How to smoke ribs?

Doc

Doc

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Okay guys, thanks for all your helpful suggestions for smoking the turkey. This coming weekend I plan to smoke some ribs.
Looking for helpful tips on how to prepare (do you boil them first?), what temp to cook at, what temp are the ribs considered done ...which is better to smoke with bones or without etc. What if I want some BBQ sauce on the ribs, do you put that on while they are cooking? Approximately how long does it take to smoke ribs?
Don't take anything for granted. As 'Schultz' used to say "I know nothing".
 
Here this might help you a bit as far as how long at what temp.

Smoke times approximate.
Type of Meat Smoking Temp Time to Complete Finished Temp
Brisket (Sliced) 225 degrees 1.5 hours/pound 180 degrees
Brisket (Pulled) 225 degrees 1.5 hours/pound 195 degrees
Pork Butt (Sliced) 225 degrees 1.5 hours/pound 175 degrees
Pork Butt (Pulled) 225 degrees 1.5 hours/pound 190-205 degrees
Whole Chicken 250 degrees 4 hours (approx.) 167 degrees
Chicken Thighs 250 degrees 1.5 hours 167 degrees
Chicken Quarters 250 degrees 3 hours 167 degrees
Whole Turkey 12# 240 degrees 6.5 hours 170 degrees
Turkey Leg 250 degrees 4 hours 165 degrees
Meat Loaf 250 -300 degrees 3 hours 160 degrees
Spare Ribs 225-240 degrees 6 hours 172 degrees
Baby Back Ribs 225-240 degrees 5 hours 168 degrees
Smoked Corn 225 degrees 1.5 - 2 hours N/A
Smoked Potatoes 225 Degrees 2 - 2.5 Hours N/A

Here is a recipe I tried that Jeff posted a while back here but I couldn't find. I tried it and a good place to start and it is very good too.

Mustard Glazed Pork Ribs - BamsBBQ

6 pounds pork ribs
vegetable oil

Mustard Rub
1/2 cup spicy brown mustard
2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Honey Mustard Glaze
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

One day in advance- coat ribs lightly with oil and apply rub. Refrigerate overnight (12-16 hours). Next day smoke ribs at 200-250*F for 4-5 hours. Apply glaze 20 minutes before removing from pit.

Now I would never boil the ribs first and I keep the bones in. With ribs you can tell they are done when the meat starts to pull up the bone. It is hard to check the temp on ribs due to the bones but is fairly easy to do by eye. Oh and some pull of the membrane on the back side of ribs others don't so that is pretty much up to your preferences. I do on full pork and beef ribs but don't on baby backs.
 
Boil?! I'll pretend you didn't say that ;^)

I've only done baby backs, or St Louis style, not full racks. Full racks a lot of guys go by the formula 3-2-1. Three hours on the rack, then foil, add a little cooking liquid for two more hours (beer, apple juice, iced tea), then back on the grill for the last hour and that's when you put on the sauce. That is very general. Putting them in the foil gives you fall apart ribs, but placing them back on the grate will firm them back up some. Baby backs I usually go with 2-1-1+-. And sometimes I will even skip the foil. It depends on my mood. You will know they are done when the meat starts to pull back from the bone, exposing the bone maybe 1/4" or so. I know there are pics here of that. Also, if you pick one up with your tongs and hold it concave side up, it should hang limply if not fall apart on you. It's just something you need to get the hang of. And I go low and slow when smoking, 225F. I use hickory and apple. I just don't have a taste for mesquite.

So first, peel the membrane off the back of the ribs. Two schools of thought on this, so just do it. It will make life easier for all of us (lol).
Then apply a rub. I mix up some chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, pepper and turbinado sugar, sugar in the raw. That adds something special, IMO. Sometimes I add onion powder, too, but usually save the onion powder for country ribs. And I rub both sides. After all, I went to the trouble of taking that membrane off.
Wrap it up in plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge a few hours. Then bring it out thirty minutes before putting the rack in your smoker.
Meat side up and let er go.
And with a good rub, you may not even want to sauce. Try one without the sauce and see what you think.

My perfect doneness is when I can easily pull the ribs apart with my fingers and have a rib bone with meat on it and not a bare naked bone. A lot of folks like them fall apart though. They taste good either way.
 
