1st Smoke

[Jackie]

My #2 should ship this Friday.  I can't wait.  Food is a great motivator for me.  Is there a secret for easy removal of the membrane on the ribs.  I saw this mentioned in a reply, but I did not find the answer. 

My smoker due to shipping delays comes with a pan for holding juice or water.  It comes with hooks to connect to the shelves, but it seems like most of you put the pan on the bottom near the heat source.

I think I will cook 3 racks of ribs for 5 hours at 240 and then check for doneness.  I like the idea of putting the sauce on last and using the broiler.

Thanks for all the great advice I have seen on the forum.

 

[DivotMaker]

Hi Jackie.  Congrats!!  You'll love the #2, and you are now entering the realm of "Lazy Q," as I call it! 

The easiest way I've found to remove the rib silver skin (credit to Jeff Phillips) is to start in the middle of the rack with a dull knife (I use a butter knife).  Start at one edge, and slowly work the knife under the membrane from one side to the other.  Once you have a "pocket" formed, reach in with your fingers and grab the skin.  Pull up, like trying to lift a suitcase by the handle.  The skin will peel both directions, and you'll remove it clean.  I can pull the membrane from 3 racks in about a minute!  If it tears, just grab the remaining piece with a paper towel, and pull it off.  The paper towel grips the skin like iron, and makes it very easy to get a grip and remove it.

The Lilly Flavor Saver pan is nice, but set it on the bottom, next to the smoke box.  I don't believe hanging from a shelf is the way to go.  The idea is to heat the liquid, which is best done next to the smoke box.  I actually use disposable aluminum "mini loaf" pans...works great, and easy to clean (trash).

Post some pics of your first smoke!

 

[Smokster]

Hi Jackie and welcome to the SI forum.

Good luck with your first smoke, just be sure to leave then in long enough so that they fall off the bone.  For first smokes, especially when you are not use to these smokers, it is common to take them out too early, resulting in them being a bit tough. 

Another common mistake, using too much wood.  For ribs, 2 ozs for your first smoke is enough. You can adjust more or less during your second smoke. More ribs does not mean you need more wood.

In regards to removing the membrane, I start on one end and pry with the opposite end of a spoon enough to lift it up to grab with a paper towel or using my hand.  If you search on YouTube there are lots of videos that show you how to do this.

 

[DivotMaker]

That's how I used to remove the membrane, Tony.  Try the "middle out" method some time - you won't look back!  SO easy!

 

[Jackie]

Wow.  I have a lot to learn, but this forum will help me keep the mistakes to a minimum.  The you tube videos on membrane removal were excellent.

Do you have a preference between baby backs and spare ribs?

Also, my wife likes the big beef ribs she buys from a local rib shack that uses wood in a  smoker made from 55 gallon drums.  I do not remember seeing ribs that big in the grocery stores.  I will go to Sam's Club as some of you suggest. 

Thanks for your replies.

 

[NDKoze]

Personally I like the St Louis cut (spare with the riblets cut off). Costco has them pre-cut for a really good price for a three pack.

I like them because they have a little more meat on them. They do take an extra hour or so to cook though because of the increase in size.

You can't go wrong with baby backs though.

I like beef ribs if I can find good ones. Most of the ones that I see are mostly bone with very little meat.

 

[Smokster]

I prefer baby back ribs over side as I find they have less fat, they have a consistent shape, less trimming and my family prefers them as we'll, but it really depends on your liking.

I recently smoked my first racks of beef ribs and they turned out great, but I agree with Gregg, they are all bone and not much meat on them. I included the link below.

http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=1759.0

Tony, thanks for the tip to remove the membrane from the center, I will have to try it out next time.

 

[Paul Case Luca]

Agree on Lilly flavor savor... Two weeks back stopped using the hanging hooks and set next to the element in the back.... Awesome.

Cut the tabs off in fact.

It's not needed. The aluminum tins are better as no cleanup required.

 

[DivotMaker]

Agree on Lilly flavor savor... Two weeks back stopped using the hanging hooks and set next to the element in the back.... Awesome.

Cut the tabs off in fact.

It's not needed. The aluminum tins are better as no cleanup required.

I almost got one when I first started - glad I figured-out the mini loaf pan trick!  Hanging on the rack just won't get it hot enough to steam.  I think that's one of those products that was invented before folks knew what they were trying to accomplish. 

 

[Jackie]

Thanks for all the good advice.  I already have the small aluminum pans, so I may hang the Lilly flavor savor in my rabbit pen and fill with water.

