Quick dumb question... (now with cook pics...FINISHED)

[M38A1]

Can lump charcoal be started in a charcoal chimney quickly? OR should I go with a Kingsford type?

Just got a wild hair to do some ribs for dinner for serving about 7pm and 'gotta get the fire going NOW. Will also be trying just sticks for the first time. Hickory.

Thx

[Grumpy Gator]

Yeah, lump starts just fine in a chimney... Plenty of sparks, too :)

[oldsaintd]

Yes it actually starts quicker than briquettes, a few minutes is all mine took this weekend

[M38A1]

Thx guys. Charcoal started.

Now as I run to the pantry, I'm out of Wooster so I figured I'll try teriyaki but out of that as well. I guess it's time to try the yellow mustard trick, eh? lol....... Hope it works on pork spares. Thoughts?

Thx again.

[Buckeye]

Slow down.....you'll do fine! Mustard will werk.
Remember...ya can't rush quality. 8)

[M38A1]

Slow down.....you'll do fine! Mustard will werk.
Remember...ya can't rush quality. 8)

Buckeye - you're right. After reading your post I remembered our motto... "when it's done - it's done". So...... I'll just ratchet it back a few notches.

I'm using David Brace's Jalapeno Mustard with Bills Brisket Rub on one rack and I'll try olive oil and John Henry's East Texas Pecan Rub on the other. Also trying sticks only this time.

Never done the mustard thing before, nor cooked sticks only so this will be a good exercise!

[TAR RIVER RAT]

That DB mustard is the real stuff. I use it on anything I need mustard on.
TarRIB

[rstcso]

Can lump charcoal be started in a charcoal chimney quickly? OR should I go with a Kingsford type?
Don't you have a weedburner?

[Zeeman]

:shock:

[M38A1]

Man - this just isn't my day to cook!

No, don't have the weedburner (yet) but it sure would come in handy right now.

Yesterday I picked up a bag (2cuft) of Big John's Hickory from Albertsons. Big John's says they are based out of Ft. Worth. The fire gets going with the coals, and I add the first stick. 20 minutes later, it's sizzling and leaking out the lower end. The damn wood isn't seasoned! Argh.....

Will it dry sufficiently sitting next to the fire on it's own? Or will it give off a horrible taste if I do that trying to dry it out?

[gsmith]

If the pieces are very small then they will dry on top of the firebox. I had some cherry that I cut very small and they dried out fairly quick.

[Buckeye]

:evil: :x Unseesoned wood sux!

[M38A1]

:evil: :x Unseesoned wood sux!

'specially when you've got no other wood around 'cept little-teeny-tiny pcs! I made it back to return the big ***** bag of wet hickory and then over to the other store and purchased a smaller bag of hickory and one of mesquite, both from INSIDE the store.

Big Johns Wood is no longer on my list of "must have's".

Pit is up and holding 225*F on a diet of smaller chunks with them all getting pre-heated on the top of the firebox first.

[Buckeye]

At leest ya got ta retern tha wood. I coodn't retern mine cuz they were closed for tha weekend. Spent 3/4 of tha time with tha log lighter stuck in tha firebox. :x Not a good Q'n day.

[jshively]

You need a weed burner also. Really get the fuel source going:

http://server2.ihostphotos.com/imgt/112869.jpg (http://server2.ihostphotos.com/show.php?id=112869)

[M38A1]

I just ate the 'cooks treats', or the back flap what-cha-call-it when you trim them up St. Louis style. After an hour and a half, they were very tasty indeed!

Here's the two racks just before putting in the pit. On the right is DB's Jalapeno Mustard and Bills Rub. The left is Teriyaki (I found some) and John Henry's Pecan rub.

http://www.m38a1.com/g503/060412a.jpg

[M38A1]

Next question......

They've been on four (4) hours running between 225-250*F. The bone is beginning go pull back a bit but it doesn't wiggle easily. Should I go ahead and foil them or let 'em go? I've got another 2 hours I'm guessing if I had followed the 321 method. Haven't NOT foiled so I'm kind of lost on what to look for. Zeeman - help a brother out!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.m38a1.com/g503/060412c.jpg


And this is also my first time with sticks only. Does this look about right? Too hot? Too cold? Good bed of coals and the pre-heated sticks fire right up when placed on the coal bed. Temps 225-250*F are fairly easily maintained with this look:
http://www.m38a1.com/g503/060412b.jpg

[Zeeman]

If me, I'd let them go(best part of 7 hours). I like the texture that non-foiling gives the meat. But if ya want to save about 1 - 1.5 hours and like a sligh mush texture and most meat pulling off bone (really over tender to me) bone with each bite, I'd do the 3-2-1 thing. Glaze about 30 minures before taking them off.