Doc, the question Love2Q asked, "what kind of ribs?" is important.

Babybacks are easier to prep than spares. Country style ribs are good, and easy, but they are not really "ribs".

So, declare your ribs, and we can go from there.

Chowhound gave you great info., BTW, and I agree with him about mequite, too - yuck!

Lee
 
I have not bought the ribs yet, so I really don't know.
Baby back sounds good ...but what are baby back ribs?
Any suggestions on what ribs to start with? It should be fun no matter ....maybe I'll get a couple different kinds of ribs. I'll hit the store Weds or Thurs. Prep em Friday and smoke Saturday.
 
Baby backs are really good but so are regular full pork ribs though they will require a bit more time and cutting.

Here is how to trim spare ribs into St. Louis style.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_MGM_RRTUQ[/ame]

Here is a defination of baby back ribs that will help a bit.

Baby back ribs (a.k.a. loin ribs, back ribs, or Canadian back ribs) are taken from the top of the rib cage between the spine and the spare ribs, below the loin muscle. The designation "baby" indicates the cuts are from market weight hogs, rather than sows. They have meat between the bones and on top of the bones, and are shorter, curved, and sometimes meatier than spare ribs. The rack is shorter at one end, due to the natural tapering of a pig's rib cage. The shortest bones are typically only about 3 inches (7.6 cm) and the longest is usually about 6 inches (15 cm), depending on the size of the hog. A pig side has 15 to 16 ribs (depending on the breed), but usually two or three are left on the shoulder when it is separated from the loin. So, a rack of back ribs contains a minimum of 8 ribs (some may be trimmed if damaged), but can include up to 13 ribs, depending on how it has been prepared by the butcher. A typical commercial rack is 10-13 bones. If there are fewer than 10 bones, butchers call them "cheater racks".
 
In this link you will find cooking instructions for BBR's, Spares, Country Style, and Beef.

That being said, I would recommend BBR's. They have a ton of surface area to meat ratio and their compact size makes them fat and meaty.

Also, the fad right now for doing ribs is the 3-2-1 for spares or 2-1-.5 for BBR ribs. The numbers are hours. The first number is time smoked/indirected at 225. The second is the time in foil with some liquid. The last is time back on the grill indirect (no smoke now as they won't take any more on anyway).

The issue with this method is that it's pretty much always going to be fall off the bone ribs which are good but I like my ribs just short of that. I want them a bit firmer and meatier. Still tender and juicy but not fall off the bone. I did the 3-2-1 method exclusively for a few years and will never do it again. Way too long. And considering the meat isn't taking on any more smoke flavor after about an hour and a half to two hours it's unnecessary to go any longer than 2 hours. For those that disagree with this look at the pic below of Ribs smoked for only 2 hours:

r26.JPG


Those ribs were not going to have a deeper smoke ring if I smoked them another two hours.

My method now is this. Indirect/smoke at 275 for two hours. Perfect every single time. If the temp doesn't rise above 250 it might take 2.5 hours. Let the ribs tell you wnen they are done. When the meat pulls back from the bone and the slab firms up so that it doesn't flex nearly as much as when you put them on the grill they are done.

If you want fall off the bone with this method add 30 minutes to the process. 1 hour and 15 to hour and a half getting the smoke. Then 30-45 minutes in foil with some fluid in there (beer, wine) and then back on the grill indirect for 30 or so.

Here is a link to this method

And my latest iteration of this method in honor of the season - Apple/Pumpkin Ribs. Friggin stellar.
 
well .. my personal favorite is baby backs ..
these are cut from the loin (i am pretty sure)
less meat than spares and a bit more expensive but worth it to me ..
here is what i usually do ..
remove the membrane on the back ..
this is easy to do with the tip of a sharp knife to get it started then
grab it with a paper towel and pull ..
then rub them .. i am on a sweet kick ..
mckormicks has a sweet and smokey rub that we like ..
has a bit of cinnamon in it .. then i rub again with brown sugar ..
wrap in saran wrap and put in fridge overnight ..
now .. for baby backs i used the 2-2-1 method for years ..
which is 2 hours at 225 ..
2 hours wrapped in foil at 225
1 hour no foil ..
the last 30 mins of this method is when you would want to apply sauce ..
i also spray the ribs with apple or cherry juice about once every 45 mins or so ..
lately i have been raising the temps a bit .. 280-300 and 1 hour no foil ..
1 hour foil with a bit of liquid and then to firm them up, 1 hour no foil ..
when you see the meat puling away from the bones they are done ..
you really cant probe these with a thermometer ..
if in doubt cut a rib off and see if its done ..
never boil your ribs inless you are making rib soup ..
also .. be careful with the smoke ..
mesquite is strong .. i would use minimal on ribs ..
i like a mix of apple and cherry for ribs ..
but i use oak charcoal so i get a little additional smoke from that ..
most of all .. have fun ..
remember .. when the smoker is going .. its a reason to sit outside and drink beer
and watch football .. you have to keep an eye on the smoker right ...
 
