Best Ribs In The Universe Recipes

BEST RIBS IN THE UNIVERSE

Steps:

• Smoke ribs in a "water pan" smoker, i.e. Brinkmann or Weber "Smokey Mountain Cooker" (the best!). Start charcoal (10-15 lbs.) and 4 chunks of white oak and 2 chunks of cherry wood (about the size of a tennis ball) at least 1 hour before cooking meat. All fuel should be started in a chimney-style starter, no starter fluid, and all must be gray/white hot. Remove all bark from wood chunks, do not soak. Very little smoke will be visible. Don't worry about that! You'll get the flavor. Use straight water in the water pan and keep full during the entire cooking process. Control oven temperature of cooker by regulating the bottom vents only. Never, ever completely close the top vent! If you don't have one, put a thermometer on your cooker. Cook ribs for 3 hours fairly cool at 225°F on rib racks. After 3 hours lift the lid for the first time, flip the slabs end for end, and upside down, and open all the vents on the smoker wide open. Temperature of the cooker should rise into the 250-275°F range. Peek every half hour to monitor doneness. Ribs will be finished when fairly brown in color and the meat has pulled down the long bones at least 3/4 of an inch (usually another 1 to 2 hours). Remove from cooker and sauce both sides before cutting individual ribs. I like K.C. Masterpiece sweetened even more (5 parts sauce, 1 part honey), and so do the judges! This basic cooking procedure is probably the most important of all, and works well with other meats as well. Forget about how much smoke is coming out of the cooker. If you've got the wood you like in there burning cleanly, the flavor will be in the meat. Smoke is nothing more than a smoke screen, and any coming out the top of the cooker is flavor lost! Ribs to ya! Enjoy.

BEST RIBS IN THE UNIVERSE RECIPE - (4/5)

Steps:

• Spread the brown sugar out on a cookie sheet and let it dry at room temperature for several hours, or place it is a slightly warm oven. Once dried, place brown sugar in a Ziploc bag and break up any clumps using a rolling pin or the bottom of a drinking glass. The recipe says to apply "a good overall dusting" of rub to the ribs. When I made the rub, I did'nt think it smelled very good. In fact I made a comment to Tammi (my wife) that I bet we just ruined these ribs... Trust me we did'nt. The recipe also says to allow the ribs to sit at room temperature for two hours before cooking. As they do, the salt in the rub draws moisture from the meat, forming a red liquid coating on the surface. I've also prepared them the night before and placed them in a bag and put them in the refrigerator. Selecting The Smoke Wood Mike's recipe calls for 4 chunks of white oak and 2 chunks of cherry, each about the size of a tennis ball. I placed a handful of hickory and pecan chunks in my smoke can (a mod I'll expain in another post) and placed them under the water pan. Cooking Process Described During the first three hours, adjust gas to maintain a cooker temperature of 225*F. At the three hour mark, open the cooker for the first time and turn the ribs over, but do not baste them with anything. Close the lid and increase the cooker temperature to 250-275*F. Start checking for doneness at the four hour mark and every 30 minutes thereafter. The ribs will be done when they have a nice, brown color and the meat tears easily. Check the water pan every two hours and replenish with hot tap water, as needed. Supper Time! Th ribs will have a nice brown color, the meat will have pulled down on the long bones, a little tug on the bones will show that they pull apart easily. Mike's recipe calls for saucing the ribs on both sides before serving with a mixture of 5 parts KC Masterpiece Original Flavor barbecue sauce to 1 part honey. I modified this a little and mixed mine 3 to 1. It was can I say Awesome. Brush both sides of the ribs generously with the sauce mixture and serve immediately. These ribs had a beautiful mahogany color and a light smoky flavor. The meat was firm, not mushy, and pulled cleanly from the bones. I hope you enjoy trying this great recipe. It's one of my all-time favorites and I'm sure it will become one of yours, too! Note: Listen guys... Don't spend a lot of time preparing side dishes to go with this... they won't get eaten... these ribs are so good three slabs lasted about 15 minutes with my clan... All the sides my wife had so lovingly prepared went untouched!

BEST RIBS IN THE UNIVERSE RUB

Steps:

• Sprinkle meat two hours before cooking with rub and allow meat to come to room temperature. Do not over season. A good overall dusting of the spices is all that's needed. The spices will become a nice red, liquid coating after sitting for about an hour, if you used the proper amount. Smoke ribs in a "water pan" smoker, i.e. Brinkmann or Weber "Smokey Mountain Cooker" (the best!). Start charcoal (10-15 lbs.) and 4 chunks of white oak and 2 chunks of cherry wood (about the size of a tennis ball) at least 1 hour before cooking meat. All fuel should be started in a chimney-style starter, no starter fluid, and all must be gray/white hot. Remove all bark from wood chunks, do not soak. Very little smoke will be visible. Don't worry about that! You'll get the flavor. Use straight water in the water pan and keep full during the entire cooking process. Control oven temperature of cooker by regulating the bottom vents only. Never, ever completely close the top vent! If you don't have one, put a thermometer on your cooker. Cook ribs for 3 hours fairly cool at 225°F on rib racks. After 3 hours lift the lid for the first time, flip the slabs end for end, and upside down, and open all the vents on the smoker wide open. Temperature of the cooker should rise into the 250-275°F range. Peek every half hour to monitor doneness. Ribs will be finished when fairly brown in color and the meat has pulled down the long bones at least 3/4 of an inch (usually another 1 to 2 hours). Remove from cooker and sauce both sides before cutting individual ribs.