It seems like the free gifts are helping remove slow moving inventory.  Free wood or reduced shipping would have been more useful, but the cord holder will be used.  Of course, I was not expecting anything extra.

I purchased the premier issue of "Barbeque America".  It seems to have a lot of information for $6.99.  Have you guys read it?  Do you have any "go to" literature that helps with smoking?

 

[DivotMaker]

Thanks for all the good advice.  I already have the small aluminum pans, so I may hang the Lilly flavor savor in my rabbit pen and fill with water.

It seems like the free gifts are helping remove slow moving inventory.  Free wood or reduced shipping would have been more useful, but the cord holder will be used.  Of course, I was not expecting anything extra.

I purchased the premier issue of "Barbeque America".  It seems to have a lot of information for $6.99.  Have you guys read it?  Do you have any "go to" literature that helps with smoking?

Way to "repurpose" the Flavor Saver, Jackie!   Great idea about the shipping, but Steve has no control over that.  It is automatically calculated by FedEx, based on size, weight and location.

As far as "go to" literature - I really don't have any.  I have several different BBQ books, but find that most focus on "traditional" techniques that really don't apply here.  I get much more information right here, in the various boards of our forum.  I also belong to a few other forums, which are a wealth of information, especially for rubs/brines/recipes.  I then try to adapt them to the Lazy Q method!

The best way to start with these smokers is to find a recipe you think looks good, then try to duplicate it exactly.  There are many proven successes on here.  Once you get a few good smokes behind you (or in you, as the case may be), you'll have a lot of the basics down on technique.  Then, customize things to your own tastes, and get creative!  The journey to "Q Nirvana" is a big part of the fun!!!

 

[es1025]

Jackie
I am a big fan of baby backs, more meat imo.  I have posted a couple of recipes in the pork section.  I smoke my babies at 240 for 5.5 hours no peeking with a water pan. I am the toast of the town when I smoke them.  I did try St. Louis cut great tasting but not enough meat. 

the membrane technique works amazingly.  I found that on the web site and been using ever since.  You almost can't mess it up.

 

[DivotMaker]

Forgot to mention about the ribs, Jackie - I'm a baby back fan.  I've had spares my whole life, and love them, but I find the baby backs I get from Sam's to have so much more meat on them!  Folks I smoke for seem to prefer the BBs, too.

 

[Jackie]

I have several different hobbies and I have tried a few forums before, but this is the best one so far.  I appreciate your advice and I have found enough techniques and recipes to try for at least a year.

I saw a few references about vacuum sealers.  Do you mainly use these for freezing left overs?  If you consider these important is there a brand you like?

My scale, apple wood and brining kit came today, boy am I getting hungry.

 

[swthorpe]

Welcome, Jackie!  Sounds like you are gearing up nicely for some smoking fun times!  The scale will come in handy, and I highly recommend a remote thermometer if you don't already have one...I have the maverick model with 2 temp probes - one for smoker temp and one for meat temp.  You won't need to monitor IT for ribs, though, but you will want to check internal temps on other things like chicken, turkey, butts, etc.

I have been thinking about getting a vacuum sealer for left overs...I just did a 7.5# butt last Sunday, and now almost a week later I still have a big bowl of pulled pork left over!  The vacuum sealer would come in handy for this; but for most things that I smoke, we generally finish it up after a few days.

 

[Smokster]

Hey Steve, go for the vacuum sealer, well worth the investment for those leftovers. Sometimes I will make extra to seal and freeze for those quick meals.

 

[DivotMaker]

Agree about the vacuum sealer!  Anybody still on the fence about one of these, here's my advice:  GET ONE!  They're not only fantastic for leftovers, but you can pack fresh meat and keep it for a long time in the freezer.  When you thaw it, it's just like the day you bought it.  I couldn't live without one!  It's as essential as a thermometer, in my toolkit!

 

[bigbassnutt]

I haven't invested in a vacuum sealer yet but have found the Ziploc vacuum bags that use a hand pump work great. I can't find them in local stores but just bought more on Amazon. I sealed some pulled pork and pork loin slices and when I thawed them out they were as good as the day I made them. Actually the pork loin seemed to have better flavor than the day I smoked it, maybe had time for the flavor to penetrate the meat a little more.

 

[swthorpe]

Convinced!  I will be getting one this weekend!  Cheers

 

[DivotMaker]

Which one did you decide on, Steve?