re: Smoking Ribs on a BGE - Help Needed

quote:

---

Pull off the bone is over done.

---

Fall off the bone is over done.

When the meat pulls clean off the bone with a little tug that's about right and that's the texture of the better ribs I've eaten in BBQ joints (Truth, Roegels, Corkscrew, Terry Blacks).

quote:

---

Do you use a deflector shield or whatever they're called for BGEs? If so, you want meat side up. Really just always want meat side up no matter what

---

Yes, I use a plate setter and also place a couple of catch pans on top of it to further deflect the smoke.

Regarding whether meat side up or down . . . it may not matter that much. With that said, the principle is to orient the fat cap on a shoulder or brisket to the warmer side of the heat profile. Hence, in an offset the warmer side is to the top. So, meat side down-fat cap up. But in a BGE where the fire box is directly under the meat, it's the opposite, i.e,. meat side up-fat cap down.

quote:

---

Do you use a deflector shield or whatever they're called for BGEs?

---

Plate Setter

I've done turbo ribs twice on the egg now and I think I prefer it to the low and slow ribs Ive done in the past.

quote:

---

Think of the bones as the fat cap

---

No numbers in hand but I would think the bones have a higher thermal conductivity than the meat/fat. They are not analogous to the fat cap on a shoulder/brisket.

Happy wife, happy life so don't change what you're doing.

I don’t understand just S&P on your ribs. Get a Memphis-style rub (or make one) that is dark red with chili powder and paprika. And why no brown sugar? It caramelizes for a nice crust. I coat ribs heavily with a good rub and never once thought it was too much after it was cooked.

Otherwise, maybe add more wood for smoke flavor?

Also - I baste every hour or so with some apple cider vinegar and a little more rub mixed in. Skip the sauce glaze toward the end. Sauce is for dipping.

quote:

---

I don’t understand just S&P on your ribs. Get a Memphis-style rub (or make one) that is dark red with chili powder and paprika. And why no brown sugar? It caramelizes for a nice crust. I coat ribs heavily with a good rub and never once thought it was too much after it was cooked.

Otherwise, maybe add more wood for smoke flavor?

Also - I baste every hour or so with some apple cider vinegar and a little more rub mixed in. Skip the sauce glaze toward the end. Sauce is for dipping.

---

Peg Leg only puts salt on his. Bastes once an hour with apple vinegar/juice mixture. When done, liberally seasons it with the memphis style "rub". He also only used regular charcoal and hickory chunks. I've done them his way twice and the flavor was awesome on both, but my first try left them a little tough (no wrap). The second try, I deviated from Peg Leg's cook time and gave them an extra hour, with an hour of wrap in hour 3 (4 hour cook) and they were about perfect.

That's a long way of saying the memphis style "rubs" aren't really rubs, they are a finishing seasoning. At least that's what they are traditionally.

Truth.BBQ

Ribs like those are my target.

I'm no rib expert, but everyone I've fed mine to has always comeback for seconds.

-baby back ribs, pull membrane and any extra fat

-Rub- whatever you like, I switch around to whatever caught my eye

-Rib rack is key, stand them up on the BGE w/ platesetter

-start at 200-225 for 3 hrs, then I bump to 250

-Bendiness check at 4:30-5 hrs

-Baste and 300 for 30 min (I've been stuck on Williamson Bros)

-I also spray 50/50 mix of apple juice & apple cider vinegar every 30-45 minutes during the cook, before basting

I think the spray mix and the bendiness check are key. Rub and sauce are variables to whatever taste you like.

Seasoning any meat pre-smoking and letting the spices pull some moisture out over time will help with the smoking process, in particular with adding more bark.