My preference for smoke with ribs is hickory, cherry or apple combination. I also like to spray them periodically with apple cider. Once they have gone the two hours in the smoker I bag mine and finish them in the oven rather than on a grille or smoker, but that is me.
 
Wow, my mouth is watering. :D :thumb:
Sounds great guys, and very doable.
I think I'll go with baby back ribs. Heck yeah, that's the ticket. :D
We have cooked the tony Roma way and used foil in the oven and then grilled afterwords and had good results. It does fall off the bone. I like the idea of it staying on the bone ...so I'm considering no foil for this 1st time. Nothing for sure at this point but I'll keep you posted and have a few pics to share once the cooking is done.
I had never heard of spraying with apple cider / juice but sure willing to give it a try
Thanks all!!!!!!!!!
 
Hey Doc, there's a bazillion ways to do ribs. No matter how you do it the first time, by the 10th time your method will be totally different, as will your ingredients. lol

The only bit of info I'll give you as not to overload you with TMI is: A quick and easy way to test for doneness is to grip the rack lenghthwise and hold upsidedown. If the meat begins to seperate they are done. These came out good enough for me to make them the same way a few times:

http://netcookingtalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8554

Pig008.jpg
 
When you really feel daring then try this recipe. :bounce:

Baby Back Ribs with Orange-Chipotle Glaze

Ingredients
4 or 6 slabs baby back ribs, about 10 to 12 ribs per slab
Chinese five-spice powder
Kosher salt
Coarse black pepper
Orange Chipotle Glaze, recipe follows

Directions
Preheat a home smoker to 200 degrees F.
Season the ribs on both sides with spices. Place the ribs in the preheated home smoker, and smoke for 20 minutes. Remove the ribs from the smoker and allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Wrap the ribs in plastic wrap, then in foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the ribs from the oven and allow to cool while still wrapped.

Prior to serving, spoon the Orange-Chipotle Glaze over the ribs, liberally coating both sides. Serve 1 slab of ribs per person, and pass the Orange-Chipotle Glaze at the table.

Orange-Chipotle Glaze:
1 cup orange juice
2 cups cider vinegar
1 (7-ounce can) chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce, pureed in the blender or finely chopped
1 cup soy sauce
8 cups sugar

In a heavy 3-gallon non-reactive stockpot, reduce the orange juice to 1/4 cup. Add the remaining ingredients and cook over medium-high heat until the sugar has melted and the sauce has reduced to 4 cups and coats the back of a spoon, about 20 to 30 minutes.
Note: Be sure to use a large pot as specified, and also watch carefully while reducing the glaze ? it has a tendency to over boil!

Yield: 4 cups sauce
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 2 hr

4 to 6 servings
 
Wow, that sure sounds good joe....but I have to ask ...why such a big pot for that little bit of glaze? :confused:
What is a non reactive stockpot? If it was cast iron you would have just said that.
 
None reactive would be stainless steel as cast iron is reactive. I found it surprising how much of the glaze is made and had a lot left over but it will keep in the refrigerator for about a month perhaps longer.

I think the main reason for the amount is due to the ingredients such as a small can of Adobe with Chipotle is pretty hot for most people so it has to be duluted a bit. I guess you could do a half batch if you wanted though I've always just done the amount it called for.

