Smoking Pork Spare Ribs Today

[RickyBobby26]

I'll be smoking competition style spare ribs tomorrow. I'm gonna trim them down St. Louis style then I'll be rubbing it with my own home made rib rub. Using the 3-2-1 method and adding butter, brown sugar, honey, and tiger sauce when I foil them. I might use a chipotle BBQ sauce to finish them up with a nice glaze.

Cool. But won't 3-2-1 make them too tender for a KCBS competition?

 

[Gary Goodson]

Cool. But won't 3-2-1 make them too tender for a KCBS competition?

Nope. It's more of a modified 3-2-1. I don't actually go 6 hours. More like 4 1/2 or maybe 5 hrs.

Even after the foil they stay on the bone, but will have a good bite to them.

 

[RickyBobby26]

I splurged on a late-year vacation a couple weeks ago and attended Myron Mixon's (Jack's Old South) BBQ school at his house. It was a lot of fun.

 

[RickyBobby26]

Nope. It's more of a modified 3-2-1. I don't actually go 6 hours. More like 4 1/2 or maybe 5 hrs.

Even after the foil they stay on the bone, but will have a good bite to them.

At 250 degrees, or higher?

 

[Gary Goodson]

I splurged on a late-year vacation a couple weeks ago and attended Myron Mixon's (Jack's Old South) BBQ school at his house. It was a lot of fun.

That's awesome man!

 

[Gary Goodson]

At 250 degrees, or higher?

225-250 and I'll only add enough smoke to enhance the flavor. Not over power it.

Being from tx my folks like mesquite, but I prefer oak and apple wood.

 

[RickyBobby26]

225-250 and I'll only add enough smoke to enhance the flavor. Not over power it.

Being from tx my folks like mesquite, but I prefer oak and apple wood.

I find mesquite a bit overpowering. I like apple, pecan, and cherry. And a little red oak.

 

[cat of curiosity]

225-250 and I'll only add enough smoke to enhance the flavor. Not over power it.

Being from tx my folks like mesquite, but I prefer oak and apple wood.

god, thank you! mesquite is never an 'end all', you make me howngray...

 

[RickyBobby26]

So what kinda smokers do you guys have? I really want a wood smoker. Maybe next year.

 

[Gary Goodson]

I find mesquite a bit overpowering. I like apple, pecan, and cherry. And a little red oak.

Yea I grew up only knowing mesquite and now I can't stand it. I won't even buy it these days. What I will do is burn it down to coals and use it for grilling. That's about the only way to keep it from taking over.

 

[Gary Goodson]

So what kinda smokers do you guys have? I really want a wood smoker. Maybe next year.

I've used bullet style smokers like yours and even smoked on my Weber kettle. I like stick burners though. I just got a Oklahoma Joe because it was on clearance. Then I modified it with a heat deflector and tuning plates, added a gasket to the door and latches to hold it shut tight. And I bought a fire basket for it. My damn thermometers are off, so I ordered a pair on Amazon today.

 

[RickyBobby26]

Here they are after 5 hours at 225-230. My family likes a dark lively crust, so I usually don't foil them while they're on the smoker. I foil them for a while after I take them off the smoker.

 

[bu$hleaguer]

Looks dank dude, how'd they come out? I personally like to rub my meat the day before and let the cure happen for 24 hours, but I'm not a natural Texan either, so I may break the rules

 

[Observe & Report]

that looks like the perfect thing to wash down with some Mystic Mountain Blueberry PowerAdeⓇ

 

[RickyBobby26]

Looks dank dude, how'd they come out? I personally like to rub my meat the day before and let the cure happen for 24 hours, but I'm not a natural Texan either, so I may break the rules

They turned out great. Tender with a slightly sweet, barky crust.

They took 7 hours at 225-230.

The good thing is I have another 3 half-racks for next weekend. But my wife wants me to smoke a brisket instead.

So much meat, so little time.

 

[RickyBobby26]

Here's the whole hog we cooked at Myron Mixon's BBQ school in November:

 

[RickyBobby26]

And here's the smoker I want. A stick-burning water smoker. It's only $4000.

 

[Gary Goodson]

Here's the whole hog we cooked at Myron Mixon's BBQ school in November:

View attachment 3845416

Funny that you posted this pic. I woke up and told my wife about a nightmare I had last night. In the dream I was smoking a whole hog and went to sleep, when I woke up the hog was ruined! It was all burnt and crispy!

My wife just shook her head and called me a fat ass lol that's the shit that haunts me in my sleep.

 

[RickyBobby26]

Here was "the little lady" before we began prepping her for the smoker. She was 160 lbs dressed.

 

[RickyBobby26]

I'll be smoking competition style spare ribs tomorrow. I'm gonna trim them down St. Louis style then I'll be rubbing it with my own home made rib rub. Using the 3-2-1 method and adding butter, brown sugar, honey, and tiger sauce when I foil them. I might use a chipotle BBQ sauce to finish them up with a nice glaze.

I bought the Kosmos KCBC Competition videos, where they show their exact process for their competition cooks of chicken, ribs, brisket, and pork butt. For ribs, they use the honey and brown sugar foil wrap after 2-3 hours, with apple juice as well. But he does something I've never seen anyone do with pork spare ribs: he wet brines them in the refrigerator for a few hours before applying rub.

Johnny Trigg also uses honey, brown sugar, and Parkay squeezable mid-cook on his ribs. And he's known as the "Godfather of BBQ", with ribs being his specialty.

So I figured I would see much of the same at Myron Mixon's BBQ school back in November, but I was surprised. For ribs, he does not use honey, brown sugar, or anything else as an additive mid-cook. His rub and finishing sauce is a bit sweet though, with some honey and brown sugar.