Who's smoking meat this weekend?

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Planning to smoke some baby back ribs tomorrow. Is the 3-2-1 method suitable for baby backs? Any recommendations? This is one cut of meat I have not mastered.
 
Did a real quick batch of venison Italian sausage meatballs, was going to bake them but decided to throw them on the pellet smoker instead. Ended up tasting good.
 
As I look at offset smokers, I wonder, is an electric nearly the same concept. I mean one use sticks, the others uses chips of the same wood. I get that how they are lit is different, but seems very similar. Kamados use lump charcoal, iirc. Pellets are essentially electric too, no? I think that different taste I like is charcoal.
 
I've been wanting to make a mod like this to my offset smoker, but have concerns about combustion air supply being adequate in the side chamber and what mod (if any) would need to be made to ensure proper air intake to the flame

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with a burner like this in place, I could utilize a metal pan to keep the wood dust from plugging the burner holes
 
applescrap said:
As I look at offset smokers, I wonder, is an electric nearly the same concept. I mean one use sticks, the others uses chips of the same wood. I get that how they are lit is different, but seems very similar. Kamados use lump charcoal, iirc. Pellets are essentially electric too, no? I think that different taste I like is charcoal.
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Not really the same at all IMHO. An electric smoker uses the electric heat element to generate basically all the heat that cooks your food. The smoldering chips are just contributing flavor. FYI pellets use an electric heat element to truly ignite the pellets--the heat you're cooking with is generated by the burning pellets, NOT the electric heat element. So it's truly cooking with burning wood as the heat source like charcoal or logs.

In an offset, the heat is provided by combustion--whether charcoal in smaller offsets or full on wood coals in larger ones.

As I've talked about previously, wood that hasn't been turned into charcoal contains a TON of volatile organic compounds [VOCs]. Those VOCs, when combusted at a hot enough temperature, are fine to cook over/with. But until the temperature gets hot enough, you end up with the billowy white smoke that's full of a whole bunch of crap that tastes awful. It's why the metric of smoking meat is always the "thin blue smoke".

Think of a bonfire. When you start a bonfire, you get TONS of that big billowy white smoke and everyone stands far away because it's nasty. As that fire builds up a nice hot bed of coals, however, that white smoke goes away. And when the fire is hot enough, you can throw a fresh log on and it still won't create billowy white smoke. Because the core fire is hot enough to combust all those VOCs.

In a small offset [or obviously in a kamado], you can't build a fire big enough to combust the VOCs, or the temperature in the cooking chamber will be way beyond the 225 or 275 you're shooting for. The firebox in an a small offset and the chamber itself are just too small and too close together to do it. So even in a small offset [or kamado] you're building a fire with charcoal and just sprinkling a little bit of wood chunks in there for smoke. You're not using actual wood splits most of the time in smaller offsets.

In big offsets--the giant ones that professionals use--you have a much larger cooking chamber, you have a much larger firebox, and the metal used in construction is very thick to allow temperatures to be insulated from the outside and consistent throughout the chamber. Those offsets can actually use full on logs or split logs of wood, because you can run the firebox quite hot without getting your cooking chamber blazing.

So an offset isn't anything like an electric.
 
@bwarbiany awesome info. That makes total sense to me. I perceive charcoal smoked meat different as well as better than the electric the times that I have done it, which is plenty. I use a big old kingsford gifted to us, but its nothing worth talking about. This post put a lot together for me. Iirc pellet grills can burn those pellets hot and grill as well.

Loved the other smoke post as well. Haha, I want a uds. Are they a decent option?
 
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Baby backs turned out awesome. Best I’ve ever done. More or less did the 2-2-1 method suggested above. Dry rubbed for about 5 hours. Smoked for a little over 2 hours. Wrapped with brown sugar, apple juice, and butter and back into the smoker for 2 hours. Unwrapped, slathered one with home made sauce and left the other dry. Back into the smoker for about 45 min. Delicious!
 
applescrap said:
@bwarbiany awesome info. That makes total sense to me. I perceive charcoal smoked meat different as well as better than the electric the times that I have done it, which is plenty. I use a big old kingsford gifted to us, but its nothing worth talking about. This post put a lot together for me. Iirc pellet grills can burn those pellets hot and grill as well.

