Need help with ribs

[schofieldsmoker]

First time smoking....I am going to buy baby backs this weekend. 3 or 4 racks and also a brisket. 2-2-1 method? Can some tell me how I should smoke these ribs and brisket? Link? If I don't rub and use a sauce instead on ribs when do I apply?

Thanks in advance. Been waiting a long time to light it up.

 

[flash]

Well 2-2-1 would be 2 hours nakkid in the smoker with your favorite wood (chunks preferable) 2 hours wrapped in foil (I have added alittle sauce at this point, but not alot) then 1 hour free from foil to firm up. Within the last 1/2 is when you usually would add your sauce. too early on, they have a chance of burning, especially sugary sauces. I would shoot for a 230º +/- smoker range.
Can't help you with the brisket. never done one.

Rub adds alot of flavor to the meat so I would try some. A great commercial one is Durkee's chicken and rib rub. Excellent.

 

[bman62526]

Well, congrats on getting started!

2-2-1 should be fine for baby backs, but what are you buying for brisket? Whole packer, or just the point or the flat?

Back to the ribs, I would recommend using a rub AND sauce. If you are unsure, just make a simple rub out of:

4 TBLsp. brown sugar
2 TBLsp. Kosher salt (sea salt works)
2 TBLsp. Paprika
1 teasp. garlic powder (or 1/2 tsp. ok too, whatever your taste)
1 teasp. onion powder

Remember to remove the membrane on the back of the ribs, and rub both sides - but most of the rub should go on the meat side, not the bone side!
For help w/ the membrane:

As far as links on THIS site to help you get started, just click on "Forums" up near the top left of this website's home page, and then scroll down to "Pork" and look in there for types of rib techniques. Good luck! Remember, we like pics of Que, so post some photos of how your ribs turned out

Also, I noticed from your very first post that you made a wood smoker out of the two 55 gal. drums and the stove kit. PLEASE post some pics of that, I'd love to see it!!!

 

[olewarthog]

I don't do BBs very often. I mostly do spares. Be sure to remove that membrane. Try to keep your cooking temps between 225-240.

I use a light mustard slather & a rub with very little salt. Sometimes I slather & rub the night before. Sometimes I do it while the smoker is coming up to temp. If I do them the night before, I will give them a light dusting of rub before they go on the smoker. Really can't tell any difference in the finished product.

I put a small amount of liquid -- apple juice, beer, etc -- in the foil. When i take them out of the foil, I let them firm up for 10-15 minutes, then start mopping on the sauce. I take them off when I get a good glaze with the sauce.

Can't help with the brisket, I'm looking at trying my first one over the weekend. Of course you'll need to put that brisket on long before the ribs.

 

[bbrock]

Hello you came to the right place for help...Now am new to the smoking game myself I have got a lot of good tips from people on here so am sure you will get all kinds of help..Myself I put a rub on my ribs to me it seems like it taste better I put a rub on the night before. As far as putting BBQ sauce on them I Put it on when I have only about 30 to 45 mins left to smoke..I have got where I dont put it on at all now b/c some people like it and some dont but I I ways have it on hand for people that do like it..One thing to make sure of and that is to remove the membrane from the back of the ribs.. I hope you have a good smoke and there will be some more helpfull advice to come your way....Great people here to help you out...They have helped me alot..Good luck

 

[pineywoods]

Heres a link for the brisket

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=50979

As for the ribs I would suggest a good rub the one Flash mentioned is a good store boughten rub. Use the 2-2-1 method after removing the membrane. If you want to add sauce do it the last 1/2 hour but personally I don't use sauce with a good rub instead I heat some sauce up and serve it on the side for those that do want it. You will find after you do the ribs a couple times you will play with the times a bit to suit you but the 2-2-1 is a very good starting point.

 

[smokingauthority]

Some help on the brisket, make sure the fat cap is always up, I even score mine with a knife so the smoke gets to that part of the meat easier. If you have an untrimmed brisket like I do most of mine then trim it down to 1/4 inch of fat so that it's not too much to clean up when serving.

