Share your rib skills

[tabs]

Those 55 gaslon drum BBQ units work well simply because ya place the fire at one end and do the Qing in the middle and end of the unit. Thus your temp will stay more or less constant and the effect of thin metal is counteracted. The only thing is your not quiet getting an indirect fire.

I know cause I had one for 15 years..

[tabs]

Remember each unit has its own learning curve...each does something well and some things not so well. The idea is to get a unit that does almost everything well.

To that end for BBQing and not grilling I like this.




The drum is 1/4 steel plate and the fire box is 1/2 steel plate..th unit weighs about 600 lbs and is a home version of commercial and competition BBQ units.

This is for the ones who are serious about their eats...and will accept no compromise with quality of product.

[dtw]

Originally Posted by tabs

I could tell without reading your text that those Ribbys were going to be a little chewy and not fallin off the bone good. The clean knife cuts gave it away, if they were fallin off the bone those cuts would not have been possible.

One you didn't cook em long enough...when ya do mass quantity of BBQ the dynamics change a bit...even at room temp it takes awhile for the BBQ unit to be brought back u to temp after ya put the meat on. So ya might want to start off with a higher heat which will be brought down quickly by the meat acting as a heat sink or plan on cooking them longer.

I do hope you took my advice and have bought a HEAVY GAUGED offset cooker. The thin metal ones dissipate heat too quickly. They tend to fluctuate alot in temp and are ravenous on fuel to keep a temp.

If ya think you can modify one of those thin walled units to work well ..well your welcome to try.

U might say when you get tired of fussin about with the thin wall unit, you will give up and go HEAVY METAL>>>then ya won't need to do no fussin about...and then ya can get down to perfectin your style...

Yep, chewy last week. Not this week! See the last two pics, you can see how the meat just gave way to the knife. They turned out great - those were on my big green egg, not my offset smoker. Yes, the offset is a thinner gauge and I can't say I'm happy with it yet. Not sure yet if I am ready to commit to a thicker gauge - the prices go up and fast. I'm going to start out with some baffling and heat-blanketing on the smaller one.

I agree with the MOP comments. When I have cooked for the crowds, I always supply extra sauce. It usually goes untouched - very gratifying.

Tabs, don't you think the mesquite is too bitter/strong for ribs? I was extra careful not to get creosote on the meat this weekend. There was just a nice hint of smoky flavor, but I think it can be even more subtle with other woods.

[berettafan]

tabs for all the times i've found reason to disagree with you in PPOT i have to say...you have restored my faith. your comments about disguising the meat flavor with too much rub, too much sauce, etc. are dead nuts perfect.

i was literally clapping as i read what you typed about 'not too much salt and pepper' and looking for subtle flavors.

so much of what we buy in the grocery store these days is just generic 'meat' with selected flavors added. a blank canvas if you will. bravo for calling bull**** on rubbing 6lbs of 'seasoning' on 3lbs of meat!!!! there is no skill in this! all this effort put into cooking methods only to bury the flavor of the meat under layer after layer of msg.....bah!!!!

[tabs]

I use the Hardwood Charcoal and not the Mesquite logs...the smoke is mostly burned out of it and what you get is high heat.

Oak logs burn hot and impart a very mild flavor. Olive wood gives a hit of nutty ness and burns hot and clean,, Peach, Apple, Nectrine, Cherry are all going to give a hint of that fruits flavor. Orange or Lemon wood goes well with poultry and fish. Alder is good for smoking fish.

Hickory and Mesquite do give heavier flavors. So I generally avoid those woods...

[tabs]

MSG = Alzheimer's

MSG makes the brain nerve receptors snapse quicker, thus popping the flavor on food. But it does have its sideffects.

[Looking_for_911]

Originally Posted by tabs

Remember each unit has its own learning curve...each does something well and some things not so well. The idea is to get a unit that does almost everything well.

To that end for BBQing and not grilling I like this.