The glaze though is pretty good but needs to be watched when making as there is a lot of sugar so it will burn pretty quickly. Also be prepared to soak the pot for a long time to get it out of it. Oh and I did this once with spare ribs as well as baby backs. It was really good both ways by the way.
 
all good info above...also if your meat store/ grocer has 1/2 racks of beef ribs grab one of those if they are cheap, put some salt and pepper on them and toss them on the smoker as well. My grocery store often has them for around $5, they will probably be done sooner than the pork especially if you like your beef with some pink to it, but dang are those things rich.
 
phreak said:
all good info above...also if your meat store/ grocer has 1/2 racks of beef ribs grab one of those if they are cheap, put some salt and pepper on them and toss them on the smoker as well. My grocery store often has them for around $5, they will probably be done sooner than the pork especially if you like your beef with some pink to it, but dang are those things rich.
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YEs they are

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br40.jpg


br41c.jpg
 
I prefer loin ribs/babyback's because on slabs I buy there is more meat and no loss from trimming as you really don't need to trin BB's. As for leaving the silverskin on,it's all personal preference. When I cook them for myself or friends I do not remove. After it is cooked/Q'D, it peels off easily.

I can't post links right now but if you search NCT - "ribs - two ways", it's a thread with cooking loin ribs start to finish

As for wood,I prefer cherry but will mix oak,maple,apple and sometimes pecan
 
Cherry is very good too. I like cherry as well, but it sure does seem to color the heck out of them. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
 
chowhound said:
Cherry is very good too. I like cherry as well, but it sure does seem to color the heck out of them. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
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Cherry makes the best smoke ring. I hear Red Oak does too. I haven't tried that yet though. My fave right now is Peach. Leaves a good smoke ring, not as good as cherry, but is a little more robust in flavor than apple. My handsdown fave... And I'm almost out. Need to make a run tomorrow for some mo'
 
I have hickory wood chips and have some pork spare ribs on the grill. They've been on for two hours and not quite done. I was watching football so I went for the grillin fools two hour ribs. The store didn't have baby back so I went with port spare ribs. Keep your fingers crossed. I'm thinking they'll be done in an hour or so.
Pics to follow once I get them off the camera.
 
Here are the pics.
1st I salted them and rubbed some oil on them and then I marinaded them in red wine vinegar, diced onion & water (SIL's concoction ..and it worked good.)
Next pic is the ribs in the smoker starting out, and then after 1:30 of cooking. It took 4 hours at 275 to 300 to get em done.
Then some done pics trying to show the smoke ring ...and one of the pics shows the GPS (German Potato Salad) we had with the ribs.
Good dinner. Thanks for all the tips. :D :thumb:
 

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nice smoke ring you got there ...
congrats on another good smoke ...
you might be able to cut your time down
if you trim those spares a bit ..
 
Love2"Q" said:
you might be able to cut your time down if you trim those spares a bit ..

Doc said:
That makes sense L2Q. Probably will do that next time. :thumb:
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Trim ribs? ?

I don't know what you mean by trim ribs, unless your talking about turning whole ribs into St. Louis ribs (the meat above the cartilage/ rib bones removed) so it fits the smoker and doesn't need folded under.

Thing that gets me about Saint Louis ribs is the butcher cuts off the best meaty part of the ribs, calls them St.L's then charges the same or sometimes even more. WTF is that about?

Now buying whole ribs and cutting/trimming the back meat/brisket yourself is a different story.
 
Doc said:
Here are the pics.
1st I salted them and rubbed some oil on them and then I marinaded them in ...
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For what its worth (YMMV)

Seems to me putting oil on the ribs before a rub or marinating would create at least a partial barrier to absorption of the marinade/rub. :confused:

And my personal taste is rubs on spares and marinade on Western.

Just my $0.02
 
Wart said:
Trim ribs? ?

I don't know what you mean by trim ribs, unless your talking about turning whole ribs into St. Louis ribs (the meat above the cartilage/ rib bones removed) so it fits the smoker and doesn't need folded under.

Thing that gets me about Saint Louis ribs is the butcher cuts off the best meaty part of the ribs, calls them St.L's then charges the same or sometimes even more. WTF is that about?

Now buying whole ribs and cutting/trimming the back meat/brisket yourself is a different story.
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i mean trim them yourself ... and smoke sepertely ..
 
WOW, Doc - FANTASTIC JOB!!!

Were you pleased with the outcome? Do your family members and friends think you are a barbecue genius???!!

Very impressive job! Congratulations!

Lee
 
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