Loved the other smoke post as well. Haha, I want a uds. Are they a decent option?
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You can smoke great stuff on an electric. Kinda like brewing... You can do extract, BIAB, three-vessel, HERMS/RIMS, or whatever, and all of them make great beer if the brewer knows what they're doing...

As for the UDS, I've heard nothing but great things. Seems like a really solid concept. Haven't used one myself, though.
 
Brine overnight - standard water, salt, sugar, rum, garlic, bay leaves and pepper. Dry with a paper towel, lay out on cooling rack and have a fan blowing on it for about an hour to form the pellicle. In the smoker for 4 hours with pear tree wood (neighbors tree). Old charcoal smoker, temp said "ideal" for about half the time, then it was "low" for about half the time. How's that for temp control? Good think my beer fermentation temp control is a little more stable! Nothing fancy but comes out great every time. Fish was caught by me on Lake Champlain, so that's a bonus.
 
bwarbiany said:
3-2-1 is typically for spare ribs. Most suggest 2-2-1 for baby back. Baby back are typically smaller, so they don't take quite as long.
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Concur on the baby back. Although last couple times, I've actually done 2-1.5-1 - wanted a bit more stick-to-the-bone. But that was personal preference.
 
My buddy said his ribs he cooked for 3hours at 225 were great. I cool mine closer to 5 hours or more for a super thick rack of baby backs at 275. What am I missing or doing wrong? Maybe it's the wrap, since I dont ever wrap anything.
 
applescrap said:
My buddy said his ribs he cooked for 3hours at 225 were great. I cool mine closer to 5 hours or more for a super thick rack of baby backs at 275. What am I missing or doing wrong? Maybe it's the wrap, since I dont ever wrap anything.
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Not sure. Does he have a clue what he's talking about w/ BBQ? ;)

I don't know how you can cook ribs at 225 and actually finish them in 3 hours, unless he's cooking them completely wrapped the entire time (which is effectively braising them, not smoking them).

If you're cooking in a smoker and not wrapping them, 5 hrs in the 225-275 degree range makes sense. 5 hrs unwrapped might be slightly low at 225, and slightly long at 275 IMHO, but all within range. I have found that the racks at Costco are VERY meaty, so they do take longer than typically supermarket racks which are a little smaller.
 
applescrap said:
My buddy said his ribs he cooked for 3hours at 225 were great. I cool mine closer to 5 hours or more for a super thick rack of baby backs at 275. What am I missing or doing wrong? Maybe it's the wrap, since I dont ever wrap anything.
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If I had a nickle for every time Scrappy brags about not wrapping his meat... :D
 
bwarbiany said:
Not sure. Does he have a clue what he's talking about w/ BBQ? ;)

I don't know how you can cook ribs at 225 and actually finish them in 3 hours, unless he's cooking them completely wrapped the entire time (which is effectively braising them, not smoking them).

If you're cooking in a smoker and not wrapping them, 5 hrs in the 225-275 degree range makes sense. 5 hrs unwrapped might be slightly low at 225, and slightly long at 275 IMHO, but all within range. I have found that the racks at Costco are VERY meaty, so they do take longer than typically supermarket racks which are a little smaller.
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That was my response too. No, hes certain they were amazing, I am certain that my opinion would be different. Glad to have some confirmation that that timing is as ridiculous as it sounded.

Yeah no wrap and some of them can be thick. I like those, it's like a loin and ribs. So unwrapped is a lot longer? Makes sense. I think 5 or 6 hours at 275 sounds bout right. Maybe I should try wrapping ribs?
 
bleme said:
If I had a nickle for every time Scrappy brags about not wrapping his meat... :D
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Not as much as I wish I got a nickel for it! For penultimate scrappy bragging you need to go to the golf thread[emoji3] this is just statement of fact. Sucks to be a Jack of all trades and master of none. Actually pretty good guitar player and wrestler. The rest is smoke and mirrors. I just like talking about my meat[emoji6]
 
applescrap said:
That was my response too. No, hes certain they were amazing, I am certain that my opinion would be different. Glad to have some confirmation that that timing is as ridiculous as it sounded.

