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Good Ribs Finally

Spring Chicken
Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Over the years I've made progressively better ribs but none of them ever really reached my expectations. That changed yesterday and only took 4 hours.

One rack of Baby Backs from Kroger on sale. Instead of trying to follow other's advice and recipes, I did my own thing.

I cut them into three pieces because I wasn't sure which Egg was going to get the honors. Lily Large won out because I also decided to do a Fatty, another item on sale at Kroger.

I used Dizzy Dust liberally on both the ribs and the sausage. And on a whim I added a lite sprinkling of Fezzo's Cajun rub. It's very mild. The Dizzy Dust would have probably been enough.

Three chunks of hickory and a handful of cherry chips, plate setter, drip pan with water and ribs directly on the Spring Chicken grid. 225° grid (275° dome) and BBQ Guru to keep it that way. Sorry... no photos.

After 2 hours I spritzed a few times with apple juice and apple cider vinegar (8 to 1 ratio) until three hours. That's when I noticed the bone pulling back so I mopped the ribs with KC Masterpiece Original, and shut down the Egg. Did about four more moppings before deciding they were done.

Wrapped them in foil and set 'em on the counter for an hour, then in the oven for an hour at 175° just to keep warm.

I knew they were going to be good when I put them in the foil but when I took 'em out of the foil for dinner I had a feeling they would be my best ever.

I was right. They were tender, juicy, pulled easily and cleanly from the bone and had just the right amount of smoke. Everything had merged into the best ribs I've ever eaten anywhere.

Oh, and the Fatty was absolutely delicious. Gonna do that again too.

Next time I'll take pictures.

Spring "That Little Piggy Did Good" Chicken
Spring Texas USA

Comments

  • Austin Smoker
    Austin Smoker Posts: 1,467
    Experimentation often yields killer results. Thanks for sharing Leroy! Would have loved a pic....but just means you'll have to try to replicate. ;)
  • Gator Bait
    Gator Bait Posts: 5,244
     
    Sounds wonderful Leroy! Congratulations on the perfect ribs! I think my nirvana will be the day I cook the perfect ribs. I get closer every time I try. :)


    Blair


     
  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    With no photos are you sure you did not have another great dream? I guess it must be real. If you would have said you cooked them on Lily's Mama XL it would have been a dead give away. :laugh:
    Ribs sound great Leroy.
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • Beli
    Beli Posts: 10,751
    Felicidades Leroy, nothing like cooking a perfect meal, enjoying it & registering all the steps that led to it
  • kolbdriver
    kolbdriver Posts: 403
    Sounds like you would have time to do those at Salado, then we all could judge if they are the best!

    C U there.
  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
    The only problem with that theory is that one rack of Baby Backs won't go very far. And I just became an expert at cooking one rack.

    And my success may have been more due to a very special little piggy than my expert cooking abilities. Can't take a chance on mess'n up in front of "judges." That would be embarassing.

    See you in Salado.

    Spring "Judge Not Other People's Ribs" Chicken
  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
    Thanks. The one time I should have been taking pictures and I didn't do it.

    See you in Salado.

    Spring "Cameras Cameras Everywhere And Not One In Use" Chicken
  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
    Lily would not like it if her XL Mama showed up at the Chicken Ranch.

    Spring "Mama's Don't Work At Chicken Ranches" Chicken
  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
    Ribs are like horseshoes, close don't always win.

    Spring "How Close Is Close Enough" Chicken
  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    You would think I would have learned by now.
    You are quick...
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
    Replicate!!! Naaaaaaa! I intend to do even better with my new found powers.

    Spring "Different Pig, Different Results" Chicken
  • field hand
    field hand Posts: 420
    Glad you had a successful cook using 4 hours rather than 5-6. I prefer the shorter 4 hour approach.

    Barry
    Marthasville, MO
  • Popsicle
    Popsicle Posts: 523
    Leroy, I think the custom grid has something to do with it. It gives you all the advantages of cooking indirect and direct at the same time with none of the down sides. I love mine.
    Zefrin
    Willis Tx.
  • Cpt'n Cook
    Cpt'n Cook Posts: 1,917
    We knew you could do it, eventually anyway :laugh:

    We have some spares in the fridg to do tomorrow. Got a date with a naked lady for a couple of hours at 75 degs. tonight.
  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
    I always thought it took 5 or more hours to get really great ribs. Not so, as proven time and time again. I even tried a couple of times to do 1-hour ribs. Did some in just over an hour but they weren't even close to being 'Fantastic,' or even 'Great' for that matter.

    Spring "An Hour Can Be A Long Or Short Time" Chicken
  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
    Yea, and it's pretty too.

    Spring "Pretty Makes For Better Food" Chicken
  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
    Yea, as long as they made pigs I still had a chance of getting ribs right.

    I used to think spares had better flavor but these were much better.

    Spring "Spared Baby Backs" Chicken
  • Rascal
    Rascal Posts: 3,923
    Wish I could say the same.. Done 'em in the oven and gasser, that at times, were equal or better. I think it can vary with the feed, source, additives (never, here) and a stroke of good luck, depending on all of the above. Unless you have a very reliable source of pork (or whatever) results might differ from cook to cook with the same method..

    Just my too scents..
  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
    I think you're correct. Pretty steaks aren't always good no matter how you cook 'em.

    And some cooks would be disappointed in perfect ribs.

    But we've locked on to a cooking process that raises the bar on everything edible. The result is that our "Good" is better than some people's "Fantastic."

    Spring "The Challenge Is Me" Chicken
  • eenie meenie
    eenie meenie Posts: 4,394
    Leroy, just as I suspected......you've been holding back on us! :laugh: :laugh: :)
  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
    Yea sure...

    As many have discovered, ribs and briskets are not exactly a "piece 'a cake" to cook, even on the World's Best Smoker & Grill.

    In fact, you could know the cow personally and it's upbringing from two generations back, and still not produce a good brisket. Same with ribs and pretty much everything else cooked on the Egg.

    But we Eggheads have the benefit of other's experiences and recipes. If we combine what worked for them with our own skills, we can usually enjoy a pretty decent meal. Even so, that does not stop us from the challenge of cooking the best brisket or ribs ever...

    It should be an Olympic Event.

    Spring "Finally Got My Gold" Chicken
  • deepsouth
    deepsouth Posts: 1,796
    i have a real hard time believing that you have just cooked ribs good for the first time. sorry.

    B) :laugh: