Ribs ??

Whirlwind · July 2005

Now that we've had all that great advice on gas vs. charcoal, I need to know how to cook ribs. The stipulation here is that I have a Weber charcoal grill and I will not have a bigger BBQ pit or a smoker or anything else for the foreseeable future. Still, I love ribs and want to make them at home. My dad used to BBQ great pork spare ribs but he's too far gone to 'splain it me.

So, how do you cook ribs (any kind) on a Weber? Or is this possible? Must I cook them in the oven first to ensure they get done without long term smoking? Or what? Do tell.

LivindonSouth · July 2005

No, for God's sakes! Salt and pepper your ribs, boil them in water for 15 minutes on a hard roll, covered in a pot. Then spread them out over the half of the grill that isn't directly over the coals. The coals should be really hot, not cooled down. Open a vent just a bit and let them smoke for an hour, turning once. If you like, you can smoke them this way for two hours. Longer is better (no matter what a man thinks). Add BBQ sauce if you like, 10 minutes before removing them. If you like them scored by the grill, lay them over the hot coals for three minutes before removing them. You can experiment with drizzled italian dressing or squirt them with a spray bottle of vinegar. That 'encourages' the meat to move away from the bone. That's the only value of vinegar. Good luck. Cold Beer required.

Disclaimer: This message is not intended to offend or attack. It is posted as personal opinion. If you find yourself offended or uncomfortable, email me and let me know why.

Whirlwind · July 2005

Hmmm, boiling. I wouldn't have guessed that, but I'll try it. Your Italian dressing suggestion reminded me of my mom's occasional substitute for BBQ sauce, many years ago: Catalina salad dressing. I think I'll try your boil-then-smoke-then-grill sequence with the Catalina dressing. I'll definitely have to finish directly over the coals, because what good is 'cue without that delicious carcinogenic black stuff?

But I may have to substitute a mango margarita or a lemon drop martini for the beer; I'm not much a beer drinker --- hope that doesn't ruin the effect.

Thanks!

HRinFL · July 2005

You can also use a dry rub on the ribs to add additional flavor. My choice of the commercial rubs is O.C. Stubbs. It goes on just about anything (I am working on perfecting my own rub and Gene gave some helpful pointers. See "Give it a Rub" in this section).

I also boil my ribs before grilling and use an indirect heat to cook. If you like the "smokey flavor, you can smoke the ribs with your Weber grill. Instead of using hot coals, let them get down to about 200 - 250 degrees. Move the coals to outer edge of the grill, leaving the middle empty. Put your ribs in the middle, cover them and let them cook for 4-6 hours. You have to keep your heat within the right range (200-250), so add coals whenever needed. Baste with your BBQ sauce (if you want them wet), or spray with water to keep them from drying out (since there is nno sauce in cooking this way, they are "dry.") Two hours fom the end, soak wood chips in water. An hour from the end, throw the wood chips on the coals. Cover and close the vent. The ribs are done when you grab the bone and can pull it out.

LivindonSouth · July 2005

You mentioned meat temperature. As a gift, someone gave me this really neat gadget that looks like a 'Saturday Night Special'. For those of you who aren't street-wise, that's a cheap, small handgun, maybe a .25 or .22 calibre. They bought it at Everyday Gourmet, a cook's gadget store here. Anyway, this gun shoots an infrared beam, like a laser, which it is I guess. You direct it at any surface in the world (within two feet of you) and it immediately flashes the external temperature of that object in an LED format. It won't measure inside temperature but will read out the temp of charcoal, an eye on the stove, the inside of the freezer, the countertop, a pot of butter beans, a can or beer, or I reckon, your wife's thigh. This thing could eventually replace other 'gadgets' in millions of bedside table drawers across America.

Disclaimer: This message is not intended to offend or attack. It is posted as personal opinion. If you find yourself offended or uncomfortable, email me and let me know why.