I do foil at time, depending on situation.
z

[Zeeman]

OH yea, look just fine.
z

[osd]

Them look almost good enough to eat :lol: BUT, just to be sure --send a sample :wink:

[M38A1]

Well, here's 5.75 hours and the TPJ Pineapple Hab just went on. I'll let 'em go another 30 minutes according to Zee and tug a bone to see what happens. Firebox is to the right of the ribs and doing MUCH better with dried hickory from a friends stash. (that and a bit of mesquite too)

http://www.m38a1.com/g503/060412d.jpg

[txbbqcarrie]

Looking good, what time is dinner? :wink:

[M38A1]

Looking good, what time is dinner? :wink:

True TxBBQRub forum answer - "When it's done".















Maybe 7pm ish....

[txbbqcarrie]

Just in time for American Idol. :)

[dilley340]

Man, that looks good M38A1! 8) A Wednesday "Q"... awesome. Rained all day here. :cry:

Doug

[vinman]

Looks great M38A1!
I bet all of the hassle you went through will make them taste even better :wink:

[deputynrc]

YUMMMM!!!

[gsmith]

Ribs look good! I have learned through your cook. Thanks.

[david brace]

Buckeye - you're right. After reading your post I remembered our motto... "when it's done - it's done". So...... I'll just ratchet it back a few notches.

I'm using David Brace's Jalapeno Mustard with Bills Brisket Rub on one rack and I'll try olive oil and John Henry's East Texas Pecan Rub on the other.
Jeepers (no pun) ain't you the name-dropper!!!

DB

[david brace]

Now that I've read the rest of the posts :oops: I gotta say those ribs look like GOOOOOOOOOD stuff. Tell us how it turned out.

And should I re-order more mustard?

DB

[M38A1]

Well, they're done and not many "plan-aheads" in the fridge! The wifey and a friend pretty much wiped them out.

I couldn't believe the difference between the two racks as far as tenderness. Now I know why the bbq comp guys cook several, (as in lots) of racks to get the best ones.

Turns out they were the same brand, purchased at the same time at the same location and cooked the same albeit different binders and rubs. I don't think the preparation had any effect on one being really tender/fall off the bone and the other a bit tougher.

In the end, I enjoyed the Jalapeno Mustard binder with TxBBQRub's mix better than the teriyaki binder with John Henry's Pecan rub. Both had TPJ's Pineapple Hab. I'm liking the Hickory and Mesquite blend too.

Wound up being two 'firsts' for me. 1)Trying a yellow mustard binder, and 2) going all stick 'cept for the initial charcoal to get it going. Also didn't foil this time and it worked well.

So here's my finished picture of the evening:
http://www.m38a1.com/g503/060412e.jpg

[Zeeman]

Those ribs in your last pic look really good, just my kinda rib. I can see on the end of the closest bone that it is just starting to pull away. Man, I got to Q some ribs :lol: I like Ribs :wink:
z

[txpgapro]

Very nice job!! You better be ready for Qfest as all the "rookies" get stuck do the cooking! :lol:

[david brace]

beautiful color on those ribs. GREAT job !!!

DB

[Buckeye]

So how did it go for burnin' strate wood? :roll: How wuz tha fire management?

[TexLaw]

Man, those look good, M38! You just have to relax and Q those suckers. Don't worry about the clock. They will be done, like you said, when they're done.

At first I thought that fire looked a little big, but if it works right, then it's perfect. That's all there is to that. You do what works for your pit. If it works, then it's right. :D

And, I'm with Z on the foil. I'm glad to see you went ahead and gave it a shot that way. As far as the tenderness, your preparation had nothing to do with that. You just got two different pigs in the pit. One must've been a lot grumpier while he was still on his feet. :D

Again, great lookin' stuff!


TL

[Texas 1836]

Outstanding M38A1!! Like the glaze touch, too. When someone gets a minute, can they explaing the 3-2-1 thing to me? Im a lot slower than I look!

