Smoking Pork Spare Ribs Today

Gary Goodson

Well-Known Member
I bought the Kosmos KCBC Competition videos, where they show their exact process for their competition cooks of chicken, ribs, brisket, and pork butt. For ribs, they use the honey and brown sugar foil wrap after 2-3 hours, with apple juice as well. But he does something I've never seen anyone do with pork spare ribs: he wet brines them in the refrigerator for a few hours before applying rub.

Johnny Trigg also uses honey, brown sugar, and Parkay squeezable mid-cook on his ribs. And he's known as the "Godfather of BBQ", with ribs being his specialty.

So I figured I would see much of the same at Myron Mixon's BBQ school back in November, but I was surprised. For ribs, he does not use honey, brown sugar, or anything else as an additive mid-cook. His rub and finishing sauce is a bit sweet though, with some honey and brown sugar.
Yea, Myron doesn't use Johnny Triggs method for ribs. He even said he's never tried them till like the last season of BBQ pit masters. I'll be following Johnny Triggs method today. I'm also a big Aaron Franklin fan and do my brisket very much like his. Salt and pepper, no marinade or injections. My last brisket turned out fucking awesome!


Do you keep with with Malcom Reed from killer hogs? I just ordered his rub yesterday from Amazon and Aaron Franklins book. You can check Malcom out on YouTube. He's good and he's a fat boy lol so you know he goes hard.
 

RickyBobby26

Well-Known Member
Yea, Myron doesn't use Johnny Triggs method for ribs. He even said he's never tried them till like the last season of BBQ pit masters. I'll be following Johnny Triggs method today. I'm also a big Aaron Franklin fan and do my brisket very much like his. Salt and pepper, no marinade or injections. My last brisket turned out fucking awesome!
Have you ever smoked a brisket flat only? That's what I'll be doing next weekend. I've smoked whole briskets, but never just a flat. Costco has some nice flats reasonably priced that have a lot of natural bend to them.

With the briskets I've cooked in the past, I've made burnt ends with the point, and mainly made thin-slice sandwiches and beef stew from the flat portion.

If you've never made beef stew with smoked brisket meat, try it sometime. It's a real treat. My wife is requesting smoked brisket next weekend specifically for leftover stew meat.
 
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RickyBobby26

Well-Known Member
Yea, Myron doesn't use Johnny Triggs method for ribs. He even said he's never tried them till like the last season of BBQ pit masters. I'll be following Johnny Triggs method today. I'm also a big Aaron Franklin fan and do my brisket very much like his. Salt and pepper, no marinade or injections. My last brisket turned out fucking awesome!

Do you keep with with Malcom Reed from killer hogs? I just ordered his rub yesterday from Amazon and Aaron Franklins book. You can check Malcom out on YouTube. He's good and he's a fat boy lol so you know he goes hard.
Trigg teaches BBQ classes as well. I actually like him better than Mixon. But his school is so far away from where I live.

I've heard of Malcolm Reed. Let me know how you like his rub.

I've found Meathead Goldwyn's book to be very interesting. He and a team of food scientists offer their take on every aspect of BBQ'ing.
 

Gary Goodson

Well-Known Member
Never done just the flat. I feel like I have the skill, but it's kind of intimidating to me. I'd hate to have dried out brisket. About ten years ago I made a whole brisket and it sucked ass. I had to chop it and sauce it so no one would know it wasn't a tender moist brisket. Back then I had one of those cheap smoke n pit offset smoker. It had smoke leaks all over the place and it was very hard to regulate temps. But I learned a lot with it. I also learned what it meant to over smoke some shit too! Won't do that again.

Just reading smoked brisket stew makes my mouth water. I will be trying that out for sure. Me and my buddy like to camp out and we've made beef stew over a fire in a Dutch oven. We used red wine, beef stock, and pearl onions! Tasty as hell.
 

Gary Goodson

Well-Known Member
Trigg teaches BBQ classes as well. I actually like him better than Mixon. But his school is so far away from where I live.

I've heard of Malcolm Reed. Let me know how you like his rub.

I've found Meathead Goldwyn's book to be very interesting. He and a team of food scientists offer their take on every aspect of BBQ'ing.
Dude! I almost ordered his book yesterday too, but went with Franklins instead. I'll get meatheads book and let you know what I think about it. All the reviews say it's a really good book.
 

