Ribs!
Beans!
Ribs!/Beans!
7 Likes
Good craft.
Did you use the Big K restaurant grade briquettes Ritch? if so, what did you think of them?
I did. I think they are very good but I need to gain experience with the smoker and the briquettes with how much fuel to use. Next time I think I will use more up front as yesterday I was conservative but found that I was running it with the vents fully open to get it up to temp and had to re-fuel a little before the end of the cook. Hard to judge how many to use with the shape of the Big K. I am contemplating making an insulating jacket for the smoker to get it really economical. 
The Ribs were the best I have done yet though. We went out and left them for several hours, so skipped the wrapping stage as prescribed by @thebiglebowski . I’d like to try this to see if it has a beneficial effect. Everything can be improved, always. 
1 Like
I never bother wrapping ribs, I did give it a go a few times but prefer it without.
1 Like
The wrapping stage keeps them moist and stops them drying out imo. I much prefer them if they’ve been wrapped.
This is what I am wondering… they were really moist and tender yesterday but I want to see if they are even better if wrapped, or whether that would make other differences to the bark. A close up…
3 Likes
I’d always assumed that whilst it might increase the moistness, it would decrease the smokiness. Hence why using quite fatty bits of meat works well (and also because the fat is good at absorbing the smoke)
From what I understand, the meat won’t take on much smoke after the first couple of hours and that would be before the wrapping stage.
Bark>Moist
1 Like
Yup, that’s my understanding too. It is easy to over do the smoke on ribs.
1 Like
I don’t think it matters too much on bigger ribs, the foil is good for thinner ribs that don’t have as much fat. I used to get the ribs from waitrose and they are great for a quick 4 hour cook using foil but would be more like jerky without it.
Only problem I found with not using the foil method on the big thicker ribs is that the meat can be quite tough or chewy and needs at least12 hours to get really tender.
Those I cooked yesterday had 7 hrs-ish at around 100°c. They were very fat but not tough at all. I took them off when the internal temp reached 86° and rested them for 30 mins or so. I expect the temp climbed 4-5° over this time but I didnt measure.
The previous attempts at ribs were with much skinnier racks, which I won’t bother with again, they just dried out. I’ve learnt now that I have to ask the butcher for ‘really fat’ ribs otherwise he’ll palm me off with any old crap. I wouldn’t bother with him honestly but his pork and lamb is excellent and he is just across the road.
Another lamb shoulder:
Smoked over cherry for 6 hrs-ish @ 110° or thereabouts. I’m learning that Lamb shoulders stall, so I wrapped as soon as I could see it happening and wasted little time. Removed it when internal temp reached 87°.
The rub was: rosemary, thyme, garlic, fennel seeds, soft dark sugar, anchovies, salt and black pepper corns, blitzed in the nutri bullet (best use for the fucking thing). I rested it for 30-40 mins, wrapped in foil and tea towels in a cool box. I have started to put a drip tray with a little water underneath the meat to catch the juices to make gravy later. I made a kind of reduction with wine, shallots and garlic. Added a little bullion+ soy, fish sauce and balsamic topped it up with water, simmered and then thickened with Smash which never goes lumpy. Strained it through a sieve. It produced a nice smokey result.
Cooking the meat this way is a revelation. It becomes incredibly tender and juicy. Today I served it with dauphinoise spuds and mixed pan veg. A really good way to change up the Sunday roast.
Can’t see me going back to the oven for a while. Going to try a gammon next week.
4 Likes
This was my experience but I find that getting the shoulder deboned and butterflied by the butcher allows you to make a stock from the bones for the gravy.
For some reason the deglazed pan juices produce a better gravy than just the drippings in the kettle (although these are added to the stock).
1 Like
I can see a butterflied shoulder would have rub advantages too. How long do you give it Terry and what sort of temp?
110 - 130 degs for 4.5 hours (fluctuations and stall taken into account) with a Dry rub. Add 30 minutes for a wet rub.
This is all dependent on coal. I use Grill Master lumpwood. I’ve tried a few others and they do vary.
Internal temperature is the same.
My next will be a large leg with dry rub. Rare should be only 1.5 hours at 170.
1 Like
Ive been wondering about leg, specifically cooking it really low, like 75° for how ever long it takes to hit medium rare. Have done that sort of roast with beef in the oven.