Smokin' Meat - Hickory Smoked Ribs

[Shakey]

A couple weeks back Orange Crush started a thread on Moparts asking for different recipes for smoking meat which got me thinking.  Although I've never it myself it was something that I would would like to learn more about.  I was in KS last week and was at a restaurant that had a large smoker out back.  On my way back to the airport I had to kill some time so I stopped to check out what was available.  The first one I saw was mounted on a trailer, about 14' long with two side burners in case you wanted to fry some fish or boil some corn.  It was $2,500.00 USD and a bit much for someone starting out.  I figured I'd buy a cheapo and see how much I like it and in the next few years, work my way up to something a bit larger and more robust as I don't plan on cooking for the town, just the family and friends.

Anyways, I went out last Thursday and purchased a unit and set it up on Friday at the farm.  The unit I bought is basically a charcoal grill with a side fire box.  If I choose to simply char grill some steaks for dinner one night I can use either the lump charcoal or the Mesquite charcoal directly under the meat.  If I have more time, I can smoke the meat all day long by having a fire in the fire box and nothing under the meat. 

My Father-in-Law has Hickory trees in the bush and some already cut and dried in the wood pile by his sugar shack so we chose to use that this weekend for my first try.  After reading up on this process earlier last week I was not expecting things to turn out well as I read that the learning curve for this type of cooking is a long one.  Much to my surprise and everyone's delight, the Hickory smoked ribs turned out excellent.  It took about 5 hours to cook them and they were delicious.  I was pleased and can't wait to head back there to cook something else.

I thought I'd share some pics with you folks and if there is anyone else here that does this, please jump in and share your tips and tricks.

[Shakey]

 

[Shakey]

 

[Charger74]

They look pretty darn tasty.  Glad to hear they turned out that way as well.  May have to think about that someday as well.

[daytonalo]

WELL ITS SETTLED , FIRST ANNUAL D-C MEETING AT YOUR PLACE ! PLEASE FORWARD ADDRESS !!!!!!!!  LARRY O

[Skued]

One thing that you will notice is the more you use it the better it gets!  Seasoning your smoker is just as important as the seasoning the meat.  A seasoned smoker or cast iron cookware are what give each a unique taste and aroma.   One tip. if your smoker doesn't have a water bowel place one in there to help keep your meat from drying out. Good luck and enjoy!                                                                                                                                       

[Shakey]

One thing that you will notice is the more you use it the better it gets!  Seasoning your smoker is just as important as the seasoning the meat.  A seasoned smoker or cast iron cookware are what give each a unique taste and aroma.   One tip. if your smoker doesn't have a water bowel place one in there to help keep your meat from drying out. Good luck and enjoy!                                                                                                                                       

I had it burning on Friday for about 4 hours after I set it up to burn off the oils from the manufacturing process.  Prior to lighting it I misted some cooking oil to help with this curing process.  The metal is a relatively thin gauge and I figured it will only last me about three - four summers before it starts falling apart.  If I am enjoying the smoking process then as much as I did this past weekend then I'll move up to a 1/4" steel version that is a lot more money but a much higher quality.  We'll see how it goes.

As far as the water bowl, I've read that also however with this rib recipe that I used, called the 3-2-1, the two hours in the middle called for the ribs to be double wrapped in tin foil with a splash of apple juice prior to sealing them up.  As mentioned, they turned out great.  The fella that wrote the recipe did mention that using tin foil can be frowned upon in the smoking world but.....

I'm thinking a 5lb - 6lb pork shoulder next and perhaps I'll take your advice and utilize the water bowl.

Thanks the tips.

[Big Sugar]

Thats pretty Nice Shakey ! Carefull with that Mesquite, It can be a little strong, The wife and kids say it gives them the farts ! I'm a hickory fan, Apple ain't to bad either.
I'm on my 3rd Charcoal BBQ now , I've just graduated to a "Primo Komado" 18" Ceramic Cooker. I've done Ribs twice now and am finally getting used to controling the heat in this unit. The Weber Kettle Grills I've been using up till the Ceramic cooker have been great but it was time to move up,
Lighting it is way faster and it's a nice sturdy unit ! I'm looking forward to a nice 14 hour smoked shoulder roast
  Gonna be a great summer !
Good luck with that Smoker ! It's a Real Man's BBQ !


Ron

[Shakey]

Hi Ron,

I was looking at the ceramic ones as well before I decided on this.  I never even considered the electric ones, something just doesn't seem right about those and I've heard that the propane ones are good for controlling the heat but I thought I'd give the charcoal method a try first.  I realize not all of my smokes will turn out great, which is part of learning.

There is no shortage of wood on the property.  In the bush there are tons of Ash & Hickory and there is an apple orchard with plenty of trees as well.

I agree, it'll be a great summer with regards to cook-outs!