OT: BBQ Rib Showdown

Ah, but do you? Seems more like you know some of the things you've been doing wrong, but not so much how to do it right. Consider the sources...

So, you're taking the reverse-engineering approach here?

See, there's hardware engineering AND process engineering. And don't forget chemistry; did they talk at all about the ingredients of their sauces and marinades? I bet not in any detail.

Kinda hard to do proper research with all that beer in you, isn't it? WHY DID YOU THINK THE BEER WAS FREE?

The proper tools are essential to any endeavor. You wouldn't solder SMDs with a propane torch, would you? They did all the R&D to get the hardware right, is it worth your time and expense (in wasted meat) to reverse-engineer it?

Depends, does she like good ribs as much as you do?

BTW I've noticed many of the cooking-oriented cable shows are devolving into infomercials. Some, while happily detailing the features you should look for on grills (giving away enough that you could make your own if you paid attention), will recommend pre-made marinades and sauces. Others will give away recipe secrets but will recommend a particular brand of grill at a very shallow level of detail. Useta be they'd give more info away. Guess that's progress, eh?

Mark L. Fergerson

In the 80's some repairmen of computers did have a "little" too much power in their soldering iron.. ;)

So if you combine the shows you get all the details .. ;) Otoh my personal acceptance for spam in any form is very low.

If you are really serious make a smoker out of a clean 55 gallon drum or an old refrigerator. You put the coals in the bottom, a pan of water over that and the racks near the top. Don't use the frige racks, they have cadmium in them. Get replacement grill racks or just use expanded metal. I have a smoker with an electric element and I put wood chunks around it for the smoke. 4-5 hours is about right. Marinate them the night before or use a dry rub.

This is where the problem starts, she is almost a vegan. She will drink wine with milk or gelatin based settling agents. She wont eat meat, wont even eat vegan meat products cause it tastes like meat.

I love Good Eats. Very informative, and noticably geeky!

Tim

--
Deep Fryer: a very philosophical monk.
Website: http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms

Frige racks?

I cook pork ribs like this:

Use "country-style" (meaty, bone-in ribs)

Boil for maybe 15 minutes, trim

Marinate for 24 hours at room temp

BBQ and baste until the outside looks good, 15 minutes maybe.

The marinade is equal parts soy sauce, yellow mustard, and honey, with a little tobasco and worstershire.

Works for me.

John

Yep, Alton Brown is my favorite... and he has such neat kitchen gadgets, most of which I've duplicated ;-)

...Jim Thompson

-- | James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona Voice:(480)460-2350 | | | E-mail Address at Website Fax:(480)460-2142 | Brass Rat | |

| 1962 | I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

The wire racks that are in the old refrigerator. They can have heavy metals in the plating.

Try a cooking bag in the oven for an hour or twofor this step. It holds the flavor and cooks out the excess fat. Put your spices in the bag with a splash of white wine.

Then grill them hot and fast..

That sounds good; I'll give it a try.

John

Marinate for 24 hours at room temp?

Do you mean middle-of-New-Zealand-winter room temp or superheated-Sacramento/Phoenix-summertime 40-degree-C room temp?

Personally I like 'em marinated for 3 days in the fridge. Minimum: 2 days, but no more than 3.

Michael

Whatever temperature it's comfortable to run around naked. ;-)

Sure. They've been boiled, after all, and nothing could live in that sauce.

Run-around-in-sweats temp, say, 65F.

I'm not that patient when I want ribs, and the fridge is usually full anyhow, hence the 1-day room-temp thing.

John

...

Ah, boiled! That explains it. But, why boil prior to marinating, just curious? Are the ribs still tender after boiling + barbecuing?

md