Smoking Meat

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mattoz

Newbie
Original poster
May 31, 2014
20
10
Melbourne Australia :)
Hey guys im new to this group and im wanting to learn how to smoke meat mainly ribs and pork butt im from Australia and we dont normally see much of the smoking meats to much now my questions i have is with the dry rub has anyone got any nice rubs ive been looking on youtube and not sure what a decent one is cos everyone has there own rub and another thing is also BBQ sauce on the ribs do you have to put the BBQ sauce on the ribs of just leave them with the rub and smoke now the last thing i need to know is how offen should i be spraying apple juice on the ribs or pork butt while im smoking it ??? and whats type of wood should i use to smoke with 


sorry bout all the questions ive never done it before and really wanna learn to do it cooking is a hobby of mine and ive always loved ribs just cant find them down under 

https://www.masters.com.au/product/100953124/master-forge-charcoal-vertical-smoker 

thats the smoker im getting 

any advice would be more than very thankful and welcoming 
 
Welcome to the board, Matt! That sunlight you're missing is coming in my windows, ha ha ha ha

Rub - I'm the wrong person to ask because my formula would be all pepper and no sugar. But the main idea is a salt/sugar base with whatever aromatics you prefer, like pepper or garlic or onion or savory herbs. Experiment!

Sauce - did I mention sugar? Here in the Greatest Nation on Earth, we have sugar on our sugar. BBQ sauces vary by region; here in Ohio the stores all stock very sweet thick sauces as you might see in Texas or Kansas City BBQ. But in the Carolinas the sauce is thin and vinegar-based. As with the rub, the side flavors are up to you.

The sauce should go on at the end of cooking, or else it can scorch on to the meat. The exception is mopping the meat during cooking, but that's when you see sauces like apple juice and vinegar, not so much the thick sugary stuff. The typical "buffalo wing" offerings here come with sauces in a range of pepper heat, but the strange thing is, the hottest versions have INSANE amounts of salt. If you like a peppery sauce, remember that the pepper will be in yous skin when you next touch your eyes or ... um, anything.

Since you say cooking is a hobby for you I'd suggest this - experiment with rub and sauce flavors while simply oven-roasting meats. Learning smoking and rubs and sauces all at the same time is like learning to ride a bicycle and play the violin while playing a harmonica.

Wood - I don't know what you have available down there (we have many OZ members so they can tell you) but the best choices are mainly fruit and nut woods. Let the wood burn before using it; as they say, let the white smoke pass and then cook when the smoke is thin and blue (hence my handle).

Vertical smoker - I've only had one, and it wasn't a good one. If you're new to it, try running it as a simple grill first, and ease into smoking with it.

Cheers!
 
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Welcome to the SMF Family...I don't usually Spritz anything but that is a personal choice. Other guys can give more info on using that Smoker. The first links are info on Pulled Pork and Smoking Wood. Followed by info on Ribs..

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/57139/basic-pulled-pork-smoke

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/50439/woods-for-smoking

.

A full rack of Spare Ribs will take about 6 hours at 225*F...The 3-2-1 smoked rib recipe is a good way to smoke ribs and tends to turn out perfect ribs every time whether you are using the meatier Full rack spare rib or the Saint Louis cut. Baby Back ribs use a 2-2-1 method. The ribs are smoked at 225 - 250 degrees for best results...
The 3 stands for the 3 hours that you initially smoke the ribs with nothing but your favorite rub on them and some smoke with your favorite hardwood such as hickory, apple, pecan, etc. After the 3 hours you remove the ribs and quickly double wrap them in heavy duty foil.. just before you seal them up add some Foiling Juice or Apple Juice and close the foil leaving some room around the ribs for the steam to be able to flow around the meat and the juice to braise the meat which Flavors/Tenderizes it.

The ribs cook in the smoker wrapped for 2 hours undisturbed. There is no need for Smoke at this point... After 2 hours remove the ribs from the smoker, unwrap and place back into the smoker for the final 1 hour, with smoke if you wish.This firms them up, creates a nice Bark and finishes the cooking process. You can add a glaze or sauce at this point if you like. The meat will be pretty close to fall off the bone and be extremely juicy, tender and flavorful...JJ

Here are some recipes...JJ

Foiling Juice / Sweet Pulled Pork Finishing Sauce

Foiling Juice

For each Rack of Ribs Combine:

1T Pork Rub, yours

1/2 Stick Butter

1/2C Cane Syrup... Dark Corn Syrup...or Honey

1/4C Apple Cider...or Juice

1T Molasses

Optional:

2T Vinegar, 2T Mustard and 1/4C Ketchup to make it more KC Style Glaze.

Simmer until a syrupy consistency.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes, pour over foiled Ribs and

run your 2 hour phase of 3-2-1. For the last phase return

the ribs to the smoker BUT reserve any Juice remaining

in the Foil. Simmer the Juice over med/low heat to reduce to a saucy thickness. Glaze the Ribs for presentation or service.

For a Sweet Finishing Sauce for Pulled Pork:  Make a Double batch, Butter optional.

