Smoked ribs for the 4th.

[Dave Lehnert]

Going to try again to smoke ribs in a Weber Kettle charcoal grill.

Like the low and slow way of smoking but not too sure I want to invest 7 hours
Anyone have a quicker method they like to use to smoke ribs on the grill?

[David Drickhamer]

For baby backs I use the 2-2-1 method. 2 hours at 240 deg with smoke the whole time, 2 hours wrapped in foil them one hour unwrapped with sauce if desired. Will fall off the bone. For spare ribs I do 3-2-1. I usually use apple or cherry for wood. Enjoy.

Almost forgot. I coat my ribs with yellow mustard when apply the rub. The mustard acts as a "glue" to keep the rub on the meat.

[Dave Lehnert]

For baby backs I use the 2-2-1 method. 2 hours at 240 deg with smoke the whole time, 2 hours wrapped in foil them one hour unwrapped with sauce if desired. Will fall off the bone. For spare ribs I do 3-2-1. I usually use apple or cherry for wood. Enjoy.

Almost forgot. I coat my ribs with yellow mustard when apply the rub. The mustard acts as a "glue" to keep the rub on the meat.



Thanks for the Mustard tip.

[Matt Meiser]

Another vote for 2-2-1. I've seen complaints that they turn out too moist but I like them that way. I don't wrap, I use a large foil pan covered in foil.

If you want an awesome side: http://www.epicurean.com/featured/quick-and-smoky-baked-beans-recipe.html

[George Bokros]

How do you know the temp in closed grill? I have an older Weber Kettle and it has no thermometer.

[Dave Richards]

My wife wanted a Pit Barrel Cooker for Mother's Day. We've done baby back ribs in it three times already. The directions they give involve seasoning them and hanging them over the fire for 3 hours. It works quite well but they aren't as juicy as some people like. I'm going to have to try hanging them for two hours and wrapped in foil for an hour to see how that works. They show that sort of thing for doing brisket and pork belly. Should work on the ribs, too. Thanks for the suggestions.

[Alan Rutherford]

Starting at room temperature, it's about 6 hours for spare ribs and 5 for baby backs around here, with the caveat that they're not done until they're done. It's a challenge in the Weber and I have an offset grill I like better for ribs. I could do one slab well in the Weber, two less well and not three. Coals on one side, ribs on the other, 250 if you can do it. OK to start higher but try to keep it at 225-250. A thermometer with the probe on a wire inside the grill helps, position it carefully. You can temp the meat later - it's for the grill. Don't open the lid any more than you have to. After 2 hours your coals are gone, wrap the ribs in foil with some beer or apple juice and in the oven at 325-350 for 2 hours or so. You can put 2 slabs in one foil. Then back on the grill with fresh coals to finish. That's spare ribs and it's not 6 hours but that's the way it is. It's not science, it's art.

Or parboil them and grill for two hours but don't tell anybody.

[Matt Meiser]

George, I highly recommend this thermometer. For ribs just worry about the grill/smoker grate temp, which can be measured with an accessory probe. I use it for any meat I'm grilling and cook to temp, not to time. This was a huge advance in the quality of my results.

http://www.thermoworks.com/ChefAlarm?gclid=CjwKEAjwytLKBRCX547gve7EsE4SJAD3IZ V6YnG6IIQZDGsA3_GKfZowqThihpDA7Arth080RAoBCxoCbc3w _wcB

[George Bokros]

Thanks Matt

[terry mccammon]

You might try an hour or so on the grill low and slow to get them to take smoke, then take them in the house, wrap them in foil and finish in the oven. When done as you like, put sauce on and flash them under the broiler to get the ribs with baked on sauce effect. In my view, if you have time and refrigerator space, put rub on and leave them in the fridge for a few days. That seems to have a greater effect than anything else I have tried. The salt in the rub pulls a bit of moisture out, but results in the spicing being drawn in. Or so it seems.

Full and fair disclosure, I do not care for "falling off the bone", I want then to be done such that they bite cleanly off the bone, but not falling off. I do 7 hours at 200 degrees in a mixture of pecan and a bit of hickory.

[Rick Moyer]

George, I highly recommend this thermometer. For ribs just worry about the grill/smoker grate temp, which can be measured with an accessory probe. I use it for any meat I'm grilling and cook to temp, not to time. This was a huge advance in the quality of my results.

http://www.thermoworks.com/ChefAlarm?gclid=CjwKEAjwytLKBRCX547gve7EsE4SJAD3IZ V6YnG6IIQZDGsA3_GKfZowqThihpDA7Arth080RAoBCxoCbc3w _wcB
I have and have used that same thermometer. I kind of wanted to get the ThermaQ, which is ideally suited for this. While we're at it, the ThermoPop is an exceptional meat thermometer for minimal cost. We haven't screwed up ANY meat since we purchased the ThermoPop.

[Brett Luna]

How do you know the temp in closed grill? I have an older Weber Kettle and it has no thermometer.