TN HR · July 2005

"My choice of the commercial rubs is O.C. Stubbs"

Hmmm, I think that's Old Codger Stubbs! Well known in the pOrK circles

LarryC · July 2005

So Don, what is the temperature of your wife's thigh? Never mind. I guess that's information I don't need to know. But man, if I had one of those things my wife would be taking it away from me within minutes after peppering her with red dots.

mushroomHR · July 2005

You guys... x}>

Thanks for the laugh on this hot Friday afternoon.

lhill · July 2005

I want one of these gadgets! What's it called, and where can I get one?

Linda

LivindonSouth · July 2005

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 07-15-05 AT 03:36PM (CST)[/font][br][br]Boy do you own me now! I called the store it came from in Jackson,MS.

BonJour Culinary Laser Thermometer is the name of the product. The BonJour company is in Pacheco, California. [url]www.bonjourproducts.com[/url] (I'm not sure if that's run together or not). Telephone 925-676-1444.

The gadget itself has a label that says Caution: Radiation hazard. Do not point lazer at eyes.

(edit) Gawd! I just clicked on that site and that thing costs $89. But, it does say, in the interest of HR and Safety, that it's 'Ergonomically Designed'. x:-)

Whirlwind · July 2005

Thanks, HRinFL, for the additional info. This isn't turning out to be the no-brainer I'd hoped for, but I'm sure it'll be worth it when I find a free weekend day to rub, boil, smoke, baste, etcetera. I'll report back.

I wonder if O.C. Stubbs is the same guy as Stubbs Barbecue here in Austin....?

LivindonSouth · July 2005

Don't be intimidated! Boiling ribs is no harder than boiling eggs. Plop them in water, turn on the heat, turn on the minute minder. Rubbing ribs is as simple as shaking a salt shaker. You don't even have to rub it in if you don't want to. Then you just plop the whole thing(s) on the grill, sit back barefooted and sip something cool for 2-7 hours. Oh, the hardest thing about the whole process is opening the drawer and selecting forks and spoons. You will NOT need a knife! But do pass out wet washcloths instead of dainty napkins. Those things come in really handy.

Disclaimer: This message is not intended to offend or attack. It is posted as personal opinion. If you find yourself offended or uncomfortable, email me and let me know why.

TN HR · July 2005

I hate to be the party pooper here, but the "little laser gadget" mentioned on this thread is actually an IR (infrared) thermometer. While they may be the latest trend for the home user, they've been in use in the food manufacturing business for years. You can get a decent one for about $50.

The only problem with these gadgets is that they will NOT give you an internal reading only surface/ambient, so to be safe in terms of cook temps, nothing beats an actual pulped temp with a probe thermometer.

Gene

LivindonSouth · July 2005

"You direct it at any surface in the world (within two feet of you) and it immediately flashes the external temperature of that object in an LED format. It won't measure inside temperature but will read out the temp of charcoal,..."

A quote from an above post. Is there an echo in here? You interrupted the group orgasms of ribs on the grill to repeat what had already been said.

TN HR · July 2005

Sorry. I hope your recovery time is ggod. Carry on.

ScorpioHR · July 2005

Lots of good stuff here whirlwind but, since I came to this thread late, I will pass along my Nona's rib recipe. They kick ass (police coming?)

I also boil my ribs, I use baby backs cause I like em better, more meat, less fat. I boil the ribs with whole fresh garlic cloves. I boil em slow for about 40 minutes on medium heat. I put them in a shallow pan and I line the bottom of the pan with KC Masterpiece Honey smoked sauce. I pour lots of sauce on the top of them, cover with aluminum foil (I never believed that aluminum causes alzheimers, I think bad beer does that!) I marinate them in the fridge overnight and then I cook them on the grill (coals) slowly till they look right. I make some macaroni salad (Hellmans mayo only, tablespoon of sour cream) and some cold bud light, it is worth the time.

scorpio

Disclaimer: None of my posts are intended to discombobulate any persons. Should this happen, I would suggest taking a "mental health day" and getting over it.

Whirlwind · July 2005

Okay, there's three votes for boiling the ribs first, so I'm going for it. But now that I'm contemplating the specifics, how do you fit the ribs into the pot for boiling? Do you cut the rack of ribs into 3-4 rib pieces or do you sort of fold the rack....or do you just have a really gigantic pot?

(I don't feel too discombobulated...and I'm genetically doomed on the Alzheimer's front anyway, so I won't let a little aluminum foil worry me.)

