I decided to cook ribs without monitoring their temperature. Usually I follow the 3-2-1 method (three hours unwrapped, two hours wrapped in foil, one hour unwrapped) but cook them until they reach 190. But, I was cooking these on a workday, so I needed to be able to focus less on the cook, and decided to just throw ’em on and try not to be overly involved with the effort.
They may actually have been the best ribs I’ve made yet.
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Food: Smoked pork butt
Temperature: 270°
Cooking time: 9:30
Wood used: Cherry
Notes: Cooked using minion method to start charcoal, then basted several times, wrapped after 8 hours
We all love pulled pork, and I wanted to try a sandwich I miss from when we lived in Florida. So, I threw a pork butt on the smoker and let it cook all day while I was stuck on conference calls. There was a barbecue place in Jacksonville called Bono’s BBQ, which offers a sandwich they call a Bo-Hawg. It’s a pulled pork sandwich with a link of smoked sausage and a slice of cheddar cheese. And it’s very amazing.
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Food: Smoked pork butt
Temperature: 225-250°
Cooking time: 12:00
Wood used: Apple
Notes: Cooked using minion method to start charcoal, then basted several times
I really want to cook a brisket in the coming weeks, and I felt that a pork shoulder or pork butt would be a good stepping stone for a long cook like the brisket. There’s less risk, obviously, in a $16 butt than a $60 brisket, so if I’m going to mess things up, it’s preferable to do it with a shoulder or butt. Previously, I’ve only done shorter smokes, using a chicken or ribs. Also, it’s worth noting — since many people don’t realize this — that the pork shoulder and butt are not the same thing, nor is the butt from the rear of the pig.
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Food: Smoked baby back (pork) ribs
Temperature: 275°
Cooking time: 5:30
Wood used: Apple
Notes: Cooked using minion method to start charcoal, then the popular 3-2-1 cooking method for ribs, spraying regularly with apple juice.
OK, it’s time to smoke some ribs. I’ve tried out the smoker on a couple of chickens and learned how to use it a little, so it’s time to make something I love… pork ribs!
I decided to try a popular way of cooking ribs called the 3-2-1 Method. Basically, you cook the ribs uncovered for three hours, then sauce and wrap them for two more hours, then cook them uncovered with another layer of sauce for one more hour. I deviated from this slightly in that the last hour was too long — the ribs were already at ready temperature — so I only cooked them about 35 minutes.
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