 

[bbqmaverick]

What would you guys recommend for a mop during the first 2 hours of the smoke? Or would you? I know you would want something without a lot of sugar in it. Just a guess maybe mop them with a mixture of apple juice, your rub and some beer...

 

[bigsteve]

When I do St. Louis ribs, I don't mop before the second hour. I know you're doing babybacks. I wouldn't mop before the first hour, your rub may be washed off.

Ribs can be mopped with just about anything tasty. A great many here mop with an Apple juice and rum mix, or just straight Apple or Cherry juice. I've heard of mops that included Kool aid or powdered Iced tea mix, or their rub mixed in with Dr. Pepper....

I was given a book as a gift, but it would be worth whatever the cost is. It's by a famous BBQ chef named Paul Kirk. "Paul Kirks championship Barbecue sauces." Pick that up sometime, worth its' weight in gold.

 

[ellymae]

You got good advise ^^^^
Here's what I do- ymmv...
I used a mop once on my first brisket - that was the last time. Couldn't see where it made any difference.
For briskets I use a couple of different rubs depending on my mood - some folks go straight salt and pepper. I go fat side up, figure 1.5 hours a pound then add a couple of hours to that do I have some time for it to sit in a cooler and get happy.

For back ribs I like a sweet rub. I cook them unfoiled until the meat pulls back off the bone - probably 4-5 hours @230 - they too get foiled and thrown into the cooler if time permits. Pately i have been cutting down spares - much cheaper around here and we find once they are trimmed we like them just as much.

Remember - this is supposed to be fun. Try a bunch of different things till you get it like you and yours like it.
Oh yeah - POST PICS!!!!

 

[tasunkawitko]

great advice given above - i'll add my two cents re: a mop.

i've found this to work great with beef or pork, so you can use it on your ribs and also on your brisket if you want:

1 cup dr. pepper
2/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup olive oil

you can use any oil, i just use olive oil because i like the flavor.

give this a try and you won't be sorry. the ingredients bring out a mouthwatering flavor from BBQd meat that can't be beat. once you've tried this a few times, you can vary the recipe a bit to suit your tastes or the situation. i did a "florida-style" rib cook once and used 7-up instead of dr. pepper - things like that. i know one fellow who swears by mountain dew. i've also used orange juice or i've subbed teriyaki for the soy sauce. ive even added a bit of cherry brandy to the original recipe with excellent results.

spritzing it on from a bottle is probably the best way to get it on the ribs. be sure to zip it through a blender right before spritzting in order to emulsify the oil into the mop.

as far as when to spritz, i would recommend waiting at least an hour into the smoke before you do so, and after that only when you're adding fuel or otherwise messing with the fire. the reason for this is because when you open the lid to spritz, you're going to being your temps down and they take a while to come back up - increasing your smoke time. also spritz a bit before any foiling that you might do and again just before they come off the smoker.

enjoy!

 

[gnubee]

My favorite spritz is straight up orange brandy or Grand Marnier

There is a danger in spritzing it directly into the mouth instead of on the meat as I did one night. Whereby the room gets fuzzy and hard to navigate after a 1/2 bottle or so.

 

[rivet]

I was going to add something, but then realized it had all been said before by all these professionals! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

What a great bunch they are. Nothing left to say other than good smokes to you buddy!

 

[countrysmoked]

What Rivet said doubled.

 

[schofieldsmoker]

I hope some of you guys are around today if I rum into trouble. Eating at 6PM and everything was rubbed last night. Also made the homemade BBQ sauce from a recipe on here. You could just eat that stuff like it was candy!

 

[tn_bbq]

I don't mop. I don't find that it matters much in the way of taste, but can really mess with the temperature of the smoker (if you're looking, you ain't cooking).

I also find that 2 hours in foil is about 30-60 minutes too long for ribs.

 

[eman]

I also have found that 2 hrs in foil is WAY to long for BB's.
30 min is plenty ,if you need to foil at all.