What’s cooking

[DFoster 0]

Ribs -  I didn't have the time to make my own sauce so we went with a store bought rub and "Sticky Fingers Original".   Wife, daughter and 2 grand kids had no complaints.

 

[DWSmith 0]

Man!  Those look great.

[DFoster 0]

13 hours ago, DWSmith said:

Man!  Those look great.

Thank you- time consuming but they came out really good in the end.  

[DWSmith 0]

Time consuming is right!  I usually smoke them for 6 hours.  That doesn't include getting the smoker up to temperature and prepping the ribs.  But it's worth it.

[DFoster 0]

On 8/9/2024 at 3:58 PM, DWSmith said:

Time consuming is right!  I usually smoke them for 6 hours.  That doesn't include getting the smoker up to temperature and prepping the ribs.  But it's worth it.

6 hours is my usual cooking time as well.  It take me about an hour to prep the smoker.  When I first light it I let it get a hot as I can get it and then let the temp fall to 225-250 before placing the meat in. Usually that takes an hour.  I make my own rub and sauce from scratch which requires a couple of hours the day before.  I did ribs yesterday for the family.

The rub is fairly typical-  Brown sugar, paprika, salt, black pepper, chili powder,  garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne.

I make a sweet red sauce for ribs and pulled pork that starts with sautéed onions and garlic in butter. 

Then ketchup, brown sugar, brown mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, dark corn syrup. pineapple juice.

I have a stick burner for a smoker.   It's way more labor intensive than other types of smokers but IMO nothing beats real wood for quality.  There's something to be said for having to babysit the smoker.  Such as that I can't be cleaning the house or doing any of the other jobs that my wife would assign prior to the guest arriving. 😉

 

Six hours later and They're done!

 

 

[MuskyFlyGuy 0]

Thanks for your thorough explanation and pictures. You ended up with an awesome bunch of ribs. 

[DWSmith 0]

I keep it dead simple with a rub of Lawry's seasoned salt and black pepper.  The first time I tried that my wife and I agreed they were the best ribs we'd ever eaten.  YMMV.

[DFoster 0]

On 8/12/2024 at 2:57 PM, MuskyFlyGuy said:

Thanks for your thorough explanation and pictures. You ended up with an awesome bunch of ribs. 

Thanks for the kind words- 

On 8/13/2024 at 9:31 AM, DWSmith said:

I keep it dead simple with a rub of Lawry's seasoned salt and black pepper.  The first time I tried that my wife and I agreed they were the best ribs we'd ever eaten.  YMMV.

Lawry's is great stuff!   Do you prefer ribs without sauce which I believe is Memphis style? 

One of the great things about true wood smoked BBQ is how it varies from place to place.  The types of wood used, red or yellow sauce or dry rubbed or apple cider vinegar, its all good as far as I'm concerned.  There is something to be said for simple because as you know just smoking the meat is a lot of work and time consuming.  There are many great commercial rubs and sauces available.  Personally I enjoy experimenting with making my own rubs and sauces..  We only use our smoker 3-5 times per summer and as it's generally going to be an all day affair anyway I go all in.  Sometimes I get great results and sometimes not so great- kind of like my fly patterns.  Over the years we have found a few favorite recipes that we keep going back to.  Finding them and occasionally a finding a new one to keep is all part of the fun. This is why I could never be a Vegan.😁

[DWSmith 0]

I'll eat them with sauce or without sauce.  As long as they taste good I'm a fan!  😁

I grew up in St. Louis and started grilling for my parents and siblings when I was around 11 years old.  Definitely learned from my mistakes.  Always put Maull's barbecue sauce on all meats.  It's sort of a red mop sauce with a spicy kick.  I swear that stuff flowed through my veins during the summers.

[DFoster 0]

From the smoker- brisket and meatloaf.   Sides-  corn, potato salad and tomato/cucumber salad with feta.  My only complaint was the terrible low carb beer.  🤢

[DFoster 0]

The power and phone lines from the pole to our home run about 150' through a wooded area.  In several spots the trees above the lines could be a potential expensive problem given the looming winter apocalypse.   I asked my friend to help me clear them.  He's one of the lineman supervisors where I work and using a line truck he made quick work of the job.  It took me 2 days after work to saw up and break down the cut limbs.   He wouldn't take any money so my wife and I decided to provide a steak dinner.  Thick cut ribeye's with a homemade coffee rub and grilled on apple wood.    

 

[flytire 0]

what, nothing for squatch? again!

[DFoster 0]

Well, if you ever find your way back to Charlton MA in your travels reach out to me.  My wife and I will gladly feed the "Squatch".😊

[Mark Knapp 0]

Everything looks yummy you guys.

[flytire 0]

5 hours ago, DFoster said:

Well, if you ever find your way back to Charlton MA in your travels reach out to me.  My wife and I will gladly feed the "Squatch".😊

i mss going to glen echo lake to the family's cottage and the trips to dresser hill for ice cream