<span style='font-weight:bold;color:#FF0000;'>Car Wash Mike's Baby Back Rib Class</span>

Car Wash Mike

Ingredients

A 3 pack at Sam’s club works well.

Instructions

BABY BACK RIB CLASS

by

Car Wash Mike

I don’t claim to be a rib eggspert but I will give you some basics today to get you started in the right direction. First, I cook baby backs exclusively. A 3 pack at Sam’s club works well.

THE PREP!

After opening up the package. Pat the ribs down with paper towels. Take the membrane off the bone side. To do this take a paper towel on the small end and pull towards the large end. Today I used Dizzy Pig Original for the rub. Leave the ribs meat side down. Now, I actually rub, the rub in, on the bone in side. Flip over, lightly coat with mustard. The mustard will not give any flavor. It gives you three different values in my opinion, others will argue. The vinegar in the mustard will start breaking down the collagen in the ribs. It will give a better bark. It will also help the last coating of the rub to stick to the ribs. After applying the mustard. Coat with Dizzy Pig Original Rub. After prepping put back in the fridge for at least 1 hour, but no more than 2. If you haven’t lit your egg, now is the time.

THE COOK!

Okay, the process just got a little complicated. I have cooked over a 100 slabs of baby backs, EVERY YEAR for over 15 years. I tell you this, so you don’t get discouraged if your first few attempts are not desired. Practice makes perfect. Put your wood of choice on the clean burning fire of the egg. Add 3-4 wood chunks. Try to stick with fruit woods. I used apple and cherry wood. They are going to start smoking right away. Put your plate setter on the fire ring, legs up. A large drip pan on the plate setter. You need to let the wood smoke for at least 30 minutes before putting the ribs on. I always use an inverted V-Rack. I think the heat off the plate setter and drip pan, cause a tough skin on the bone in side. Get your egg stabilized at 200-225. The first few hours are the most important. Your ribs need to be cold when placing on the Egg. They tend to soak up the smoke better and have a better smoke ring. I like to mist the ribs. I like to use a 50/50 mixture of apple juice/apple cider vinegar after the first hour. I do this every hour until done. After 3 hours bump that temp up to 250. Opening up the egg for misting may accomplish this.

Okay, we have had our ribs on for 3 hours and we've bumped the temp up to 250. Cook for 1 hour and then mist one more time. Let go another 30 minutes. The ribs have been on 4-1/2 hours. Pick a slab up. If it folds in half easily, it is time to finish. If not, put back on for another 30 minutes. Also, another way to check is that the meat should have pulled back approximately 1-1/2 inches. Another way is to, go ahead and pull a slab off and cut. If the bone is white in color they are ready.

This is where experience comes in. The texture you want will determine when to pull off. If you want fall off the bone. Let them go 5-1/2 hours. Remember though. You might be taking a chance on them drying out.

THE FINISH!

There are all kinds of good bbq sauces out there. I think the secret to great sticky finger ribs is a good sauce. I always use a sugar based sauce. I make sure my bbq sauce is cold (been in the fridge) for a few hours or days. This makes the sugar thicken up. This will produce a full flavor of sauce on the ribs.

Our ribs have been on between 4-1/2 and 5-1/2 hours. After pulling them, set them aside and get the egg up to 275. While the temp is climbing apply the desired amount of bbq sauce on the ribs evenly. Today we used Blues Hog. Many competitors use this. Pull the V-Rack off. You want your ribs laying flat when finishing. Place the ribs back on the egg bone side down. Leave on for 20-30 minutes. If your guests allow, pull off, let rest for 5-10 minutes, slice up and enjoy.

Notes

Special thanks to "thirdeye" for helping keep Car Wash Mike's memory alive. Hey Mike, you're now immortal! playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com

Number of Servings:

Time to Prepare:

mclark65

The last time I "tried" to make ribs was 1998! They were so bad I gave up. I purchased my Large Egg about three weeks ago so I am a new Egg Head!

I came across Car Was Mike's recipe and decided to give it a try. Last night I was the king of ribs. I followed the recipe to the "T" and the rest is history. I can't wait to make them again.

I used Apple wood, McCormick's Sweet & Smokey Rub and Sonny's Sweet BBQ sauce.

Thank you Car Wash Mike.....wish I could have known you.

Mark

AZRP

Thanks for your contribution to Mike's legacy, he really was a great guy and is sorely missed.  Here's a shot of him making his ribs in Oklahoma.  -RP

500

Today, I will be attempting my best effort at Car Wash Mike ribs. Friday, I made Tuffy Stone's sauce; http://www.timesdispatch.com/archive/stone-sticks-to-basics-for-mouthwatering-barbecue/article_669a3ed9-693a-59c8-8cde-b251ddeb6869.html?mode=jqm. Any last minute pointers?

500

After posting this I feel I should apologize. I should not have jumped on this thread. I think it best to keep it clean and free of comments so it can be referred to for instruction on how to do ribs. I can't figure how to delete it.

