Riblets, easy enough for Newbies? ....... with pic's

Clay Q

Looking for something to cook on the egg? How about baby backs, cut lengthwise by the butcher into riblets. Cut each of these in half for approximately 10" long mini slabs. Kids love this. Now your ready for the 3,1,1 method to turn baby backs into BBQ candy.
I started with 3 racks as that filled up the grid nicely but you can do 2 racks if you wish.
Everyone has their preference on how they like their ribs- dry, wet, crispy edges, soft and fall apart- I did these with a moping of sweet sauce and the meat coming cleanly off the bone with a tender bite.
The method is 3(3hours indirect),1(1hour in foil),1(1hour direct with saucing the last 30 minutes). Total of 5 hours for a nice afternoon cook- not including cleaning and starting the egg.
The egg setup; Start with a clean egg and add fresh lump with large chunks on the bottom grate then medium size lump with small lump to fill the fire box. Start you're fire and set in platesetter feet up with aluminum foil or pan to catch grease drippings and then set in grid on feet of platesetter. Close dome and adjust lower vent to half way open and top vent slider half way open. When the egg reaches 200 degrees dome close down lower vent to a quarter inch and the top vent slider closed and daisy wheel holes open. Now adjust lower vent closing slightly as dome temp reaches 235. Your cooking temp is 235-250 dome for the entire cook. Ok, let the egg settle in and stabilize. Time for a beverage while you keep the egg company. When you feel the egg is stable at temp, now it's time to get the ribs ready.
Rinse and dry the riblets. Brush on a light coating of yellow mustard and sprinkle your rub. I used Dizzy Dust.
Now it's time to start cooking. With leather gloves I lift the grid off the platesetter and set aside to lift one corner of the platesetter and toss in a chunk of wood on burning lump for smoke. Replace grid and spray some Pam on the bars so the meat will not stick. Lay in the riblets flat with bones curving downward and close the dome.
After 3 hours remove riblets to heavy duty foil and close foil so only a little steam can escape. Return foiled ribs onto grid and let cook for an hour. The temp will jump a little after opening the dome so hang around the egg to check the lower vent so the temp stays 250 or a little lower. Have another drink and get your sauce ready.
My tomato based sauce is sweet with molasses for riblets but you can go with whatever you like. For the last hour of cooking I set aside the foiled ribs, grid and platesetter then return grid so I'm cooking direct over the coals. I have added stainless steel bolts to the grid to make legs that raise the grid above the fire ring. Check the Naked Whiz site for "how to". Return the riblets just as was done in the first 3 hour cook. Check the temp so your cooking at 250. After 30 minutes I mop sauce on the top side of the riblets and cook 15 before turning riblets and moping the remaining side. Be careful not to break apart the riblets as they will be very tender when coming out of the foil. Cook 15 more minutes and they are ready.





Get your egg stabilized at 235-250 dome.





Riblets – baby backs made into mini ribs.





Mustard with Dizzy Dust. Yummmm





After smoking and 3 hours indirect, riblets ready for foil.





Foil and cook one hour to moisten meat and render fat off.





One hour direct heat, sauce and--- BBQ candy. Have fun! Clay

Car Wash Mike

Clay Q,
Looking good. I mean real good.[p]Mike

Clay Q

Car Wash Mike,
Thanks. How's the new facility operating today?

Car Wash Mike

Clay Q,
Cloudy today. Have a few bugs to work out but nothing major.
Thanks for asking,[p]Mike