First ribs - inspired by RAK

[croadie]

Ok with some trepidation I tried my first low and slow yesterday.

 

Took Dennis's advice for low and slow and started with just a tennis ball sized piece of smoldering lump. Had it settled at 230 within an hour - and left it there for another 3 (I'd left myself plenty of leeway),  due to all the good guidance here I got the top and bottom settings right almost off the bat.

 

I added hickory wood to smoke 30 minutes before adding the ribs and then did the 3-2-1 method..

 

 

Was pretty happy with the outcome but I felt they were a little over done, so I may need to just double check my thermometer - but any other suggestions I'm happy to here.

 

I'm not sure about all this smoke 'ring' stuff and I could barely detect it on the ribs - was very subtle (got it more after I'd eaten them than during.

 

Anyway all our American guests were more than happy with the outcome.

 

they did just fall apart, and the Asian style rub I did worked out great - I made it myself with fresh ginger and garlic, a little miso, fennel, black pepper, kosher salt, cardamon, cinnamon, and dried chilli flakes. Basted it with apple juice at 3 and 4 hours and then with a hoisin sirriachi ginger  and manuka honey (had to I'm a Kiwi) sauce.

 

Interested in thoughts on the smoke - did I not use enough chips - smoke was coming out the whole time - I did have the drip tray under the ribs and I wonder if that deflected too much smoke away???

 

the rub:

 

 

The ribs ready to rumble..

 

 

On the grill - I was amazed how it could stay at 225 for 11 hours straight...

 

 

The final result - looking good - really fall apart...

 

 

does this look right? Have I overcooked??? Ribs are not in my DNA!!

 

 

All served up with broccolini in ginger and orange sauce with toasted almonds, woked bok choy with fresh scallions and coriander, my eggplant miso  and rice...

 

I forgot to photograph desert (sticky toffee pudding) so here's a close up of the broccolini...

 

 

[Rak]

Those look delicious and very juicy!  Great job on those ribs and the sides.  The ribs look incredibly juicy!

 

Smoke is very subjective, I find using wood chunks better than chips because they don't burn up as quickly.  The continued smoke you saw might be from the lump rather than smoking wood, as a side note, there is nothing wrong with that!   

 

As the smoke ring, don't worry about it.  It is just a chemical reaction in the meat and is proven to have zero impact on flavour.  Lots have theories as to how it works but no one really knows for sure.

 

I'm sure the master chefs here will be able to give you more pointers, I just wanted to congratulate you on a fantastic cook!

[MacKenzie]

croadie, your rib dinner looks wonderful and I'm sure your guests have tasted nothing like it. The ribs look tasty and moist and it is a matter of personal preference if you want them fall off the bone tender of to have some bite to them.    

[tony b]

From what I saw in the pictures, you probably got as much smoke ring as you were going to. Again, it's a subjective thing - purely aesthetic, has nothing to do with how well you smoked the meat. 

 

The drip pan had no influence on the development of the smoke ring at all. So, don't fret that part. 

 

Like MacKenzie said, texture is a personal preference, unless you are in a judged competition. Those looked fine to me. 

 

Nice looking dinner, especially that broccolini. Serious glaze on those ribs, too! Looks like you're finding your way pretty well. Keep it up! 

[Gnomatic]

Ribs look great!

 

The 3-2-1 method works fine and is basically almost impossible to screw up.  Some people prefer ribs so done they literally fall apart.  Nothing wrong with that, just personal preferences. (Your ribs look super, BTW!)

 

That said, I prefer my ribs to have a bit more "chew."  Not tough mind you.  Just together enough where you have to lightly bite and a bit and pull slightly for the meat to come cleanly off the bone.

 

If you want your ribs to hold together a bit better, skip the foil.  Should still be about a 6hr cook time.  To check for donesess, use the bend test.  Toward the end of the cook, you'll notice the meat pulling off the bone about 1/2" - 1."  Grab an end with a pair of tongs and pick up the rack and let it hang.  If you see a few small cracks on the surface and the ribs seem to be holding together well, give them another half hr or so on the smoker before checking again.  If, when you lift the rack with the tongs, you see more cracks that are larger and it feels like the rack could rip apart just from its own weight, then those ribs are done!