Yeah no wrap and some of them can be thick. I like those, it's like a loin and ribs. So unwrapped is a lot longer? Makes sense. I think 5 or 6 hours at 275 sounds bout right. Maybe I should try wrapping ribs?
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Wrapping traps moisture. Moisture is a much more effective method of heat transfer than air. Hence why you can sous vide a steak at 130 degrees and have it at that temperature edge-to-edge in an hour, but if you tried to put it in a 130 degree oven it would take MUCH longer. So since wrapping it effectively braises the meat [bathing it in moisture], it occurs more quickly than just smoking the meat.

However, a braise doesn't necessarily work for BBQ. In a complete start-to-finish braise, you're never going to develop bark. Part of what you want in BBQ is to dry out that very outer layer where you've applied the rub, because the texture and taste of that bark is great.

That's why on brisket and pork but, typically folks will take the IT up to 160 or so, which takes several hours and gives time to develop a bark, then wrap in foil or butcher paper to get it through the stall and speed up the cook. Taken too far, the wrap can cause the bark to deteriorate a bit, but it's still usually good. With brisket, some folks will remove the foil/paper as well for an hour on the smoker at the end to re-set the bark.

With ribs, the idea of the 2-2-1 method is that you start to set the bark in the first two hours, allow the smoke flavor to penetrate the meat, and get the outer texture of a smoked meat. You wrap for 2 hours (or less if you prefer, I often do a 2.5-1.5-1, or a 3-1.5-.5 myself) to speed up the cooking process and tenderize the meat. But then-and this is key with ribs-you unfoil it and let it dry out again before you add the sauce. It helps get that texture where you want it.

Foiling undoubtedly works at ensuring the meat gets tender and remains moist. Whether you want to do it is a matter of preference, though. There are some people that won't foil brisket because they say it ends up tasting like pot roast. I personally don't feel that way. I, for a long time, didn't foil ribs out of more of a "purist" mentality. But I've given up... Everyone likes fall-off-the-bone ribs, and at this point I'd rather please my family/guests than be a purist.
 
applescrap said:
My buddy said his ribs he cooked for 3hours at 225 were great.
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While it seems crazy, it might be true-ish. We don't know all of the details.
Maybes:
Thermometer is wrong or placement is poorly designed.
The starting temp of the meat.
Doesn't keep good time or track of time or doesn't care about time. It's done when it's done.

Probably other what-if's as well.
 
bwarbiany said:
Wrapping traps moisture. Moisture is a much more effective method of heat transfer than air. Hence why you can sous vide a steak at 130 degrees and have it at that temperature edge-to-edge in an hour, but if you tried to put it in a 130 degree oven it would take MUCH longer. So since wrapping it effectively braises the meat [bathing it in moisture], it occurs more quickly than just smoking the meat.

However, a braise doesn't necessarily work for BBQ. In a complete start-to-finish braise, you're never going to develop bark. Part of what you want in BBQ is to dry out that very outer layer where you've applied the rub, because the texture and taste of that bark is great.

That's why on brisket and pork but, typically folks will take the IT up to 160 or so, which takes several hours and gives time to develop a bark, then wrap in foil or butcher paper to get it through the stall and speed up the cook. Taken too far, the wrap can cause the bark to deteriorate a bit, but it's still usually good. With brisket, some folks will remove the foil/paper as well for an hour on the smoker at the end to re-set the bark.

With ribs, the idea of the 2-2-1 method is that you start to set the bark in the first two hours, allow the smoke flavor to penetrate the meat, and get the outer texture of a smoked meat. You wrap for 2 hours (or less if you prefer, I often do a 2.5-1.5-1, or a 3-1.5-.5 myself) to speed up the cooking process and tenderize the meat. But then-and this is key with ribs-you unfoil it and let it dry out again before you add the sauce. It helps get that texture where you want it.

Foiling undoubtedly works at ensuring the meat gets tender and remains moist. Whether you want to do it is a matter of preference, though. There are some people that won't foil brisket because they say it ends up tasting like pot roast. I personally don't feel that way. I, for a long time, didn't foil ribs out of more of a "purist" mentality. But I've given up... Everyone likes fall-off-the-bone ribs, and at this point I'd rather please my family/guests than be a purist.
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That all makes sense. Thanks again for the advice. Had the left over ribs last night and they were still so good. Best ribs to date for me!
 
