How do you make your ribs?

[T.G]

BRTU

Make sure you remember to remove the membrane from the inside (stomach side) of the ribs prior to cooking. A dull/rounded tip knife and a paper towel to grip the membrane when peeling it are extremely helpful.


Personal changes to the recipe:

-I substitute apple for the white oak in the smoking woods, since apple is convenient for me right now. I also add a small piece of hickory sometimes. I don't remove the bark because I personally can't tell the difference.

-I'm not crazy about pre-fabricated BBQ sauces, so I'll be attempting my own coke/pepsi/dr pepper (using the cane sugar versions of the sodas) based sauces, but I still haven't gotten around to this part.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by T.G

BRTU

Make sure you remember to remove the membrane from the inside (stomach side) of the ribs prior to cooking. A dull/rounded tip knife and a paper towel to grip the membrane when peeling it are extremely helpful.

I also remove the false rib meat (flap) on the back and square the whole ribs a little. If that means cutting off a couple of short ribs, so be it. The WSM is only so wide.

In addition to the rub, which I am not that picky and do not follow a recipe, I'll use a little Worcestershire sauce before the rub and/or little maple syrup or molasses.

I season to how I feel at that moment and how much time I have. Basically all the rubs are 50% salt, the rest spices and some herbs.

I like Crazy Dave's BBQ sauce as it is a deal at Costco and does not compete with ribs. Cattleman's is decent too.

[wayner123]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

I also remove the false rib meat (flap) on the back and square the whole ribs a little. If that means cutting off a couple of short ribs, so be it. The WSM is only so wide.

In addition to the rub, which I am not that picky and do not follow a recipe, I'll use a little Worcestershire sauce before the rub and/or little maple syrup or molasses.

I season to how I feel at that moment and how much time I have. Basically all the rubs are 50% salt, the rest spices and some herbs.

I like Crazy Dave's BBQ sauce as it is a deal at Costco and does not compete with ribs. Cattleman's is decent too.

Is that a true statement? I am not that familiar with commercial rubs.

Personally I use very little if any salt in my home made rubs. I feel it will pull moisture out of the meat. I do salt once the meat comes off though.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by wayner123

Is that a true statement? I am not that familiar with commercial rubs.

Well, it's the first ingredient on the list of commercial rubs. Take a look at the next rub you buy and judge for yourself. I eyeball my rubs. I figure how much salt is needed for the amount of meat I have and then add the spices to it. 40% salt is fine too. This is not an exact science for. Whim plays a role. Basically they'll all have (for my rubs).

Salt
Garlic Powder
Hot Spanish Paprika
Oregano
Tumeric
Black Pepper
Corriander
Yellow Mustard Seed
Sugar
Thyme

I'll crush everthing in mortar except for the black pepper which I add after and stir in.

I do not leave the rub on very long, basically season and throw on the smoker. Since ribs can take 6 hours, why bother letting them set up so long? You still want to taste the pork too, right?

[wayner123]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

Well, it's the first ingredient on the list of commercial rubs. Take a look at the next rub you buy and judge for yourself. I eyeball my rubs. I figure how much salt is needed for the amount of meat I have and then add the spices to it. 40% salt is fine too. This is not an exact science for. Whim plays a role. Basically they'll all have (for my rubs).

Salt
Garlic Powder
Hot Spanish Paprika
Oregano
Tumeric
Black Pepper
Corriander
Yellow Mustard Seed
Sugar
Thyme

I'll crush everthing in mortar except for the black pepper which I add after and stir in.

I do not leave the rub on very long, basically season and throw on the smoker. Since ribs can take 6 hours, why bother letting them set up so long? You still want to taste the pork too, right?

What type of sugar? Turbinado?

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by wayner123

What type of sugar? Turbinado?

Cane. Not much though, perhaps equal to what you would use of mustard seed or corriander. Sometimes I won't use it if I basted the ribs with maple syrup or thinned molasses before putting the rub on.

That's it. I'm making ribs this weekend. You guys are making me hungry. When I smoke ribs I go 180 degrees 45 to 55 minutes per pound. For the first 2 hours they go right on the rack in the smoker. The next 1-1/2 hour they go in foil with apple juice and apple vinegar. Then they are put back on the rack for the duration. If I am using a sauce I slather it on for the last 1/2 hour. My sauce of choice is Grandma Coyote's spicy sauce. It's made right here in Tucson and has won many competitions. My 2nd choice is Sweet baby Rays. That's good stuff as well. Slow and low that is the tempo Now if we all could just get together in one place and drop a pig in a pit.

[T.G]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

I also remove the false rib meat (flap) on the back and square the whole ribs a little. If that means cutting off a couple of short ribs, so be it. The WSM is only so wide.