George, I highly recommend this thermometer. For ribs just worry about the grill/smoker grate temp, which can be measured with an accessory probe. I use it for any meat I'm grilling and cook to temp, not to time. This was a huge advance in the quality of my results.

http://www.thermoworks.com/ChefAlarm?gclid=CjwKEAjwytLKBRCX547gve7EsE4SJAD3IZ V6YnG6IIQZDGsA3_GKfZowqThihpDA7Arth080RAoBCxoCbc3w _wcB

I have the ChefAlarm in my kitchen...along with a Thermopen, and a TimeStick Trio...great products, all. But if you're in the market for a dedicated smoker thermometer, I recommend the ThermoWorks Smoke (http://www.thermoworks.com/Smoke) model. It'll let you remotely monitor both the smoker temp and the meat...or two meats...from up to 300 feet away or in my case, up to about 80 feet, through a couple of interior walls and a garage door. It's weather resistant and stoutly built. It crowds the $100 mark but I think it's worth it.

In the less expensive range, I've been through a few Maverick models (ET-72, ET-73, ET-732) which worked okay...ish. The wireless signal wasn't nearly as stable and they weren't built too solidly. I actually went through two of the ET-72s. They have a newer ET-733 model that's supposed to have the same 300-ft range as the Smoke and at ~$40 less (at Amazon (http://www.thermoworks.com/Smoke)), it might be worth a try.

[Dave Lehnert]

How do you know the temp in closed grill? I have an older Weber Kettle and it has no thermometer.



I drilled a 3/8" hole in the lid and installed this.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Char-Broil-Round-Grill-Thermometer/50292463

[Jason Roehl]

Going to try again to smoke ribs in a Weber Kettle charcoal grill.

Like the low and slow way of smoking but not too sure I want to invest 7 hours
Anyone have a quicker method they like to use to smoke ribs on the grill?


Low and slow is what makes them tender, juicy and flavorful. Certain cuts of meat are "smoke meats" because they start out tough, but after they've been on low heat for a while, the connective tissues break down and they become tender. Being over smoke for a good long time can mean good flavor as a bonus. Ribs and brisket are two of the better-known examples of this.

[Matt Meiser]

Once you learn to control your temperatures you really don't need to invest hours. You spent a little time setting it up and then just check on it once in a while (the temp, not peeking.) I have done ribs during the week since I work from home. I put them on at lunch, take a break after 2 hours and put them in the foil pan. At the end of the day I take them out of the pan for the last hour and we get the rest of dinner going. Brisket and pork shoulders I do overnight into the next day. For those I use an electronic controller that uses two temp probes to measure the meat and grate temps and a fan to stoke the fire to maintain temp. There's an app for my phone that alarms and wakes me up if something goes wrong. I've never had, or used, a Weber Kettle so I'm not sure how easy temp control is on them.

The Thermoworks Smoke thing is really nice for a 2-probe measuring system. I forgot they introduced that model and would probably get that over the Chef Alarm today. I wouldn't use it since it for smoking since its redundant to my controller but the remote readout would be really nice. We have their waterproof digital thermometer too for quick readings--they are about $20.

[Alan Rutherford]

... I do 7 hours at 200 degrees in a mixture of pecan and a bit of hickory.

That sounds dangerous.

[Dave Lehnert]

The Ribs are in the smoker.
Wish me luck.
363059363060363061

[Russ Filtz]

I don't believe in the "Texas crutch" method. Covering to essentially steam them. You lose some of the "bark" you worked hard for. Also, no need to use super low/slow w/ ribs. Save that for pulled pork. I get good results with a bit higher temps, like 275 or so. Some go even higher, 300+. Usually I can get really good ribs in 3 maybe 4 hours.

Also, ribs should NOT "fall off the bone". Some like it, but that's not true competition style. Should be a clean bit, but not pull away from bone too much. Think of it like al dente pasta. Mushy is overdone. Same w/ ribs. I'll still eat them though! :D

Here is a great website with tons of equipment reviews, cooking tips, recipes, and some science behind the cook. Also dispels some myths.

http://amazingribs.com/table_of_contents.html

http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/texas_crutch.html


For ribs. I don't crutch ribs. The quality increase is small. In competition, you need all the help possible so you must crutch. If you are going to crutch ribs, be very careful that the bones don't puncture the foil. A double layer is recommended. People ask if they can put more than one slab in a package, but the effect will not be the same. You are essentially making a single thicker piece of meat and that will take longer to reach temp. Remember, thickness determines cooking time more than anything else. I don't recommend stacking.
On the rare occasion that I crutch ribs, I crutch for only 30 minutes. If you have heard of the 3-2-1 method, read the sidebar on the subject. I strongly disagree with the two hours in the crutch. Go much beyond 30 minutes and you risk overcooking the meat and turning it mushy.
You really can't tell when ribs are done with a thermometer. Click here to learn how to tell when ribs are ready. When the meat is ready you can paint on sauce, place it on a hot grill to caramelize the sugars, and serve. Click here to learn more about saucing strategies. If you wish, make Vermont Pig Candy with the liquid in the foil.

http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/are_they_ready.html

[Jason Roehl]

That sounds dangerous.

What sounds dangerous about it?