I do baby backs at 325 in a rack so they're standing on edge. I flip them every 30 minutes - first rotate clockwise, then turn around, then rotate clockwise. That's 2 hours. Then I put them flat and brush with sauce for 20 or 30 minutes. I don't like them smoked for a long time. They taste like ham, which is fine if you want ham.
 
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First attempt at ribs, I’ve done a lot of pulled pork and one brisket and they all have turned out well. Going back and forth on doing a foil wrap or not. I wasn’t going to but after reading the last few posts I might. Either way I’m thinking they will be good.
 
Has anyone done a beef round roast? Someone gave me one a while back and it's time to cook or toss. I assume just cook to 130F. Maybe not even use wood...just go with lump?
 
HoppyDaze said:
Has anyone done a beef round roast? Someone gave me one a while back and it's time to cook or toss. I assume just cook to 130F. Maybe not even use wood...just go with lump?
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We just did a bottom round in the oven last week. Rubbed it all over with garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano, then roasted at 325 for about an hour and 15 minutes, till it was 135. It got up to about 140 when it rested, and it was medium rare. It was about 2.5 pounds, so it was small. I would expect that it would be even better over charcoal!
 
HoppyDaze said:
Has anyone done a beef round roast? Someone gave me one a while back and it's time to cook or toss. I assume just cook to 130F. Maybe not even use wood...just go with lump?
Click to expand...

I did a 5 lb bottom round on Tuesday. Brined it in water and plain table salt for maybe 6 hours, then patted dry. Covered with yellow mustard and then dusted heavily with Trader Joe's Coffee and Garlic BBQ rub. Smoked at 225 on my Kamado, over lump charcoal with mesquite and maple wood chips--decided against chunks since the cooking time was so short. 2 hours brought me exactly to my target of 135F. Was quite honestly the best round roast I've ever had in my life.

Full smoke is here: https://myflameboss.com/en/cooks/466611

Next time I will skip the mustard, as 2hrs isn't enough for it to completely disappear, and probably use more rub. Might add in some cherry wood and back off on the mesquite a bit.
 
HoppyDaze said:
Has anyone done a beef round roast? Someone gave me one a while back and it's time to cook or toss. I assume just cook to 130F. Maybe not even use wood...just go with lump?
Click to expand...
I have. In fact I thought about making my own lunch meat at one point. Yep, 135ish and sliced paper thin. Not a lot of fat, but it makes great roast beef sandwiches. Philly cheese steak, I guess too. Could reverse sear maybe even. They go quick to 140 so have smoke ready. I see many of you already covered this well. Yes quick cook. Brw, I am now rubbing everything I smoke with evoo first. Saw Aaron Franklin do that so figured seems a good idea.
 
What’s the big deal with mustard? I heard it helps with bark, I’ve heard just put it on wet! I’ve haven’t tried mustard on anything yet.
 
benco said:
What’s the big deal with mustard? I heard it helps with bark, I’ve heard just put it on wet! I’ve haven’t tried mustard on anything yet.
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Plain yellow mustard helps thick rubs stick. Doesn’t contribute any flavor. Was my standard process for the past 15 years.
 
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tried a run recipe. Added to Chicken.
Then realized the recipe was for 6# of chicken. I had 2.
Used cherry wood. 1 hour at 300.
Few minutes in coal.
Had a great Smokey flavor and spice was not over powering.
Good, but I could do better
 
At this activity center they said 10 dollar rub activity. Thought ok, I'll give it a try. Realized right away, jar was little, recipes were meh. So I figured I might as well make an all purpose rub/spice and no sugar, or salt. I figured I would add those later. This is kind of what I came up with, it's pretty good. And one thing I like is I can add flavor without salt.

It was
1tbl garlic powder
1 tbl onion powder
1 tbl organics smoked paprika
1tbl chives
1tsp different smoked paprika
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp curry
1/8 tsp chipotle powder
1/8 tsp thyme
 

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