Roll 'em up dude.



(not my photographs)

[OLS]

REALY?? No comment on my NOT removing the membrane, lol. I will go ahead and place
my snappy comeback here early, then. "You eat smoked sausage, don't you? When you do,
you are either eating a synthetic paper or skin, or the actual tissue of a meat bearing animal as the
casing. My guess is it never crosses your mind."
When I cook ribs, the membrane cooks away to a crispy flaky nothing that tastes like nothing. Ribs are also
thin enough to get total smoke ring penetration without removing the membrane. I DO imagine that
smoke penetration is one of the two reasons folks remove the membrane?

[T.G]

Originally Posted by OLS

REALY?? No comment on my NOT removing the membrane, lol. I will go ahead and place
my snappy comeback here early, then. "You eat smoked sausage, don't you? When you do,
you are either eating a synthetic paper or skin, or the actual tissue of a meat bearing animal as the
casing. My guess is it never crosses your mind."
When I cook ribs, the membrane cooks away to a crispy flaky nothing that tastes like nothing. Ribs are also
thin enough to get total smoke ring penetration without removing the membrane. I DO imagine that
smoke penetration is one of the two reasons folks remove the membrane?

There are many different ways to cook the same thing and achieve equally good, abet different, results.

[TheRiddick]

Originally Posted by OLS

REALY?? No comment on my NOT removing the membrane, lol. I will go ahead and place
my snappy comeback here early, then. "You eat smoked sausage, don't you? When you do,
you are either eating a synthetic paper or skin, or the actual tissue of a meat bearing animal as the
casing. My guess is it never crosses your mind."
When I cook ribs, the membrane cooks away to a crispy flaky nothing that tastes like nothing. Ribs are also
thin enough to get total smoke ring penetration without removing the membrane. I DO imagine that
smoke penetration is one of the two reasons folks remove the membrane?

I do not remove the membrane, either. Works fine and so far I have not noticed any difference, as you said, it cooks to a perfect "nothing".

[OLS]

Thank goodness I am not alone on that island. I totally understand why an abdominal lining would
creep people out. And honestly, if you had to pin em down on WHY they remove it, they
would say for better smoke penetration, I'd bet.

[Steve]

Originally Posted by OLS

Thank goodness I am not alone on that island. I totally understand why an abdominal lining would
creep people out. And honestly, if you had to pin em down on WHY they remove it, they
would say for better smoke penetration, I'd bet.

Some people also say that by leaving it on helps hold in moisture. Usually it depends on how I feel and who I'm cooking for.

[OLS]

OK, so I get a big box of spices in from Firehouse Pantry dot com. Bout 120 bucks worth. Everything
I need to make a giant bulk batch of rub. So I get a big bag done and think, hell, why not do another bag.
So I am mixing and shaking and sqeezing and WHAMMIE! Whoosh, 45 bucks worth of rub flies into the air,
coating my shirt, pants, in my shoes, on my chair, in my keyboard, in my nose. So naturally, I just BUST
out laughing and everybody around me busts out too. We are all sneezing and wiping our runny noses
and laughing and our sides begin to hurt. So I clean my chair with some upholstery cleaner, have
the guys out in the kart shop blow me off with compressed air, sweep and mop the area and it is done
for now. Everybody says it smells great.
TODAY.
In the weeks to come, I have a feeling that I am going to be pubic enemy number one.

Anyway, here's a picture.

[captain53]

[quote=T.G;798250]BRTU

Make sure you remember to remove the membrane from the inside (stomach side) of the ribs prior to cooking. A dull/rounded tip knife and a paper towel to grip the membrane when peeling it are extremely helpful.

[cricky101]

Woo Hoo! I've got a rack of spare ribs on the smoker right now. Just store-bought rub though Smells goooooood!

[OLS]

Hmm. You guys are going to think I am pretty gross, but I have never removed the membrane on ribs.
Maybe I sear and char mine a little more than most, but there is no detecting it in the finished product
that I have ever found. Certainly no taste or texture that is off-putting. And my ribs kick a$$.

I DO remove the flap

Originally Posted by T.G

BRTU

Make sure you remember to remove the membrane

I cant agree anymore but other then to do it every single time. i like to use a memphis style rub on mine. if i have a enough time i also like to do a spit.

first I put a rub on the ribs, then salt and pepper, then brown sugar to make a sweet crust around the top put them in foil and toss it on the grill with tons of coals burning nice and slow. Leave it on for an hour, then take them out of the foil and give it a bath in BBQ sauce and put them back on the grill sans foil to solidify everything again......

I tried making my own rub but I could never get it tasting better than my staple Rendezvous rub so I've gone back.....