Little Steven

Why would you feel that way? you didn't do anything wrong IMO.

500

I guess I feel that this post should be saved in a clean version for reference.

Eggcelsior

I'm actually glad you bumped this. It was really hard to find before.

BuckeyeBob

500, please don't feel bad. Like Eggcelsior, I am also very glad you bumped this. Have also had a hard time finding in the past. You can honor his legacy by posting multiple pics for all to enjoy. Good luck!

Eggcelsior

I just grabbed ribs for tonight @500.

nolan8v

@500,

Thanks for bumping this post. I have printed it out and currently using it as I type.

Caymanite

Same here, thanks 500, going to print this out too!

FlaPoolman

Mike would not mind

Little Steven

Hey Shortstop wassup?

FlaPoolman

not much,, funny this post came up I've been thinking about him for a while

gabriegger

Oddly enough I'm into the second hour of CWM's ribs today. Warming up some leftover pizza slices to fill the gap before dinner. Going to pull the za and spritz into hour 2. Finished pic to follow.

Adamd

Today I ran across this method of cooking these ribs. While not very complicated man do they turn out just amazing.

I cooked these today just as he said they turned out amazing. Really one of the best ribs I ever had along with my family that also ate them. 

Thank you so much for posting.  

Little Steven

FlaPoolman said:

not much,, funny this post came up I've been thinking about him for a while

I know what you mean. It's kind of weird when you see an old post and he replies.

mcmac

I know I'm late to the party, but thanks for sharing this procedure. I have printed it and will use it for this weekends rib cook. Cant wait to taste the results.

Mike

JenniferEgger

I'm going to try this tomorrow, but don't have access to Dizzy Pig yet. Is there something similar that I can find in a grocery store? I have everything else, but forgot to get the rub today and my dealer is closed tomorrow

Canugghead

Jennifer, IMO the CWM method/technique is more important than the rub, you can use your own favourite rub.  Remember to take pictures and share with us!

JenniferEgger

Good to know!  I was freaking out a little because I forgot to run to the dealer. LOL.  Thanks!  First time making ribs, so hoping it works!  If they turn out, I'm going to do more for a picnic on the 4th to give an alternative to burgers and dogs!

Desertegghead

So that is all there is to it? I thought you had to wrap in foil and put in a cooler and hop on one foot and twirl. Is that another method or was CWM's method changed over the years

SMITTYtheSMOKER

Ole Carwash...what a dude.

njl

I was working from home Monday, and over the weekend I was at Publix and they had half racks of baby backs on "manager's special" at $2.99/lb...so I decided to try following this method as closely as possible (cooking just one half rack).  If I understand correctly, the drip pan is just for drippings (i.e. not a water pan).  The half rack I was doing was kind of meaty (IIRC, about 2.2lbs), so I did closer to 250 than 200-225.  Nothing in the pan other than drippings and the occasional overspray or drippings of the cider/vinegar mix off the ribs from the spray bottle.

After 5 hours, I was out of patience.  I knew they weren't quite ready, but I was ready for dinner so I went ahead and sauced them anyway, gave them another 30min, and called them done.  They were the opposite of "fall off the bone", but were quite moist and though I needed a steak knife to eat them, I ate half the half rack and enjoyed them.  

Tuesday, for lunch, I set the oven to 300F, put the remaining quarter rack on foil, sprayed some of the cider/vinegar mix on the foil and ribs, sealed it up, and put it in the preheated oven for 1hr.  This made them perfect.  I still used a steak knife to cut the bones apart, but then picked up each bone and ate the eat off it.

A31unit

I just used this method last weekend. Followed it to a T.  225 for 3 hours, 250 for 1.5, then sauced at 275 for 20-30 min. Came out great.  I used too much apple wood right in the center of the lump. Won't make that mistake again.

swordsmn

CWM  is my hero!  I credit him & Texan of the North  with making me an egg hero at my house.  Mike,  if you're looking down,  thanks.  Wish I had met ya - feel like I have!   But to those who say easy,  heck  I have to waddle out there hourly for 5-6 hrs  spritzing away...  Meh  it's all in a Saturday's fun.

HofstraJet

I have what is either a very obvious or very stupid question because I can't find an answer to it: can I use CWM's method for regular pork spareribs with just a longer cook time?

SGH

HofstraJet said:

I have what is either a very obvious or very stupid question because I can't find an answer to it: can I use CWM's method for regular pork spareribs with just a longer cook time?

Your question is not stupid my friend. All questions are valid. And thus I will shed some light on it for you. You absolutely can use this method for spares. And yes, the cook time will probably be a cats whisker longer. 

HofstraJet

Much obliged, kind sir. Planning my first ever rib cook for tomorrow. Will start a thread with full details and pics.

SGH

HofstraJet said:

Much obliged, kind sir. Planning my first ever rib cook for tomorrow. Will start a thread with full details and pics.

My pleasure brother. Will be standing by to see your rib cook.