Baby Back Ribs "Experiment" - Final Result w/Pics

I usually implement the 3-2-1 method of cooking, or at least start them on the BBQ/Smoker then finish in the oven, but sometimes that can be a bit much, tending to the fire to make sure that it holds a constant temp, drip pan, spraying (I don't mop so that the rub isn't disturbed) the ribs with apple juice/cider, covering in foil, etc. etc. This will produce desired results, but how about eliminating all of that jazz? I fully understand that what I'm about to attempt for the first time won't yield the same yummy results as the traditional methods where you get the smoke flavor and rings, but since I'm always trying new approaches, I'm giving this a whirl.

I took the membrane off the underside of the ribs, cut them in half, then dry rub was applied.



Here's the shocker...each get vacuum sealed. Pretty maids all in a row.



These were dropped into a sous vide bath at 144 degrees, and I'm going to let them go for 48 hours. In my research, you can cook them at a higher temp for less time, but the opinion that I've canvased says that this will yield the optimum results. Some recipes vary, calling for liquid smoke, adding sauce to the bag, etc., but I'm trying it this way to see what happens.

I intend on tossing these on a hot grill for a few minutes once I bust them out of the bags in a couple of days. Some will be headed to the freezer to enjoy any time.

Again, this won't produce those nice smoke rings nor have the smokey flavor, but I'm anxious to see if it will still result in a tasty product. The tradeoff is that my prep time was only ten minutes. We'll see what happens.

To be continued...