The drum is 1/4 steel plate and the fire box is 1/2 steel plate..th unit weighs about 600 lbs and is a home version of commercial and competition BBQ units.

This is for the ones who are serious about their eats...and will accept no compromise with quality of product.

Now I have a case of Grill Envy!

My current grill was made form a new drum, but when I was a kid my dad used to bring them home from the plant where he worked.... used. There's no telling how many chemicals we ate! Yes, he'd burn them out, but who knows?

That may explain why I bought a 28-year old car!

[Looking_for_911]

Originally Posted by tabs

I use the Hardwood Charcoal and not the Mesquite logs...the smoke is mostly burned out of it and what you get is high heat.

Oak logs burn hot and impart a very mild flavor. Olive wood gives a hit of nutty ness and burns hot and clean,, Peach, Apple, Nectrine, Cherry are all going to give a hint of that fruits flavor. Orange or Lemon wood goes well with poultry and fish. Alder is good for smoking fish.

Hickory and Mesquite do give heavier flavors. So I generally avoid those woods...

I have peach, apple, plum and pear trees in my yard and have used all four woods to various degrees. I like apple and peach best.

[Looking_for_911]

Originally Posted by berettafan

tabs for all the times i've found reason to disagree with you in PPOT i have to say...you have restored my faith. your comments about disguising the meat flavor with too much rub, too much sauce, etc. are dead nuts perfect.

i was literally clapping as i read what you typed about 'not too much salt and pepper' and looking for subtle flavors.

so much of what we buy in the grocery store these days is just generic 'meat' with selected flavors added. a blank canvas if you will. bravo for calling bull**** on rubbing 6lbs of 'seasoning' on 3lbs of meat!!!! there is no skill in this! all this effort put into cooking methods only to bury the flavor of the meat under layer after layer of msg.....bah!!!!

Here, here. That's why I like my ribs nekkid!!!

[Looking_for_911]

Originally Posted by dtw

Yep, chewy last week. Not this week! See the last two pics, you can see how the meat just gave way to the knife. They turned out great - those were on my big green egg, not my offset smoker. Yes, the offset is a thinner gauge and I can't say I'm happy with it yet. Not sure yet if I am ready to commit to a thicker gauge - the prices go up and fast. I'm going to start out with some baffling and heat-blanketing on the smaller one.

I agree with the MOP comments. When I have cooked for the crowds, I always supply extra sauce. It usually goes untouched - very gratifying.

Tabs, don't you think the mesquite is too bitter/strong for ribs? I was extra careful not to get creosote on the meat this weekend. There was just a nice hint of smoky flavor, but I think it can be even more subtle with other woods.

I'm not Tabs, but I agree mesquite is a little strong for my ribs.... I tend to like it on beef much better!

[tabs]

Originally Posted by dtw

Yes, the offset is a thinner gauge and I can't say I'm happy with it yet. Not sure yet if I am ready to commit to a thicker gauge - the prices go up and fast. I'm going to start out with some baffling and heat-blanketing on the smaller one.
.

"YET!"....The problem with those units is that you will aways have to continue to fuss with them. Consistency is the problem. You also have to stay close to monitor the temp as they quickly disipate heat. The weather on the day U Q can have an affect on your quality. Thus it is difficult to keep a constant temp.

Remember when you put new fuel on the fire it takes awhile for it to come online and provide heat. So you have a tendency to have spikes in temp. The idea is to provide a Constant low and slow temp....not one that is up and down...

Second is worth the effort to modify one of those suckers, the thin wall heat disiapation thing never goes away.

I have tried putting foil on those things to baffle the heat and I only had moderate success for my efforts.

I had a New Braunfels Bandera Unit which looked like a verticle filing cabinet with the fire box on the side. It was great for smoking fish at the top of the cabinet, but you only needed a short time for it to do its job. I could never get a Pork Roast right with that unit.

[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by tabs

MSG = Alzheimer's

MSG makes the brain nerve receptors snapse quicker, thus popping the flavor on food. But it does have its sideffects.

