeah i said it.

Smoke at 325 (protected though from the fire) until the ribs begin to weep all over, Then shut down your dampers and close the box and let them sit in there 30 minutes or so.... then check and continue until the smallest rib twists in its meat.

This is the baseline for ribs.... you add technique to this, if you want.

 

[tastyeatsathome]

Sounds tasty....letting the wood flavor the meat alone. Yum.

 

[Mark]

Par boil them. That allways works. :icon_devil

 

[thillin]

The absence of trickery is now a trick.

try this - no marinade, no pre-night rubs, no peeling the membrane... no glazes no mops no sauces.

large grained salt and pepper just before they go on, yeah... I mean both sides too... even the membrane side.... yeah i said it.

Smoke at 325 (protected though from the fire) until the ribs begin to weep all over, Then shut down your dampers and close the box and let them sit in there 30 minutes or so.... then check and continue until the smallest rib twists in its meat.

This is the baseline for ribs.... you add technique to this, if you want.

What's the average temp you think they sit at when you close the dampers? Not sure this will work well with ceramics.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Par boil them. That allways works. :icon_devil

 

[barbefunkoramaque]

What's the average temp you think they sit at when you close the dampers? Not sure this will work well with ceramics.

You're right... I bet it won't

Not sure who uses weep with a ceramic... it depends on how long it takes for the temp to go downward once you close off the vents.

There are a lot of variable my way as well, even with the same smoker. Like how big and how much fuel is on the fire when you shut it down.

HOWEVER.. the important part is the temp is going down in a somewhat sealed environment while the weeping process is going on....

 

[chambersuac]

Par boil them. That allways works. :icon_devil

Mark, the penalty box is calling you :roll:

 

[thillin]

You're right... I bet it won't

Not sure who uses weep with a ceramic... it depends on how long it takes for the temp to go downward once you close off the vents.

There are a lot of variable my way as well, even with the same smoker. Like how big and how much fuel is on the fire when you shut it down.

HOWEVER.. the important part is the temp is going down in a somewhat sealed environment while the weeping process is going on....

You can get the ceramic to drop temp some. But it drops alot slower than my Klose. Maybe I can try to give it a go in the next week or so.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Here's a trick, it took me years to learn it,

Fire up your cooker. When you can maintain the temp you want to cook with for an hour without adjustment, (this suggests you know your cooker), rub lightly, (I never rub anything more than 4 hours before cooking. I don't care what you read on the interweb.!>!>!>), and, add the ribs.

Smoke until they are what you want to eat. Do NOT foil, lay in oven, simmer in apple juice, boil or simmer or steam at all.When they seem like you want to eat them, take them off. This recipe has served mankind in general for over 15,000 years. Try it yourself, master it, then start looking for short cuts.

Tip, there aren't any. You won't find them, but it's funny to watch newbies look for them. Most people will suggest that there are shortcuts, like foil etc, but this is just a distraction, keep it pure and you'll be heavenly with a little practice. People didn't do it the same way for 300 years because they had no other options. They did it because it worked best.

TIP, No matter what anyone says, I never remove the membrane. Why would you? Because someone else told you to? if they did, they are probably on 1,000 different posts, reccomending all sorts of crazy things. Try this, master it and then change it. otherwise, you don't know what difference your own special changes have made. First, get consistent, second start changing things.

Just an old school opinion for anyone who cares.

 

[Bigmista]

I remove the membrane because I don't like that chewy crap stuck in my teeth when I eat my ribs. There's my reason.

 

[Bigmista]

Here's how I do my ribs:

Rub down the night before. Next day, bring the smoker up to temp. Put ribs on and close lid. Check in about 2 hours. It usually takes about 3-3.5 hours before I pull them, wrap them in foil, spray with apple juice or brush with honey. Put in cooler wrapper in towels for about an hour. I take them put them back on the smoke for maybe 20-30 minutes and serve.

Why do you spray them with apple juice or or brush them with honey after you wrap them in foil?

Just curious...

 

[barbefunkoramaque]

Big... you can always remove the sinew AFTER too