[TexLaw]

Cook for three hours with no foil, two hours in foil, one more hour with no foil. That's 3-2-1.

Many folks shorten that 2, as well, and put some more time on the front or back end. It's a matter of what you like in your ribs. The longer you keep them in the foil, the softer the meat will be.

I don't use foil at all, and there are plenty like me, too.


TL

[gsmith]

those look awesome!

[Michiana Mark]

[quote="Zeeman"] I like Ribs



I've heard that some where before about you Z. M38A1 Nice job all around.

[M38A1]

Thanks for the kind comments....

First off Mike - I' not a Rookie anymore - I'm a guru so some other Rookie can cook! (ah, I'll cook.......)

Buckeye, I just loved the sticks only. Well, actually they were more chunks but when that's all you've got, well, it's all you've got! Next day or so I'll head out to get some 'real' sticks and give it a whirl. I think I'm hooked on sticks only since it was very easy. Takes getting used to by not seeing a huge pile of 'something', but it worked well.

TexLaw - That picture was shot about 30 seconds after putting a pre-heated stick on and it sort of 'exploded' into flames. For the most part, there really wasn't much 'fire' you could see more than about a couple inches of flame. It just sort of smoldered and was hot enough to ignite the pre-pre-heated stuff on the firebox grate around the perimeter. As for the foil/not foil - I'm going to go "No" foil for the next several cooks. They just seemed a bit different in a better way that I can't describe. As for the one rack being more tender, I like the grumpy old pig line and will tell the wifey that one!

DB- The color came from the teriyaki and rub combo. This picture was from that combination and was a much deeper red than the mustard base. The pine hab seemed to just make it 'glisten' about 30 minutes after application.

Again, it was a great Wednesday cook, I learned a lot more about my pit and how to do ribs and most important - couldn't have done it without the forum's input and coaching.

THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[HoosierTrooper]

Those ribs look awesome. Great job. I think well cooked ribs like these are one of the best looking foods to come out of a smoker.

[M38A1]

I was thinking about what makes them 'different' than foiling and I think I've determined the bark or exterior is the main difference. It's a bit more cooked and thus 'chewy' with tremendous flavor.

So..... I believe my future ribs will be no foil for a while.

[rstcso]

I've always foiled, but I'm going to try the next batch naked! Those look incredible. Thanks for the pictures.

[PhotoKirk]

Looks really good! My mother-in-law has requested ribs while she is here, I'll try them with no foil.

[serialgriller]

those look great, M38 :!: nice job.

[TAR RIVER RAT]

They do look great. Guess who LOVES ribs????????????????
Tarrib

[Zeeman]

They do look great. Guess who LOVES ribs????????????????
Tarrib

ZEEMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Z

[vinman]

ZEEMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Z



I love ribs too!
Especially ones that look that good.

[cleglue]

M38A1,

Great job on the ribs!

I've tried all wood except for lump to get the fire going. I have a small offset so I had split very small sticks. It worked pretty well but I had to keep a small flame or the smoke would be thick and not the light blue. I had to keep the damper on the firebox open and also keep the door cracked about all day.

Were you able to keep a light blue smoke? I put sticks on top of the firebox, then inside the firebox, then in the coals. These super hot sticks wood catch up very quickly almost instantly. I have read and also have been told not to use the bark on the wood. Maybe someone here can answer that question. The wood I use is very seasoned so when I split it the bark is easy to remove. Someone told me if the bark doesn't come off after it catching fire the bark usually comes off and they would take tongs and remove the bark from the fire pit.

http://usera.imagecave.com/cleglue/FireManagement/

[M38A1]

Cleglue-
For the most part it was a fairly light smoke. There were a few times where it went pretty heavy, but that was only noticible after putting on sticks that had NOT been preheated.
~m

[dilley340]

The ribs turned out great M38A1. :D

cleglue, great pix on the stix :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

[Texas 1836]

Cook for three hours with no foil, two hours in foil, one more hour with no foil. That's 3-2-1.

Many folks shorten that 2, as well, and put some more time on the front or back end. It's a matter of what you like in your ribs. The longer you keep them in the foil, the softer the meat will be.

I don't use foil at all, and there are plenty like me, too.


TL

Thanks TexLaw, may try it both ways this weekend.

[HookEm]

I have three little ones in the house and have found that foiling makes them easier for little mouths to negotiate. Next time maybe I'll do a little side-by-side...