ScorpioHR · July 2005

1. I generally cut the racks to fit the width of the pot comfortably.
2. I use my pasta pot which is pretty big.
3. I don't believe the alum thing anyway, genetically predisposed or not!
4. Happy boiling :-)

scorpio

Disclaimer: None of my posts are intended to discombobulate any persons. Should this happen, I would suggest taking a "mental health day" and getting over it.

LivindonSouth · July 2005

Any woman from Texas, the bar-b-que and outdoor cooking capital of the world, surely has an assortment of pots, some of which are almost suitable for sit-down bathing.

Another method, not mentioned here yet, is using a pressure cooker. 15 minutes as opposed to 40.

I really hope Whirlwind, by now, has cooked some ribs. She's had over a week to work up an appetite. x:-)

Whirlwind · July 2005

I do appreciate your recognition of Texas as the 'que capital, but I haven't gotten to the ribs yet. I only try one new outdoor cooking feat per weekend and this weekend it was halibut. I marinated it in sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic and honey and grilled it to perfection on the old Weber. Served it (to myself) with a loaded baked potato, a sweet-and-sour slaw recipe (from the foodtv website), a couple of glasses of New Zealand sauvignon blanc, and the DVD of "Hitch". Perfect Saturday night at home alone.

Working my way up to ribs!

LivindonSouth · July 2005

Sounds more like Martha Stewart at a Baah-stun wedding reception. Or perhaps Vermont. Mosey on down to any country and western bar or a place that has anything resembling a hitching post out front, put your hands on your hips and holler out, "Anybody here know a damned thang about grillin' ribs?" You'll get volunteers.

Disclaimer: This message is not intended to offend or attack. It is posted as personal opinion. If you find yourself offended or uncomfortable, email me and let me know why.

Leslie · July 2005

Whirlwind, another way is to get the smoking/grilling out of the way first then shove 'em in the oven on low heat for six hours or so. It's the way my SO's father does his - smokes 'em over mesquite for a couple two-three hours, then off to the oven they go. It's really good stuff.

Whirlwind · July 2005

Thanks, Leslie; that'll be Plan B.

And, Don, whenever I mosey into a C&W bar, I'm more likely to be looking for a dance partner than a cooking consultant. But, to each his own.;;)

LivindonSouth · July 2005

To the seasoned, fine-tuned hunter, they are one and the same. So, why not maximize your hunting experience?

Disclaimer: This message is not intended to offend or attack. It is posted as personal opinion. If you find yourself offended or uncomfortable, email me and let me know why.

Whirlwind · July 2005

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 07-25-05 AT 10:57PM (CST)[/font][br][br]Dang, a man who can cook AND dance?? Make him a liberal democrat, and I'll know I've died and gone to heaven. x0:)

Whirlwind · August 2005

Rib Results:

I finally got around to cooking ribs this weekend, using the boil-rub-grill-add sauce at the end method. Did a rack of baby backs and a package of beef short ribs with a result I'd grade as a B. They looked perfect and had great flavor but were a little too dry. Next time I'm going to try spare ribs and try to reduce the heat a bit.

Meanwhile, I'm wanting a new outdoor cooker I read about called the Big Green Egg. Evidently, from the newspaper article I read about this thing, it has a cult following. It can grill/smoke/roast in a wide range of temps from very low to very high and can serve as a brick oven for pizza or a tandoori oven for Indian-style roasting. The website is, of course, [url]www.biggreenegg.com[/url].

LivindonSouth · August 2005

1) You boiled them too danged long.
2) The BG Egg is really pricey. Chain it down.

Whirlwind · August 2005

You're right on both counts.

HRinFL · August 2005

Did you spray them while they cooked?

Whirlwind · August 2005

No, but you said spray OR baste, so I basted.

But, really, they were good and we enjoyed them. Like all cooking that has some judgment involved (like pie crust), I'll just tweak this process until I perfect it.

LivindonSouth · August 2005

You boiled them over 15 minutes and sucked the liquid all out of them. Then basically, you had jerky. Am I gonna hafta come over there?!

Ribs ??

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