It is a fierce competition to see who can put on the best tailgate event every weekend. This past weekend we really put on the dawg, smoking ribs at the stadium.

If you want your ribs to stand up to the quality of SEC football here's how:


I got my meat from Sam's, 2 big packages of babybacks (6 racks) and a big package of spare ribs (3 racks). This is enough to overfeed about a 25 people, or adequately feed about 30 or so.

Pull the membrane off the bony side of the racks.

Trim the spare ribs by cutting the "knuckle" part off and trimming off the flap of brisket. Save the knuckle and brisket - They cook up really well, too. What you wind up with is a rack of spare ribs that look like a less-meaty rack of babybacks.

Go start your fire. This needs to be in a cooker with an offset firebox. I use lump charcoal and dry pecan wood for smoke flavor. Get the cooker up to about 250 and maintain it there. Leave the chimney open and control the fire with the firebox vents - closing the fire down too much generates creosote - think railroad crossties. It can take up to an hour to get the cooker ready to cook.

While the cooker is heating up, wet the ribs with whatever kind of marinade you like. Mine consists of:
2 cups apple juice
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
vegetable oil
tabasco/LA hot sauce
salt
ground black pepper
2 cloves crushed garlic.

Cover the wet ribs liberally with dry rub. Here's my dry rub. It's a MIM-style modified to my taste:

½ oz orange or lemon peel
½ oz white pepper
1 cup paprika
½ cup lemon pepper
½ cup black pepper
½ oz red pepper
¼ cup garlic salt
¼ cup chili powder
½ cup brown sugar

I get most of the ingredients in 1-lb containers from Sam's. Use an empty container for your rub and you can use the "shaker" side when you put it on the ribs. This is also a good rub for when you smoke Boston butts or pork roasts.

I almost forgot - marinate and rub the knuckles and pieces of brisket you trimmed off the spare ribs.

The meat should have been marinating for about 1 hour now, so...

Go put the meat on the cooker. Put the ribs as far from the firebox as you can get them. Put the trimmings on the firebox side. Take this opportunity to put a big chunk of pecan wood in the fire box. Hurry up. The longer you leave the lid up the longer it takes to get back up to temp.

Don't mess with it for 3 hours. Check the temp periodically - you want to stay around 250. Consistent temperature is a good thing.

After about 2.5 hours I start a chimney of charcoal burning.

At 3 hours, open the cooker and wrap each rack individually and tightly in aluminum foil. Be careful not to poke holes in the foil with the rib bones. Replenish the fire with the chimney of charcoal, but no more pecan wood. Put the wrapped ribs back on the fire for about 1 more hour.

Probably the brisket trimmings will be done by now. Take them off the cooker and eat them with a cold beer. Don't take them in the house or you'll have to share. This is the cooks treat.

After the wrapped ribs have cooked for an hour, unwrap them and put them back on the cooker. Use the glaze sauce to brush them so they turn shiny and dark (glaze recipe forthcoming). Cook the glazed ribs for another hour.

Don't forget to take the knuckles off before closing the cooker. They'll be done by now. Don't take these inside either. There's not a lot of meat on the knuckles, so you and your assistants should be able to eat them.

Sometimes I get lazy and don't bother to wrap them. If you, too, are lazy, just let'em cook until you're ready to glaze them. The only risk you run is that they might be a little tougher than they would be if wrapped. Some people like them a little tougher. It's a matter of taste, and who's playing when it's time to wrap them.

Total cooking time is about 5 hours. And remember the 1st law of the smoking universe: "If you're lookin' you ain't cookin'"

Oh yea, barbecue sauce and glaze...

The sauce is a dipping sauce, not a cooking sauce:

3 tbsp butter
2 tsp onion powder
2 - 15oz cans tomato sauce
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup worcestershire sauce
½ cup lemon juice
½ tsp Tabasco
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cayenne

Mix it up and simmer for about an hour.

I actually used ketchup and halved the cider vinegar because I forgot the tomato sauce, and it turned out ok.

The glaze is about 1 cup of the sauce and 1/4 cup honey mixed together.

Make yourself a potato salad and grill some asparagus and have at it.

Thanks for taking the time to post that Brad, looks like I will have something to do on Sunday.

I saw your cooker in the bbq pics and thought it looked perfect for smoking some ribs. Is it commercial or did you have it fabricated?

I sometimes stretch out the 3 hours to 4 (total time = 6 hrs) if the ribs look a little fatty...

http://www.brinkmann.net/products/outdoor_cooking/charcoal_smokers_and_grills/details.aspx?item=805-2101-W

I have had the fire Dept show up twice over the years. Last time they went back to the firehouse with two smoked chickens.

No dummies at the firehouse.

GRILLED/SMOKED DOUBLE THICK PORK CHOPS.

1-2 bottles of good Zin.
2-Double thick pork chops with two bone in.
Your favorite dry rub.
1/2 cup brown sugar.
1/2 Kosher salt.



5lbs of wood charcoal (Not that Kingsford crap)
1 Oak log split (not green)
Wireless Thermometer.
Charcoal grill or smoker (Bigger the better)


Large Zipp-lock bag.



Step one, brining the meat.

Boil two cups of water. When just starting to boil, remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl, add the brown sugar, mix till dissolved, then mix in the salt. Once mixture is dissolved, add three cups of cold water.
Let stand till it is room temp, about 15 min's??

Open the Zin, poor a glass and enjoy as the brine cools.

Once cooled, add the brine to the Zip-lock bag, add the two chops. Return the full bag to a clean bowl. Zip close the bag, try to remove as much air as you can.
Transfer to the fridge. Let brine for one hour.

Poor another glass of wine.

Time's up.

Remove from the fridge, remove the chops from the brine and rinse very well under cold water.
Pat dry the chops and place on a baking rack. Apply the rub, cover top very well then turn and cover the bottom. Do not apply rub to the sides. Cover loosely with a clean white cloth, or paper towels and let rest for 1/2 hr.

Poor another glass of wine.

Ok, time to spark up the grill.

We are going to use the two fire method. On one side of the grill start your charcoals with a chimney starter...NO LIGHTER FLUID. Get a good hot fire going. Place grate close to the charcoals. When flames have stopped and the charcoals are becoming gray and very hot, wipe the grate with veg oil using a paper towel and tongs. (Don't use you hand Skippy)

Poor more wine.

Place the two chops over the center of the coals. This will sear the meat and lock in the juices. About one min, check and make sure it's not burning. Turn when golden - well chaired. Place chops to the cool side of the grill (As close to the exhaust as you can). Insert the Wireless Thermometer probe through the side of the chop mid way.

Adjust intake vent about 1/3. Adjust exhaust 1/3. Close cover, note temp.

More wine.

Add more charcoal as needed in order to maintain a hot fire.

When temp hits 80-90 degrees, add the oak log and more charcoal. ADJUST THE EXHAUST TO 1/4.

By my count it's time to crack open another bottle of wine and start whatever side you want.

PLEASE NOTE: Cooking time does depend on grill being used, out door temp, wind.

When temp hits 155-160 remove the chops and cover with foil for 5-10 min's

Serve on a warm plate.


(Message edited by modjerry on December 2, 2010)