Question for the BBQ enthusiasts

[Laura PourMeADrink]

JUST bought this and my husband is putting it together. (So, I figure we can start grilling sometime tonight :&gt

I have a rack of organic baby backs. Any good rubs/glaze ideas welcom

There are no instructions for cooking. Should we put the ribs in the big part and just smoking wood chips on the other side? Or wood? Or charcoal??

[OffWithTheirHeads]

1. My current favorite rub

http://azstarnet.com/lifestyles/food-and-cooking/recipes/baby-ribs-plus-bubba-s-recipe-and-you-ll-look/article_1a43941e-8ea7-52f8-a8b9-7ce27e1d30b3.html

Also, Hoison sauce makes a great BBQ sauce.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

8. thanks OWTH - will try. Do you use just Hoison? or make something with it?

[OffWithTheirHeads]

9. Actually, I spelled it wrong, it"s Hoisin and I just slather it on. About a year ago

I bought myself a nice, 14" cast iron Wok and a bunch of Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Thi cookbooks and started learning about the wonders of Asian flavors. The books are focused on real Asian cooking, not the stuff you get at the local Chinese takeout place and the flavors and ingredients are amazing! I've learned to make at least a dozen sauces that are not like anything you have ever tasted before and some of them adapt really well to "western" food. My wife has used Hoisin to add to "Western" gravy with blow your mind results. The possibilities are endless. Finding and learning to use some of the ingredients has proved to be a challange. You often don't know what you are looking for even looks like and often the product is labled in Kanji with, if you're lucky, a small English description but, once you get the hang of it, all I can say is that has really changed my outlook on cooking. Also, if you have a real Asian market you can shop at, the prices are a lot less than trying to buy this stuff from a standard supermarket. Examples; Ginger at Safeway, $3.99 a #. At the Asian market; $0.99 per #. Hoisin Sauce at Safeway, $4.00 to $7.00 per pint. At the Asian market, about $1.99 to $2.50 per quart.

Oh yeah, my wife just figured out that you can't make better fired eggs than in a well seasoned Wok. They come out nice, round and pretty as well as you can really control how well they get done.

P.S. Dong the dry rub on the baybe backs for the thrd time Wed.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

12. Sounds very cool. Do you make authentic fried rice? Used to go

to a great Chinese restaurant in Hartford who made the best. Brown and unbelievably tasty. I haven't anything
near the same ever. White rice with frozen peas and carrots thrown in. UGH

[evlbstrd]

2. It will need to be "seasoned" first.

Coat the interior with veggie oil and start a fire in the firebox. When you smoke the ribs, use charcoal and your choice of wood (hickory, mesquite, apple, etc.). Low heat and slow cooking does the trick.

This web site will help a lot!
http://www.kcbs.us/

[Laura PourMeADrink]

7. coat the inside and then how long do you need to have your fire burn. The very poor

instructions said to coat - but then never went on to explain the remainder of the process.

[evlbstrd]

10. About four hours or so.

The length of time isn't critical.
And look at the smaller firebox end. There's a little sliding door there. At the other end, on top of the chimney, is a little swivelled cover. Adjusting those two openings controls the air flow.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

13. thanks E !

[evlbstrd]

15. Happy smoking!

[evlbstrd]

16. And here's a hometown dry rub recipe.

http://www.food.com/recipe/gates-sons-kc-bbq-rub-16732

And his secret is basting with pickle juice.

[Major Nikon]

3. What you have is an offset BBQ cooker

You put the wood or charcoal (or both) in the firebox and control the temperature by the airflow going through the firebox.

Pull off the silverskin on the backside of the ribs, rub with a homemade or commercial rub, smoke for 3-4 hours @ 250F, glaze with BBQ sauce, wrap them in foil, and cook them for another 2-3 hours @ 250F.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

5. Thanks....We ended up postponing our rib cooking because I read I needed to season

the grill first.

So, you don't put any charcoal or wood in the big side, where the meat is ? Just fuel the small side (firebox). Didn't see a airflow control between the firebox and the big grill side. But, I will go look.

[Major Nikon]

11. Here's how they work...

The heat is controlled by one or two dampeners, usually one on the firebox and other on the flue. By controlling the airflow, you control the temperature, which basically means you have to babysit them while you sit outside and drink beer. There are temperature control kits you can buy which electronically control the ventilation/temperature. They are also generally hotter closer to the firebox.

This is how a reverse flow offset works. You may have a direct flow offset which has no reversing chamber and the smoke and heat flow directly from the fire box to the flue. I suggest you use charcoal for your primary fuel and add chunks of wood sparingly to get your smoke flavor. If there is a shelf inside the fire box, put a pan of water inside during cooking. Just do a search on offset bbq and you'll find a ton of information.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

14. thanks MN...think I finally get it, duh. and yes, it does seem like it will

require some babysitting. But, it will be totally worth it !

[Major Nikon]

17. If yer into drinking beer or just sitting outside and watching the world go by, it's part of the fun

You can make some really good BBQ with an offset cooker, but there is a bit of a learning curve. Practice good temperature control and practice on cheaper cuts of meat like chicken until you get the hang of it.

[opiate69]

4. First off, congrats! Nice grill/smoker you got there.. now, from my grilling "bible"...

Rub:
2 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tblsp paprika
4 tsp each gran sugar, chile powder.
2 tsp each dry mustard, fresh ground black pepper.

If you want to make your own sauce,
1 Cup apple juice
1/2 Cup ketchup
3 Tblsp cider vinegar
1 Tblsp soy sauce
2 Tsp molasses
1/2 tsp each chile powder, garlic powder, dry mustard.
1/4 tsp each kosher salt and ground pepper.

combine in small sauce pan and simmer 5 minutes. Set aside until ready to apply.

Now, a step many people either miss or don't know about... about every hour that the ribs are cooking, you're going to want to baste them with a "mop" made of:
3/4 cup each red wine vinegar and water
2 Tblsp soy sauce.

Then use "indirect heat" to cook the ribs, keeping the temp between 250° and 300°.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

6. thanks Opiate. Bet the rub and sauce make all the difference in the world. I made

a brisket not too long ago and the sauce was not great. almost need to experiment on a small scale before making a huge batch and not getting the 100% perfect we want.