Add 1/2  the batch to the Foil Pack or place it in a Pan with your Butt, when the IT hits 165*F.

Cover the pan with foil and continue to heat to 205*F for pulling.

At 205* rest or hold the Butt in a cooler wrapped in towels until ready to serve.

Pull the Pork and place it back in the pan with the pan Juices and any additional reserved Foiling Juice to moisten and Serve...OR... Bag and refrigerate until needed.

When re-heating place the Pulled Pork in a Pan or Crock pot and add reserved Foiling Juice or Apple Cider, as needed to make up the Juice that was absorbed while  the pork was refrigerated. Cover and re-heat in a pre-heated 325-350*F oven or on High in the crock pot to 165*F and Serve.

Note: the addition of the reserved Foiling Juice or Apple Cider should make the PP moist but not Swimming.

I was AMAZED...No additional sauce needed. ENJOY...JJ

Tangy Pulled Pork Finishing Sauce

This is more of an Eastern North Carolina style Finishing Sauce...

2 C Apple Cider Vinegar

2T Worcestershire Sauce or more to taste

1/4C Brown Sugar

1T Smoked Paprika

2 tsp Granulated Garlic

2 tsp Granulated Onion

2 tsp Fine Grind Black Pepper

1 tsp Celery Salt

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper or Chipotle powder. Add more if you like Heat.

1/2 tsp Grnd Allspice

Combine all and whisk well. Let rest, at room temp, a minimum of 30 minutes for the flavors to meld together. Or bring just to a simmer and remove from heat...JJ

Mild Bubba Q Rub  (All Purpose)

1/2C Sugar in the Raw (Turbinado)

2T Sweet Paprika (Hungarian)

1T Kosher Salt

1T Chili Powder (contains some Cumin and Oregano) Ancho Chile is same without cumin, oregano etc.

1T Granulated Garlic

1T Granulated Onion

1tsp Black Pepper, more if you like

1/2tsp Grnd Allspice

For more heat add Cayenne or Chipotle Pwd to taste, start with 1/2tsp and go from there. Makes about 1 Cup

Apply your desired amount of Rub to the meat, wrap in plastic and rest in the refrigerator over night.or longer. The day of the smoke, pull the meat out, add more Rub and go into your pre-heated Smoker...

This first Sauce is thick and Sweet. The next two are thin and Tangy

KC Bubba Q Juice

2C Ketchup

1/2C Brown Mustard (Gulden's)

1/4C Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2C Molasses

2C Dark Brn Sugar

1T Tomato Paste

1T Your Rub

1-2tsp Liquid Smoke

1tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Combine all and warm over low heat just until it starts to bubble. Simmer about 5 minutes, stirring very frequently, to combine flavors and to thicken slightly.

Use or pour into a sterile jar and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks.

Makes 3 1/2 Cups.

Yellow Bubba Q Juice / South Carolina Style

2C Yellow Mustard

1C Cider Vinegar

1/2-1C Brown Sugar

1-2T Sriracha or other Hot Sauce

1tsp Blk Pepper

1tsp Gran. Garlic

1tsp Gran. Onion

1/2tsp Salt

1T Worcstershire

Cayenne Pepper to taste

Combine all and simmer to combine flavors. Reduce to desired thickness.

Makes 3 Cups.

Red Bubba Q Juice / Lexington NC Style

2C Cider Vinegar

1C Ketchup

1/4C Texas Pete or other Hot Sauce

1/2C Brown Sugar

1tsp Gran. Garlic

1tsp Gran, Onion

1tsp Blk Pepper

1tsp Salt

1T Worcestershire Sauce

Cayenne to Taste

Combine all and simmer 5 minutes to combine flavors.

Makes 3 Cups
 
Last edited:
  • Chef JimmyJ  thank you very much thats excatly what i needed  like i said so many recipes on youtube and google i cant help to pick which is right and wrong but the 3-2-1 method and the 2-2-1 really explains what i should be doing with them and the recipes are even better thank you once again for your help :) 
 
Any time Matt. You have a question just post in the appropriate Forum or PM me or any of us. Check out Moikel. Mick is a well respected Aussie, a super great Guy and smokes some of the coolest meats on the Planet...JJ

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/u/46119/moikel
 
Hey Matt, welcome to the forum. Its your lucky day. Chef JJ is in the house this morning giving out his recipes and advice on the forum. His recipes are tried and true. I've tried quite a few myself and always great. Plenty of good folks and advice here.
 
Hello, welcome from East Texas, looks like J J got you fixed right up as usual. Let us know how it goes.

Gary S
 
thanks for the warm welcome guys :) ill be trying to set it up in bout 2 weeks so once i get it up and running and do my first smoke ill post pics for sure :) 
 
Greetings Matt

Welcome to the forum! We appreciate you joining our group of cooking enthusiasts. I always suggest all the new folks check out Jeff's Smoking E Course.  Lots of great information and best of all it is completely free! Enjoy your stay with us. Ask questions and join our discussions.  You'll find this to be a wonderful community of people.

Brian 
 
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