Re: [CH] OT: smoker questions
dan combs (dcombs@bloomington.in.us)
Sat, 19 Jun 2010 02:21:50 -0400
At 09:01 PM 6/18/2010, Jim Graham wrote:
>Ok, I just bought (yesterday) a Brinkmann Smoke N' Grill at wally world
>for $37, which for someone on a single SSD (SS Disability) deposit per
>month, is enough.
Good price.
>I bought two different meats: a 5.4 lb roasting chicken and a 3.29 lb
>rack of spareribs (butcher said spareribs, label says "beef rib back
>ribs" ... I don't know if that's the same or not). That, btw, is the
>first question ... are beef spareribs and beef back ribs the same?
>What about the "baby back ribs" I keep hearing about in some place's
>commercials?
The beef spareribs. or back ribs as the name seems interchangeable,
need to be handled with a close eye on the clock. If you bought from
a box-store, almost everything fat has been water-cut from the ribs,
so they will dry out immediately. So brine them. At least 24
hours. They will dry on the smoker very fast. I think the best
way to cook beef ribs is in a crock pot with some fluid, not on a
smoker or grill and then if you have to smoke-flavor them throw them
on for a half-hour or so after they have really cooked in a moist environment.
I think baby-back ribs are mostly the lower rib sections which are
unanchored to the spine. Thus they are more tender as they aren't in
a working muscle group. However, the only safe way to go with ribs
is really pork; lots of fat to cook out and keep the meat
moist. That too is the key to beef, look for fat and meat, but beef
will dry out much faster no matter what. Most bbq beef is meatier
cuts than the ribs in stores. Go for flank or shoulder or
chuck. I've screwed up many a piece of beef on the smoker and grill
and I still can't get it right. But ribs and kraut in a slow-cooker
is a slamdunk.
carp