Guess I am screwed then. Love Chinese food but always trying to find it without MSG.

[The Gaijin]

We have a drum one. Not quite 55 gallon size..

Anyway, I start the hardwood charcoal and oak chunks in a large metal coffee can with holes. Then add the coals to one end.

Closer to the coals I grill chicken (flattened with the backbone cut out..) and further away do the ribs.. Same rub, same mop.

Keep it closed, and keep the smoke and heat inside with just a small fire. Add more fuel as needed.

[tabs]

Originally Posted by Looking_for_911

[/B]


I'm not Tabs, but I agree mesquite is a little strong for my ribs.... I tend to like it on beef much better!

Remember I am using Mesquite Hardwood Charcoal and their is little smoke out of that...It burns HOT, CLEAN and is also used for grilling...the only thing that would burn cleaner is Kingsford...

If I really wanted to stay pure I would use nothing but OAK LOGS as in the picture. Then you need to burn them down to glowing chunks before you put the meat on. The flames cause SOOT.

Even when using Logs you have to use some Charcoal as a base to get the Logs to burn.

I find it just as easy to use Mesquite Hardwood Charcoal.

I did a Beef Brisket on Friday...4 hours on the Unit with Apple Wood as the smoke provider (Moped twice) and then after the smoking part was done 14 hours in the oven at 250 wrapped in foil.

Great flavor, but the meat was lacking enough of a FAT CAP to make it as tender as I would like..It didn't fall apart when done, so I was disatisfied with the end result. Today I sliced some thin on my slicer and was tender enough so the dog won't get it.

It just has to melt in the mouth to be right.

[tabs]

when I had my Drum BBQ unit I did some wicked Pork Roasts....4 hours and they would fall apart..a 7 lb Roast WENT..with 5 people and two of them were children who didn't eat much.

I think part of the problem today is that the Pork Butt Roasts are MUCH LEANER. The FAT is what makes the meat just disolve in your mouth.

[tabs]

Remember when buying Steaks etc FAT CONENT is what you are looking for for tenderness.

So FAT FAT FAT is the key.

AND so goes my cholesterol and my heart

[tabs]

I can do Back Backs in my Big Greeny that fall off the bone without wrapping in foil. Only problem with those is that they have limited capacity and can't use Logs for the fire. Key is just to keep the GDamed lid closed.

[Looking_for_911]

Originally Posted by tabs

Remember when buying Steaks etc FAT CONENT is what you are looking for for tenderness.

So FAT FAT FAT is the key.

AND so goes my cholesterol and my heart

I could be wrong, but I have heard much the same thing from the television BBQ Gurus who have lamented the fact that fat content in pork and beef these days is much less than in years past (no doubt due to those danged Health Nuts that think All fat is bad) and they say that MOst of the fat content is cooked away/from the meat when grilled.

So, in light of that, give me Fat!

[javadog]

If you want the ultimate in control of your heat source and don't want your meat shiny black when done, try burning seasoned wood down to coals in something like a Weber, then add the coals to your smoker, as needed, to keep the temperature where you want it.

JR

[Tobra]

Tabsy, you need to find a better butcher is what it sounds like to me, if you are having trouble getting stuff that is marbled as you prefer.

Originally Posted by tabs

MSG = Alzheimer's

MSG makes the brain nerve receptors snapse quicker, thus popping the flavor on food. But it does have its sideffects.

Tabs, never heard of this before. Everything I have ever read connects the neurofibrillary tangles to aluminum exposure, like you get drinking out of Al cans, using deodorant containing Al, that sort of thing.

I could tell you guys the secret to ribs, but then I would have to kill you, unless you are from Texas.

You will never say, "I wish I had spent less on my BBQ rig."

You will have it the rest of your life, you want the gauge of the metal to be plenty heavy.

Mesquite is no good for a smoker, too hot. I like pecan myself, had good success with almond and apple though.

The coffee pooch makes a good suggestion WRT adding coals rather than wood to mitigate temp fluctuation.