 

Again, there's no right or wrong answer.  The best thing to do is choose a technique or method well suited to achieve the texture you desire..  Experiment, its fun!!!

[tinyfish]

Those ribs look fantastic. Great job.

I like my ribs fall off the bone.

Try using wood chunks next time.

[DennisLinkletter]

You nailed it.. nothing wrong with those ribs..

[ckreef]

Those ribs look really tasty to me.

If you want a better smoke ring try putting the ribs in the freezer for an hour before going on the grill. Would also give you slightly less done finish using 3-2-1 method. I've started doing the freezer trick for my low-n-slow's. Seems to improve the smoke ring which just makes for a more visually appealing end product.

Charles - Prometheus 16.5", Cassiopeia 19" TT

[croadie]

thanks everybody - encouraging feedback, really appreciated  - I'm interested n trying the pressure cooker or boil in stock methods now :0,

 

Girls are happy to get left over ribs tonight while we head out for birthday dinners

[5698k]

First, the ribs look great! If they tasted good, then your cook was a success. <br />

<br />

Second, the 3-2-1 method is for St. Louis ribs at 225°, in a more conventional type smoker, not in a kamado, particularly a KK. Kamados, (kk's) retain so much moisture, I personally don't feel foiling is necessary to retain moisture in ribs, or most pork for that matter. I would suggest you simply try cooking your ribs at a temperature of your preference, for a period of time adequate to get them done to your liking. They will be moist and tender, and you won't have to go through the foiling/un foiling step. <br />

<br />

Your KK is the best designed charcoal cooker available, let it do the work for you!<br />

<br />

<br />

Rob

[tony b]

thanks everybody - encouraging feedback, really appreciated  - I'm interested n trying the pressure cooker or boil in stock methods now :0,

 

I've tried Doc's pressure cooker method and it works surprisingly well and doesn't come across as "boiled" ribs, even though they look weird when they come out of the pressure cooker (grayish).

 

On that note, for the sake of all that's holy in BBQ, please don't boil your ribs in stock. It's just wrong, bordering on sacrilege!  

[Jon B.]

No ribs in my DNA either.....but do vote for wood chunks over chips.

[bosco]

Those look really good!!  

 

First

 

In reality you need to place an order for some peach wood from fruitawood.com.  Freed shipping in the US and buy the 50 Lb. Chunks.  You can thank me later for the tip to use peach wood chunks from here!!!!

 

Second

 

Hickory is a pretty aggressive smoke for pork (in my opinion).  I reserve hickory for more beef cuts.  Because you used chips, the flavour probably wasn't there.  But if you use hickory chunks with pork it can be a tad aggressive

 

Third

 

3-2-1 SCRAP it!!!!  That method is for people that don't have the right tolls for the cook.  It ensures that they do not dry out.  When I switched to a Kamado a few years ago, I abandoned the foil.  Now that I have a KK, it is like they are foil cooked without foiling do to the moisture retention.

 

Next cook try 225 low and slow with 4 chunks of peach wood

 

Back ribs cook 4 hours at 225 then do a bend test.  If they are not ready let them go another 1/2 hour and then bend test again.  If still not ready go another 1/2 hour but no longer they will be over cooked.

 

Side ribs cook 4 hours at 225 then do a bend test.  If they are not ready let them go another hour and check again.  If still not ready go one more hour but do not exceed 6 hours

 

sides take longer to cook, and backs can quickly dry out as there is more meat than fat on them.   

 

I like to spritz every hour with a 2:1 ratio of apple juice to cider vinegar.  I find this to be the magic for me.

 

I do not like my ribs glazed so I serve sauce at the table.  If you sauce do the last 30 min of the cook so that the sauce does not burn

 

** bend test take the rack by the thicker end, with the tongs grab about a 1/4 of the ribs (about 3-4 bones).  Let the back 3/4 bend downwards.  If it goes almost 90 degree bend they are done.  If it is stiff they are not ready.  If they break they are over cooked.  You almost want to see a small tare in the meat but not enough for it to fall apart.

 

I am not critiquing you're ribs as they look fantastic.  You have the best Kamado on the market and the foil crutch really isn't needed.  I find the foil adds a softer mushier meat personally.  when you cook them without foil they are a tad firmer, but you get a clean bite off the bone as opposed to fall off the bone.  But to each is own!!

 

For you're first rib cook these look great