I admit it, I am addicted

[w_r_ranch]

to outdoor cooking, as are most folks around these parts and for a number of reasons. I don't care how it is done or what kind of equipment is used, food just always tastes so much better when it has grill marks on it!!!

Regardless of the equipment a person has, it can always be utilized to turn out great tasting meals & serve as a backup to your stove or oven in the event that you suffer a storm related outage.

Over the next few months or so, I hope to encourage others here to give it a try for more than just the normal hamburgers/hotdogs. The flavor & variety of foods are almost endless - from meat to vegetables to deserts... even pizza!!!





And before I suffer yet another 'senior moment', I also want to give Mike a big "Thanks" for providing this forum!!!

 

[Mike]

I LIKE IT!!! I've got a puny Weber charcoal grill, but have been eyeing one of those Big Green Egg grills.

Glad you're liking the forum, I hope others find it just as enjoyable.

 

[Slowngreen]

man you have some nice looking stuff!

I have a pretty nice gas grill. Well, was. The first time I did ribs on it I did them in tin foul and it caught the grill on fire, which really discolored the stainless, so I painted it with high heat black so it looks like new again ha ha.

 

[w_r_ranch]

Ribs can be done on a propane grill if placed to 'non-heat' side (indirect heat). You may want to consider parboiling them for 30 miniutes first... It will help make them tender & help prevent future grease fires. Now bear in mind, ribs can be easy to prepare & you can put them on the grill to cook for 2 hours and you will have some tasty ribs…but that is not BBQ. If there is an interest, I'll go buy some ribs when they're on sale here & document the process... I've done it years ago & don't have any pics of when I last did it (before digital cameras), LOL!!!.

They can also certainly be done on Mike's Weber, although I would recommend using a a lump charcoal (ie B&B Charcoal or something similar). & not simple briquets. This will yield a finished product that is much closer to BBQ.

Traditional ribs are best on a smoker, however as long as one observes 'low & slow', darn good results can be had by following what has become know as the '3-2-1 method'. This method is a way to smoke ribs from start to finish. 3-2-1 represents the amount of hours the rack of ribs cook at each stage. In other words, the ribs smoke for 3 hours, wrap for 2 hours and cooks without smoke for the last hour. Total, the ribs will spend 6 hours on the cooker.

Basically, the 3-2-1 method calls for a simple list of ingredients that are applied at different steps in the process. This list of essentials includes:

• Ribs
• BBQ Rub
• Liquids (for foil wrap)
• BBQ Sauce
• Canola oil

Step 1
If the ribs are frozen, thaw them out for approximately 2 days in the refrigerator. On the day of the cook, let the unfrozen ribs come to room temperature (set them out for 45 minutes or so). While the ribs are sitting out, coat them with canola oil, then apply a sweet, sugar based rub on the ribs. Just because the spices are called a rub, you don’t actually rub it into the meat. That just tears up the surface of the meat. Instead, gently pat the rub into the meat. Let it sit until the rub turns into a syrup glaze.

During this time, prepare the cooker for smoking. You should have a smoker or a charcoal grill to cook ribs. If you have a charcoal grill, use the 2-zone method. Set the temperature of the grill to approximately 225 degrees. (As I previously said, I have done ribs on a propane grill and they turned out just fine. I have the benefit of owning a smoker, so I don’t cook ribs on the grill).

Step 2
Wait about 20-30 minutes for the temperature to stabilize at 225 degrees. Add the glazed rack of ribs to the cooker, flesh side up. Remember, the lid is always on or closed with the vents wide open. Let the ribs smoke for 3 hours. Check the temperature often without opening the cooking chamber and keep it around 225 degrees. Also, check the charcoal and water/liquids as necessary.One element to achieve tender, moist ribs is making sure that there is a source for water in the cooking chamber. Humidity keeps the moisture inside the ribs. Typically, large trailer smokers create moisture by cooking large quantities of meat, but doing with one or 2 racks of ribs cannot produce moisture in the grill. So, adding a pan of water directly over the heat source or next to it can recreate that moisture.

Step 3
At 3 hours, the ribs could be considered ready to eat. But, the connective tissue has not broken down at this point (eating the ribs now would be tough and chewy). The next step will accelerate the break down of connective tissue which will result in a tender product...

Tear a sheet of aluminum foil, enough to completely wrap 1 rack of ribs. Remove the ribs from the grill and wrap the ribs in aluminum foil. Before you seal it up, add ¼ cup of apple juice, Coke or beer. Doing this will hasten the cooking process of breaking down the meat and render off the fat. Seal it up tight so no liquids leak. Place the ribs flesh side down on the grill grate and continue to cook at 225 degrees for 2 hours. The process of wrapping the ribs in aluminum foil is widely known as the 'Texas Crutch', LOL!!!

Step 4
At 2 hours(5 hours total), remove the foiled ribs and unwrap them. They should look moist and the rub looks mealy. Another thing to notice is how much the meat has pulled back from the bone. If there is about a ¼ inch of bone pulled back, you’re in good shape. Place the ribs back on the grill flesh side up and apply more rub one last time. Close the lid and cook for the last hour to firm the meat up.

Step 5
Once the ribs are done, let them rest for about 15 minutes. When cutting the ribs, use a sharp knife & serve with your favorite BBQ sauce on the side.

 

[Slowngreen]

Great! Already sound good just reading that.

I always watch Primal Grill, he's always doing great looking ribs I wanna try too.

 

[Rolex]

I'm guessing that big, black treasure chest in the doorway is your smoker. How many men would it take to get it up to my apartment?

 

[w_r_ranch]

LOL!!! Quite a few, I imagine.

It weighs in excess of 3000 pounds. I picked it up with my front-end loader & it took me 1 1/2 hours to maneuver it into position. I don't think I have to worry about anyone stealing it...

 

[Rolex]

LOL!!! Quite a few, I imagine.

Keep your light on. I'll be stopping by with a large truck and "Quite a few" large guys.

 

[Hangman]

ranch you look to live on some beautiful piece of property.

 

[finkikin]

Howdy everyone! I'm new here. Hope to learn a lot. WR - thank you for the invite!

finkikin

 

[w_r_ranch]

ranch you look to live on some beautiful piece of property.

Thanks Hangman. We like living out in the sticks... Nice & quiet.