Barbecue is a mix of talents. There is the choice of meat (or in some cases vegetables), the creation and choice of sauce, and of course the flame. Once the components are gathered together, then the real talent starts with the maintenance of the flame, smoke, turnings and sauce applications.
Start soaking your wood chips at least an hour before you will need them. I make sure the charcoal is white before I start smoking so that all the lighter fluid has burnt up and does not give your meat a lighter fluid taste. If you want to use a charcoal chimney to start your charcoal, that�s OK too - some people hate using lighter fluid. Just dump your �white� charcoal from the chimney on opposite sides of the grill when they are ready. You can place a disposable aluminum pan between your charcoal piles and fill it with about an inch of warm water or beer if you want.Just about everybody has a Weber kettle charcoal grill in their back yard. You can smoke some pretty good ribs on these things. This is one of my favorite barbeque recipes because I can use mesquite wood and Lee will not allow me to put mesquite in his expensive Lang Smoker because of the residue it leaves on the inside surfaces. Anyway... here�s how to set up your charcoal grill so that you are �offset smoking� and not grilling... I simply start it up by making two piles of charcoal briquettes on opposite sides of the grill (away from the center). Make sure your vents on the bottom of the grill are open and not clogged with ashes. I then squirt my lighter fluid on the briquettes and light them.You can either buy spareribs or what is called loin back ribs. If you buy the big spareribs, cut the brisket end off the ribs at the joint. Then trim the skirt meat off. Don�t throw this away - you can cook it separately and eat it too. You also want to pull the membrane off the back side of the ribs. If you want, you can put your favorite dry rub on both sides of your ribs at this time. I prefer the more natural taste of the smoked meat with a little BBQ sauce, so I do not apply any rub or any other seasonings before smoking. That�s the great thing about barbecue recipes... you can change them up to suit your liking! Just don�t change the �technique� too much.This generally begins with purchasing a bag of processed charcoal briquettes. A charcoal chimney starter is a traditional (but generally underused) method for getting a consistent heat from your coals. Alternatively, they can be lit in a pyramid directly inside the charcoal grill after presoaking with lighter fluid.Wild Apple is slightly sweet with a fruity smoke flavor. Used mainly for beef, poultry, game birds, and pork (particularly hams).Cook the ribs for 3 hours. Don�t open the lid unless absolutely necessary - remember, �if you�re looking, you ain�t cooking�. While you are adding charcoal, you can also spray the ribs with apple juice to keep them moist. After 3 hours, take your ribs off and wrap tightly in foil and return to the grill for one more hour.Sugar Maple has a mild smoky, sweet flavor. Good with lamb, goat, pork, poultry, cheese, vegetables and small game birds.Natural gas and propanePrepping your grillWoodWild Black Cherry, is hard to get a hold of but offers a distinctively sweet and fruity smoke. Great with beef, poultry & game birds.Golden Birch is very delicate & slightly sweet, typically used with fish, pork, lamb, goat, poultry, and light-meat game birds. As a smoke source Golden birch would be used to smoke Salmon.When you are ready to start smoking, place your grate on the grill so that the holes near the handles are over your charcoal piles. This way, you can add charcoal as needed to maintain your heat. Some newer models have hinged grates for this purpose.After removing from the foil, apply your favorite BBQ sauce and glaze the ribs for one more hour. You can cut your BBQ Sauce with honey to make a sweet glaze if that is what you like. Apply your glaze to both sides and flip after 15 minutes and reapply glaze after each 15 minutes. After one hour of glazing, let your ribs rest for at least 15 minutes and then slice between each bone. You are now ready to sink your teeth into some of the best ribs you have ever tasted! Mouth watering, tender, and falling off the bone good!After one hour in the foil, take your ribs out of the foil and place back on the grill. You�ll know your ribs are getting done when the meat is pulling away from the bone - this is a sure sign that your ribs are getting done. Maybe gently tug on one of the bones to see if it is �loose�. Also... if you pick up one end of a slab with a pair of tongs and your slab bends down 90�, then that is another sign that your ribs are getting done. Barbeque recipes are not an exact science... you have to use some common sense. If it�s cold outside, or humid, or dry your times and temps may vary. Just keep an eye on things and increase or decrease times accordingly.
Wild Black Cherry, is hard to get a hold of but offers a distinctively sweet and fruity smoke. Great with beef, poultry & game birds.
Author: Jerry Powell
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