Ribs 101 By Mad Coyote Joe

Ribs 101

By Mad Coyote Joe

            When it comes to cooking over an open flame many foods are revered.  Chicken, steak and brisket are all held in the highest esteem.  But the benchmark for a grilling guru has to be ribs and pork ribs in particular.

            For the beginner or someone that doesn’t have the time to work a barbecue masterpiece, baby-back ribs are fine. But for the pinnacle of the smoking world, spare ribs are where it’s at.

            Spareribs like all legendary regional or ethnic cooking traditions are based in a few realities.  People of limited means use a product that is inexpensive and readily available where they live.  Spare ribs are tougher and fattier than baby-backs.  So they cost less.  This why poor people in the American south, spent the time it took, to figure out how to make them so wonderful.

            Making perfect ribs every time is easy if you follow the simple rules below.  The questions are fuel, sauce verses rubs and how do we make them fall off the bone tender.  Once you have these basics down then you can add your own touches creating your own masterpiece.  You too, will then be the stuff, of family cooking legends.

            When thinking of cuts of both beef and pork I put them into two categories, tough and tender.  Tender cuts are those that are seared rapidly, retaining the natural juices and flavor.  They do not need long slow cooking.  They include steaks, chops, tenderloins and rib roasts.  When talking about cooking meat I do not think in terms of time but instead internal temperature.  I measure this with an instant read, digital meat thermometer placed at the center of the thickest part of whatever cut I am cooking.

            With beef the tender cuts are those that you would serve rare or medium rare, which means an internal temperature of 124° to 132°.  With tender pork cuts we look at two temperatures.  Tenderloins are now being served pink in the center, which is an internal temperature of 145°.  For other tender cuts of pork done, which is fully cooked but still very juicy, is 165°

            For both pork and beef tough cuts are those that benefit from long, slow cooking.   Pot roast, pork shoulder, chuck roast, seven bone roast, flank steak, brisket and spare ribs all fall into this category.  These cuts are less expensive and traditionally have a higher fat content.  They need to be cooked to an internal temperature of 192°f. 

            What happens in the long slow cooking process? We’ve all taken a roast out of the oven that was so tough that it felt like rubber, the proverbial “tough as an old boot.” Think about a dishtowel that is slowly being twisted.  This is what happens in the slow cooking process, the fibers in the meat get tighter and tighter.  Around 160°f if you would cut into the meat it would look fully cooked but too tough to eat.  At this point many people give up, believing the meat is ruined.  But put it back it the oven, grill or smoker and continue cooking and when it reaches an internal temperature of exactly 192°f the collagen is released.  The meat literally breaks, the fibers in the meat, like twisting a dishtowel, have turned so far that they rip apart.  At this point the now ripped fibers soak up the fat and collagen giving it that fork tender, mouth-watering flavor.

            People often ask me if I pre-boil my ribs… NO, NO, NO, NO, NEVER!  Boiling removes flavor.  I start my fire either in my smoker or on one side of my grill.  I place the ribs as close to the coals as I can get them without being directly over them.  Then I stand there and watch, turning often.  As soon as I get some caramelizing on the outside of the ribs I move the ribs as far away from the heat as I can and close the lid, making sure the vents are open.  The rule of thumb with pork is low and slow.  If your smoker has a thermometer try to maintain 190° to 225°.  With ribs you do not need a thermometer.  You need to cook them with the right fuel for the proper amount of time.  Keep an eye on the ribs and if using a basting sauce, baste and turn every 45 minutes or so.  You will see the ribs tighten up and then the bones will start to stick out the meat.  When you can twist a rib bone and it easily comes out the meat, clean the ribs are done.

            Cooking with mesquite wood is an art form unto itself.  I suggest you avoid it as it often results in a smoky flavor that is so strong that it can ruin the meat.  Instead I use pure mesquite, chunk charcoal, not briquettes.  Chunk charcoal will give a nice light smoky flavor that is not overpowering.  Now we get you your first set of personal choices, additional smoke flavorings.  Here are a few ideas for you to think about.  Try adding some wood chips in the last half hour of smoking.  Cherry, hickory and alder are all sweet woods that add a specific flavor.  They need to be soaked for an hour or so before adding them to the hot coals.  What about soaking the wood chips in wine or rum or whiskey.  All of these will impart a different flavor.  How about adding other flavors to the wood chips.  Kitchen scraps are great, orange peels, little bits of onion or garlic, apple, peach or any fruit all add flavor.  Give them all a try. You’ll be surprised. 

            Now we need to think about rubs and sauces.  Rubs have two jobs, they flavorize and tenderize.  Traditionally they are a combination of what we call flavor accelerators.  Flavor accelerators are salts, sugars and acids.  All of which cause you to derive more flavor out of whatever they are added to.  These are not called sprinkles or dusts.  These rubs need to be worked into the meat.  I rub them well into the surface of the meat and then wrap the ribs in plastic and let the rub work into the meat overnight.  This tenderizes the meat and starts the flavorizing process.  Although I don’t like barbecue sauce in general, I do use a basting sauce, which also adds flavor while tenderizing (see recipe below).  The last bit of advice is to keep a few notes.  If you toss a quick rub together and add a few things to the smoker and the ribs are the best you’ve ever had, and then you can’t remember what you did.  It will haunt you for the rest of your cooking days… trust me I know!

Basic Barbecue Rub

This is a good place to start.  Give it a try.  Then think about adding a few flavors of your own.

