New to BGE. First cook (really 3rd) HEAVY PICTURES

Troykahack

Hello fellow eggers.....

This is my first slow cook on the BGE.   Last week the Lady and I bought a great looking Large BGE in table with standard accessories (bag of BGE lump, fire starters, ash tool, grate tool).  I then bought the BGE CI grid, large v-rack, three level cooking rack, and beer chicken rack. Already had the normal tools.  I did order and receive just in time a Thermopen MK IV from Thermoworks (heard about the Thermopen here).

My first official fire was to cook a beer can chicken and the 2nd was two nice NY Strips.  Just a way to learn the temperature control and getting the fire started.  First cook I learned to start with more lumps.  Both the chicken and steaks were awesome.

My first documented cook was three racks of Baby Back Ribs from Sam's.  I went with the intent of buying spare ribs but at the last minute I changed to BB.  I think the spare rib might have been a bit better to learn on but we will never know until my next rib cook.

I cleaned and prepped the ribs which included a wash, membrane removal (first time I learned to remove this), mustard rub and then a good Pork Rub.  I let ribs rest while I started the fire.  Set a drip pan up with a tiny bit of Apple Cider Vinegar. 

I decided to use my own cook, using knowledge from several, Car Wash Mike's and the 3-2-1 as well as the 2-2-1.  Mostly by look and feel on the timing.  I used the foil method.  Basically I cooked at a dome temp of 250, first for 2 1/2 hours, spraying with Apple Cider Vinegar every so often, mostly by feel or when I came back with a fresh Amberbock.  Maybe on my way for that Amberbock, maybe both.  I think I sprayed often.    I would rotate the grids on occasion, rotate, not flip or exchange, just turned the grids a bit to keep heat even across the grids.  Confused??  Hope not.  Both first and second phase ribs were bone side down.

While the ribs cooking on first phase (bone side down), I will call it 2.5 of 2.5-1.5-.75, as I halved the ribs as they started as 3 full BB slabs, I now had 6 halves.  I prepared 6 sheets of aluminum foil for the wrap.  I removed each halve and along with a healthy slice of butter on the sheet, I made funny faces on each side of each halve using orange blossom honey, then on the meat side I sprinkled some Turbinado Brown Sugar, added a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar, then wrapped the ribs tight and placed back on the grids, now relocating those from the top to the bottom.  First part of cook or the smoke phase, 2 1/2 hours.  This part, the wrap phase, ended up being 1 1/2 hours.

Continuing to rotate the ribs by moving the grids each time I needed a fresh Amberbock.  Beer was really good to go along with the nice aroma seeping from the BGE.  I checked the temp through the foil on a couple of of slabs using my Thermopen.  Using this temp, I decided to remove the wrap at about 1 hour 30 minutes.  The bones were already wanting jump off the meat.  So I quickly removed from the wrap, placed back on the grids, meat side up now, and mopped with a good coat of PAT's BBQ Sauce, made locally over by Geneva, FL 

Rib's were ready to rest and come off the BGE after about 45 minutes with a mop of BBQ Sauce, dome temp still around 250.  Pulled ribs and wrapped each in foil along with a wrap in towels and placed in cooler.  I used my Thermopen to verify a good cook temp.  I could just tell the ribs were done.  Hope that makes sense.

Then cooked the corn, still on the cob, on grid with dome temp around 300.  Rotated 720 degrees, 90 degrees at a time, over about 20-25 minutes. Now figure that out......

After the ribs rested for about 45 minutes, the lady and I made a nice salad to go along with the ribs and corn.  We both thought the ribs were awesome and the best Baby Backs we had eaten.  Still have ribs for left overs and they seem better the next day.

As this was my first smoke, or sophisticated cook, I ran into a few issues I might discuss regarding temperature control and the BGE 3 level cooking rack.  Put it this way, I will soon order from Ceramic Grill store, one of their one AR combos, they offer two.  I still would like to later cook on a WOK but feel the AR Combo is the way to go in lieu of the Woo, but might want a spider to WOK.   For another discussion.....  Enjoy the pictures and thanks for the great forum.  I read on this group for three weeks prior to making the purchase of our green egg. 

So my rib cook, baby back ribs, a wrap cook in second phase.... the timing goes like this, 2 1/2- then wrap 1 1/2, then unwrap, baste, then on grid for 45 minutes.  Dome temp 250  What one does in the wrap or spray is up to you.  I sprayed mine only as often as I drank a Amberbock.  In the wrap, I added butter, honey, brown sugar, and a splash of ACV.

I hope the pictures are not too much to load....



Our Setup, Large BGE with table from dealer.

Ribs in bag from Sam's


I learned this HERE!!  Removing the membrane I believe help the ribs cook.  I had never before removed or even knew about this membrane.  Thank you EggHeads!!

Mustard rub

Pork Rub from local BGE store, their own blend

Cook started with Plate Setter and BGE 3 Level Grid but only used two.  This BGE was great until the top one heated up and would not come off during the cook easliy.  Had to beat it off.  AR on order soon.

After 2 1/2 hours, ready for foil wrap.  Butter, honey, and brown sugar.


Out of wrap, ready for basting with BBQ sauce on meat side.

Nearly ready to come off and rest in foil again and wrapped with towels in cooler.  Rested for almost and hour.



 

kl8ton

Nice setup.  Looks like you went "all in!"

THEBuckeye

Nice set-up and welcome. 

Love the eaten corn cob and dirty napkin picks. Ranks right up there with forks! 

THEBuckeye

NO FORKS! 

lousubcap

Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Way to jump into the deep-end right out of the gate.

buzd504

You didn't take any pictures of the funny faces with the honey?


Those look great!

Raymont

Great job!

bhedges1987

Beautiful table and set up. The same one I have! 

A few quick tips: 

1: you're making things way too complicated, just relax and cook. Forget about timing. This is when I really started to cook good food. 

Lastly, a lot of people make the mistake of thinking wrapping something in foil and towels and a cooler is resting.  It is not.
 Since you quickly wrapped it, it is still going to cook.

  If you want to hold the temp of that meat then let it rest unwrapped for 10 min before you wrap and place it a cooler. 

If your simply resting after the cook before dinner in 45 min, simply loosely cover it and keep it out. Let it breathe and slowly come down in temp. 

Keep up the EGG'ing!

Troykahack

bhedges1987 said:

Beautiful table and set up. The same one I have! 

A few quick tips: 

1: you're making things way too complicated, just relax and cook. Forget about timing. This is when I really started to cook good food. 

Lastly, a lot of people make the mistake of thinking wrapping something in foil and towels and a cooler is resting.  It is not.
 Since you quickly wrapped it, it is still going to cook.

  If you want to hold the temp of that meat then let it rest unwrapped for 10 min before you wrap and place it a cooler. 

If your simply resting after the cook before dinner in 45 min, simply loosely cover it and keep it out. Let it breathe and slowly come down in temp. 

Keep up the EGG'ing!

Good tips....  thanks...  it took me a few minutes to wrap in foil but I get wheat you are saying.  Makes sense.  I wasn't sure of he wrapping at all, during the cook or otherwise.  However, I was pleased with the cook.  So many ways to do things. The meat is awesome off the BGE.

Love this forum.

JohnnyTarheel

Welcome!  Great cook!!

Doc_Eggerton

Great job right out of the chute.

jabam

Welcome to the jungle!

bluebird66

Welcome to the addiction!

500

Welcome to the Egghead forum. There are a couple of cracked ones in here, and I don't mean the ceramic cookers.