First Cook -- RIBS!!!

You know that you have a supportive wife when the first thing she says after you come in from lighting your BGE for the first time is, "You didn't burn anything down, did you?" :pinch:

Overall, I count the day as a success and as a learning experience. It was the first day to try out the BGE - "Eggie" - and take 'er out on her maiden voyage. The weather was between 11 and 18 degrees which perhaps explains why my wife did not join me in lighting the fire while ceremonially dancing around the table. :silly:

On the menu: baby back ribs using Salt Lick's BBQ Rub and sauce. Since Salt Lick used to be a favorite place of ours when we lived in TX, I figured this was a shoe-in and romantic flashback to eleven years ago. Said a quick prayer that that would be the ONLY flashback! :woohoo:

Membranes came off w/o a hitch which I took as a very good sign. The good Lord knows I need a more exciting life if the highlight of my morning has to do with membranes. Dusted the bones, put a coat of mustard on the meat and dusted the meat again. Ribs went into the cooler for two hours.

Fired up "Eggie" and learned lesson #1: put the starter square deeper into the coal. Fired up Eggie again, did the dance again, and this time it took. Got the temp stabilized after shutting the dome and having a heart attack while watching the thing shoot to 300 ~ but it quickly came down and I let it burn off for an hour before putting the apple wood chunks in the lump, the place setter on the ring, the drip plan in place, and the ribs in a rack.

Cooked for an hour and a half then flipped and misted with one cup apple cider and a third cup apple cider vinegar. Cooked another 45 minutes and misted and, after another 45 minutes had passed, foiled each rack separately. I used a cup of cider, 2 T melted butter, and 2 T brown sugar, putting 1/3 cup of the mixture into each packet. Cooked an hour, meat side down. Took 'em out and slathered the BBQ sauce and did it again every twenty minutes for an hour, mixing the reserve juices from the foil into the sauce.

RESULTS: The cons: They were not fall off the bone tender as I hoped but they weren't tough, either. The other con was that I did not remember the rub at the Salt Lick being especially peppery but my two children and wife certainly noticed it and were rubbing their lips with ice when it was over. My wife ate about six ribs through her tears but my rib lovin' son stayed with two and a half instead of the rack that he can put away. :( I did notice some heat but didn't think it unbearable -- but I'll be giving the rub away to a spice loving friend since there is no reason to keep it if the family isn't going to eat it.

The pros: First, this forum which was a great source of information. Can't give enough kudos to the guys that have answered my questions over the past few weeks and to the guys who answered my questions today. Second, I liked them. I like my Kansas City Style ribs better but this cook was meant for a trip down memory lane. Funny how I don't remember my wife rubbing her lips with ice when leaving the Salt Lick, though... :ohmy:

Next time I do ribs: I'm cutting the racks in half, getting the long roll of heavy duty foil, and will maybe foil for an hour instead of 45 (if I foil). The meat wasn't pulled back as much as I thought it would be after 5 and a half hours so maybe start earlier next time. The next cook is chickens which is Sunday and I'm using a recipe out of Big Bob Gibson's book. Cooking em' in loaf pans...should be fun!