3/4 C Dark brown sugar

1/4 C Mild New Mexico red chile powder

1/4 C Mild paprika

2-1/2 TBL Kosher salt

2-1/2 TBL Fresh-ground black pepper

1 TBL Granulated onion

1/2 TBL Granulated garlic

1/2 TSP Cayenne pepper

Mix and store in a covered container. Rub into ribs or chicken just before cooking.

Missouri Basting Sauce

This sauce will make ribs, brisket and pork shoulder, tender and delicious.

It will keep fresh in the refrigerator for 2 months.

1-3/4 C White vinegar

2 TBL Tabasco® Habanero sauce

1 TSP Kosher salt

1 TSP Fresh-ground black pepper

1 TBL Dark Brown sugar

1 TSP Sugar

1. Mix in a glass bowl and cover.

2. Baste ribs while slow smoking.

West Texas, Mesquite Smoked Brisket of Beef

Notice the pink smoke ring, this comes with time, for both the brisket and the cook!  It the sign of a true "Pit Master."  You'll get there… trust me, you'll get there!

West Texas, Mesquite Smoked Brisket of Beef

1 whole Brisket

1 batch of West Texas Barbecue Rub;

This is called a rub for a reason.  You need to rub it into the meat.  I like it best rubbed in and then wrapped in plastic film and rested over night. This rule doesn’t apply to fish.  Heck you can just sprinkle it on fish.

6 Tbl. Ancho chile powder or mild New Mexico chile powder

3 Tbl.  brown sugar

3 Tbl. kosher salt

2 Tbl. fresh ground coarse black pepper

1 Tbl. ground cumin

1 Tbl. cayenne pepper

1 Tbl. sugar

Mix and store in a covered container.

Makes about 1 cup

1 batch of West Texas Flaming Mop Sauce;

For those of you that are just learning about barbecue, this is an important day in your life.  Barbecue sauce is used to cover up the flavor of inferior cuts of meat, or to enhance great barbecue by sitting on the side as an accent.  Mopping sauce is a completely different animal.  Its purpose is to tenderize while flavorizing.  The rule of thumb for brisket and ribs is slow and low.  While Smoking the meat give it a little mop every 20 minutes or so.  You’ll see and taste the difference the first time you try it!

1-3/4 Cups White vinegar

3 Tbl. Louisiana Hot sauce

1 TBL Dark Brown sugar

1 tsp. Cayenne pepper

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. Fresh-ground black pepper

1 tsp. Sugar

Mix in a non-reactive bowl and cover.  Mop onto ribs, pork shoulder or brisket while slow smoking.

Makes about 2 cups

Rub the Brisket thoroughly with the rub and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.  Place the brisket in the smoker fat side up and close the lid.   Light a few chunks of charcoal and keep your eye on the thermometer.  You’re looking for a temperature in the smoker of somewhere between 190° and 220° and you’ll smoke the brisket for a minimum of 8 and as many as 10 hours, turning every 2 to 3 hours. With brisket it’s a waiting game where patience is truly a virtue.  I find myself most virtuous (or is that patient) when drinking beer.  Perhaps you may want to try this age-old technique!

Bourbon and Ginger Marinated London Broil

Bourbon and Ginger Marinated London Broil

The bourbon and ginger marinade gives this dish a wonderful mix of smoky and sugary flavors. Cook it over Mesquite charcoal for a taste that is truly amazing.

1 2 to 3 LB London broil
Marinade:
1/3 C Soy sauce
1/4 C Bourbon whiskey
1/4 C Brown sugar
1/2 C White onion, chopped fine
4 CLOVES Garlic, minced
2 TBL Fresh cilantro, chopped
2 TBL Fresh ginger, minced
2 TBL Red wine vinegar
1ty TBL Kosher salt
1 TBL Worcester sauce
1-1/2 TBL Extra virgin olive oil
2 TSP Dijon mustard
2 TSP Fresh ground pepper

1. Whisk all marinade ingredients together. Marinate London Broil in marinade for 24 hours, turning every few hours. Discard marinade. Grill to medium rare (128∞) over pure Mesquite charcoal. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Slice into thin strips, across the grain.

Serve with great bread like I make!

The Best of Grill Roasted Beef

The Best of Grill Roasted Beef

While I’m painfully aware that this post will bring many negative comments, I want to tell you about the Grilled beef recipe that gets more request than any other I make.  I have heard several hundred times, over the thirty plus years that I have been serving this, “That’s the best grilled beef I have ever eaten!”

I developed this recipe over the course of a few years back in my twenties.  It was one of the early recipes that really got people’s attention.  It represents one of my core cooking beliefs, good fresh ingredients prepared well, with a little thought and direction will serve you much better than the current gourmet craze ingredients.  In short, just make some good home cooking, with your own little twists!

Mesquite Roasted Tri Tip of Beef with Joe’s World Famous Mexican Dark Beer Marinade

1 3-Lb. Tri Tip roast

Marinade:

3/4 cups soy sauce

1/2 cup Dark Mexican beer

1/3 cup olive oil

3 Tbl. white vinegar

1/2 diced white onion

1 Tbl. Crushed red chile

1 Tbl. Italian seasoning

3 cloves garlic minced

1 tsp. dark brown sugar

1 tsp. Fresh ground black pepper

Whisk all ingredients together in a non-reactive bowl.  Add Tri Tip and marinate overnight turning every couple of hours. Grill roast until a digital thermometer reaches 128°f when inserted at the thickest part of the tri tip.  Remove from heat and allow to rest for 10 minute before slicing across the grain.  It’s even better cold, the next day, although when it taste this good, leftovers are hard to come by

Serves 6-8