This blog is mostly for me and my friends. I record dishes I think are share-worthy. Big nod to Chef John for his inspiration.

Sunday, April 26, 2020

Smoked Spare Ribs

These are the best I've made so far. This is what I want from my spare ribs: Moist, not falling apart, well seasoned.

I used Costco ribs for this batch. Three racks like this will just fit into my smoker.  Put up a local BBQ joint's prices for comparison. These cook for 6 hrs (3+2+1) total with about 1-2 hour lead time for rub.

   

Rub for about 10 lbs ribs
2 tbsp ground black
4 tbsp Paprika, sweet Hungarian paprika
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp celery salt
1 tsp cayenne

Apple cider vinegar for foil (Texas crutch)

Steps

  1. Trim ribs by removing the membrane on rib side and trim any big sections of fat from the front. 
  2. Lay rack on large piece of plastic wrap and season both sides. You'll use up the rib so 1/3 per rack.
  3. Wrap of the rack in the plastic wrap, set on a sheet pan. Repeat with other two racks and put them all in the fridge for about an hour or so. 
  4. I use an electric smoker so I'm ready to go. You may need to start your fire so do that and get temp to about 225° F. 
  5. Place ribs in smoker and smoke for 3 hours. 
  6. Set up enough foil to wrap each rack (I have to cut mine in 1/2 for 6 sections for me)
  7. Remove each rack from smoker, place in foil with some apple cider vinegar, seal the foil and return to smoker. I rotate high/low when returning to smoker. You can double-wrap if you like. 
  8. After 2 hours, remove foil-wrapped ribs from smoker, unwrap and return to smoker. 
  9. Cook for 1 more hour . You can mop at this point if you like, but I prefer a non-sticky rib with rub only. Remove racks from smoker and let rest for a while, then cut and serve. 




Friday, April 24, 2020

My Margarita


I like this ratio with these ingredients. I usually drink mine on-the-rocks with a salted rim. I change out my tequila and triple sec brands from time to time. Makes a difference. These are what I 'm using now.
Musical Accompaniment: In These Shoes by Kristi MacColl