Hello,
I made these ribs a few weeks ago and I am finally getting around to writing about them. It was a little chilly outside but I decided to go for it since I like to barbecue in all weather. It’s fun! You’ll see there is some snow and ice on the ground later.
Once again we got the meat from our favorite store, Onega meat processing. The ribs were 2.38 lbs. I trimmed the back, removed the skirt and the membrane.
Being from North Carolina, I love using vinegar products on pork. I use plain yellow mustard as both an adhesive for my rub and as a meat tenderizer. The acetic acid in the vinegar helps break down meat fibers and gives the pork a distinct flavor. I don’t use a lot, a little goes a long way. Just make a nice thin layer; enough to apply some rub and add to the complexity of the flavor. Plus too much mustard makes the bark mushy, which I do not like.
I used the same Table Rub I used for the Cuban steaks. After finding the rub OK for beef, I wanted to see how well it worked with pork. After placing a thin layer of mustard on the ribs and coating them in rub, I let them set in the fridge overnight. The next day I preheated the smoker to 225 degrees, loaded up the BBQ Salver and away we go.
I smoked them around four hours, when it probably should have taken a little under three hours. The smoker was not liking the cold weather and I had a hard time keeping the temp around 225 degrees! I used a combination of woods: 75% lump oak and 25% pecan. I use lump charcoal whenever possible and I use Best Choice. I use it because it’s the Royal Oak brand in a Best Choice bag. Pecan gives the meat a nice mellow flavor that hickory and mesquite can’t match. I put a few chunks of pecan in the firebox every hour for the first three hours. Anymore than that and I find ribs to be over-smoked.
I also decided not to use foil to speed up the cooking process. Here is an explanation for those who have no idea what I’m talking about. I got the ribs up to an internal temperature of 185 degrees and then threw them on the grill to finish them off with a nice crusty bark. I don’t like using barbecue sauce on my meat; I like the bark. I use sauce for contests and for parties, but that’s it. I like to taste the rub and the meat, nothing else.
The Table Rub worked very well on the pork spare ribs. I loved the bold, complex flavors mixed with the mustard. The Coriander was present but not too overwhelming.
Closing thoughts:
This turned out pretty well. The only think I can think of to improve the ribs is to keep them on until the temp is around 190-195. They were a little underdone, but close enough that they were still good.
Happy cooking!
Jer
18th & Swine 