Choosing
the right meat is paramount to smoking great ribs and due consideration
needs to be given to the preparation and technique used for smoking
them to get the best results.
First
of all, the key to great ribs is marinating them prior to smoking, and
then applying your chosen rub just before putting them in the smoker.
While marination and adding
a dry rub is a matter of preference, removing the membrane is something
that is vital and has to be done before cooking ribs.
The
purpose of removing the membrane, apart from the fact that it will make
the meat unpleasantly chewy, is to help the smoker impart its flavors
to the ribs which in turn helps to cook the ribs better as well.
How to remove the membrane from ribs
Removing the membrane from ribs is fairly straightforward.
Take
the ribs and place them down onto a hygienic surface with the bone side
facing upwards, and if you look to the corners of the ribs you will
notice what appears to be a thin plastic-looking film – this is the
membrane.
Take
a regular fork, and starting at the corners, pick at the membrane to
loosen it a little, and then take a small piece of kitchen towel, grab
the membrane edge and pull it away from the ribs in one smooth, gently
movement.
Practice
makes perfect, and the more you do it, the better you will get. It
won't take long before you are proficient at removing in the membrane,
and before long you will be able to remove it with ease.
Smoking Ribs – Low and Slow
Rushing ribs is a no-no, and patience is the key to smoking them properly.
Using the “low-and-slow” method of cooking will always produce considerably better results, than rushing them on a higher heat.
Let
your ribs come up to around 230 or less for around 6 hours, allowing
the internal temperature to hit 170 degrees, and at this temperature,
they will turn out nice and succulent.
Recommended Products
For Your Smoker
Boiling Ribs – a.k.a. The demise of good ribs
As
with any food, boiling them takes out the flavor and reduces
nutritional value, this is a fact. People who swear by boiling ribs
first are making them tender, without a doubt.
What also happens is
that the flavor disappears too, meaning that the only way to get them
tasting good is to add copious quantities of rub and sauce to make up
for the shortfall in the natural delicious flavor of the meat.
Do NOT boil ribs if you want them to taste good!
Basting Ribs
Saucing
ribs and serving them the way you like them is your choice and
preference, though I prefer to avoid saucing and basting them during
cooking as it is quite uneccessary as the ribs carry a great deal of
flavor on their own, and this is surely what cooking great ribs is all
about.
Serving a sauce on the side with ribs is the best way to go.
In
a nutshell, prepare your ribs properly, smoke them well without
over-cooking, and avoid boiling and basting them, and you will not go
wrong.
