Danish baby backs - help with time and temp for sous vide....

Paul B.

I bought four Danish baby back racks and they are much thinner than traditional baby backs and are a little smaller in length and width.  As a result I plan to adjust time.  I plan to smoke them on the egg as low as I can for 2-2.5 hours then throw them in the water for ?? Hours.  Thinking 4-5.  I was going to smoke, sous vide, refrigerate and then bring up to temp on egg or grill the following day.  I am a little concerned there isn't enough meat and I should skip the refrigerate??  Any recomendations on temp?  My first attempt at ribs and I probably should have gone for regular baby backs but...

Really appreciate any help!

One other question - what is the lowest temp you can maintain on your large egg?  Any pointers for low heat?  I have a tough time maintaining anything under 240ish....

baychilla

Other than being very, very careful I don't have any useful advice.  I bought what were supposed to be a few racks of Berkshire baby backs.  They were cut Danish (possibly even smaller -_-).  I tried to treat them like baby backs but with more attention, that didn't work so well.

I use a BBQ Guru or CSG for low/cold temps so with manual control - I fail.

Theophan

For what it's worth, I think cooking below 250° on a Big Green Egg is not only a pain, it's actually a bad idea.  I just get better smoke, better flavor when the fire isn't smoldering quite that slow.  When I was new to the BGE and reading about old pros (using a DIFFERENT COOKER -- an offset stick burner, for example) swearing by 225° or 200°, I tried cooking lower, but a bunch of experience convinced me that different smokers need different approaches, and the Big Green Egg just does better at 250° or higher.

And again FWIW, I think overcomplicating with fancy techniques does not always get the best results.  Sometimes simple is better.  Smoke them (1), sous vide them (2), refrigerate them (3), then grill them (4)?  How sure are you that you're really going to get better ribs than just smoking them the way BBQ pitmasters have been smoking ribs for probably hundreds of years, maybe more?

I'm not the expert many others on this forum are, so maybe I'm wrong, but I'd think hard about just smoking them (at 250° or so) till they test tender, regardless how long or how short a time that is, and then chow DOWN!  

Paul B.

I want to play with my new toy :>)).

I had some ribs outside of Atlanta near Lake Lanier and they were awesome.  Once I tasted the way that Sous Vide cooks I knew that was what the guy did.  So I want to try and replicate it (they were different but good!).  Also I want to test the flavor of the ribs after settling into the refrigerator to see if letting them congeal and then bringing them back up to temp and finishing will impart some more grill flavor without drying them out and you know how taco meat tastes better the next day......  Just play'in.  We did them that way in one of the restaurants I worked in and more out of necessity to have them on hand ready to go but they were good ribs!  

Also, with ya on cooking at too low a temp. I am always disappointed - glad it isn't just me.

Thanks guys have a great weekend!!!

fishlessman

i would probably braise them, theres practically no meat on those style ribs for a traditional low and slow

gdenby

I did Danish ribs once. My recollection is that they almost burnt, being so thin and un-fat. From what I've read, they are a different breed than what is used in America.

Myself, I prefer to SV 1st, the Egg finish. SV tends to concentrate flavors, and the smoke can get really strong if its there when the food goes in the bag.

Letting the food get "left-over" works if there is fat available. The rub spice flavors merge w. the foods fat, and the tongue gets a better coating. If the Danish ribs don't have much fat at the start, the overnight hold will have little effect, and the re-heat runs the chance of over drying the meat.

Paul B.

You are right gdenby!  i am going to cook them on the egg 350ish.  It is a different type of rib and you are right there isnt enough fat.  I was just at the store and I was going to buy baby backs but - next time... Thanks for the vote to egg 'em after.  Do they absorb smoke well?

Paul B.

Update - Sous Vide the danish baby backs for about 6 hours at 158 degrees.  Put on the egg really hot and no sauce.  They came out very good and got a nice crisp from the egg.  Also did a few bone in pork chops SV 140 degrees for 2 hours then on the egg at 550ish.  They were a little over cooked but still juicy.  Once again the Sous Vide takes too long and I drink too much :>))  no pics.    

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Paul B. said:

Update - Sous Vide the danish baby backs for about 6 hours at 158 degrees.  Put on the egg really hot and no sauce.  They came out very good and got a nice crisp from the egg.  Also did a few bone in pork chops SV 140 degrees for 2 hours then on the egg at 550ish.  They were a little over cooked but still juicy.  Once again the Sous Vide takes too long and I drink too much :>))  no pics.    

we love our sous vide(s) but like everything else, they have their place. Our main unit is a sous vide supreme and we use it almost every week. We prep 8-10 chicken breast every week and keep them around to build meals from. I do a quick super hot sear at lump level for 30-45 sec a side them SV for 2 hours at 147. Then we finish however we want during the week. quick pan sear with Soy Vey Very very teriyaki for Asian night, dust with dizzy pig fajita-ish for tacos, Bombay Curry-ish for quick kebabs or cube up cold for grilled chicken salad. Play around ith that and you'll have so many quick meals at your fingertips that you will really see what SV cooking can do for you.

If you want to do something really cool, make a pastrami (takes 11 days start to finish). The possibilities are endless.