RickyBobby26

Well-Known Member
Never done just the flat. I feel like I have the skill, but it's kind of intimidating to me. I'd hate to have dried out brisket. About ten years ago I made a whole brisket and it sucked ass. I had to chop it and sauce it so no one would know it wasn't a tender moist brisket. Back then I had one of those cheap smoke n pit offset smoker. I had smoke leaks all over the place and it was very hard to regulate temps. But I learned a lot with it. I also learned what it meant to over smoke some shit too! Won't do that again.

Just reading smoked brisket stew makes my mouth water. I will be trying that out for sure. Me and my buddy like to camp out and we've made beef stew over a fire in a ditch oven. We used red wine, beef stock, and pearl onions! Tasty as hell.
It'll be my first flat-only brisket smoke. I'm kinda nervous about it. Mixon injects his briskets with beef broth, and that's what we did at his school. So I'll inject some salty beef broth next Friday night and see how it turns out. I'll put it directly on the grate Saturday morning for a couple hours, then pan it on a small rack and catch the juices to make au jus later. Mixon cooks his competition briskets hot and fast, at over 300 degrees. Then he puts them in a faux cambro for a couple hours to let them tender up some more.

I'm afraid to try hot and fast on my thin-walled bullet smoker in the cold weather at my house right now. I'd probably have trouble keeping 275 degrees, much less 300+.
 

Gary Goodson

Well-Known Member
It'll be my first flat-only brisket smoke. I'm kinda nervous about it. Mixon injects his briskets with beef broth, and that's what we did at his school. So I'll inject some salty beef broth next Friday night and see how it turns out. I'll put it directly on the grate for a couple hours, then pan it on a small rack and catch the juices to make au jus later. Mixon cooks his competition briskets hot and fast, at over 300 degrees. Then he puts them in a faux cambro for a couple hours to let them tender up some more.
Only thing that he does that I don't like is, he uses lighter fluid to start his fire. Lighter fluid has never been used on any of my smokers EVER! I have a chimney and I also really like those Weber starter cubes.

I have done the beef broth injection before and I think that is a good way to do brisket. It did come out tender and juicy with great beefy flavor.
 
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bu$hleaguer

Well-Known Member
You guys this is a great read, you have skills! I usually 3-2-1 too for st Louis cut with apple and cherry chips. I haven't made hem in a while though but I remember them being too sticky last time. I rubbed them with brown sugar, salt, and the usual dry rub stuff the night before. I like the texture an overnight rub gives the meat but you all seem to just rub them the day of, wonder what the texture difference would be, I'm guessing more chewy, less crushing, more chewing sorta. I'm definitely going to leave off the brown sugar next time, I'm sure I way over do it.
 

Gary Goodson

Well-Known Member
Is starting your chimney over gas burner cheating?
I don't think so. I mean, you're just getting it lit and then it does its thing. I just dont like the taste of lighter fluid.
You guys this is a great read, you have skills! I usually 3-2-1 too for st Louis cut with apple and cherry chips. I haven't made hem in a while though but I remember them being too sticky last time. I rubbed them with brown sugar, salt, and the usual dry rub stuff the night before. I like the texture an overnight rub gives the meat but you all seem to just rub them the day of, wonder what the texture difference would be, I'm guessing more chewy, less crushing, more chewing sorta. I'm definitely going to leave off the brown sugar next time, I'm sure I way over do it.
I put my rub on last night after i trimmed them up. Not a full 24 hours, but at least 12. I also used yellow mustard to help the rub stick and then wrapped in foil till this morning. I like the sauce to set. but not be overly sticky. I noticed if I do 3 2 1 that last hour is too much. so ive cut that down to only like 20-30 minutes and they arent so sticky then.
 

Gary Goodson

Well-Known Member
since we haul the roaster out to the lake each year, it must be portable, so we use tinfoil to cover. I use Hickory charcoal for a little smoke flavor..
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Thats awesome! I've never cooked a whole hog, I'd love to be around just to watch how you guys do it. But realistically there is no way I'd be able to make it out there next weekend. If you dont mind, be sure to post pics of the process.
 

doublejj

Well-Known Member
I set up the pig roaster the day before. I have the butcher "butterfly" the pig so it lays out flat. I made a couple of racks from rebar & remesh wire that sit on the cinder blocks. we sandwich the pig between the racks & wire together so we can turn it. we only turn it once. Keep 4 small charcoal fires going in the corners. Put the pig on the fire at dawn & eat in the afternoon.
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