Ribs On UDS - BB or Spare ?

oldnndway · Posted: Feb 03 2010 Post subject: Ribs On UDS - BB or Spare ?

I haven't cooked many ribs and none recently.
We used to boil them and then carmelize the sauce on a gasser.

Now I've got this UDS
I've made good brisket in it and now I want to try some ribs.

Just two of us be eating them (more than likely)

I looked at wallyworld and they had baby backs and they had spare ribs.

What's the pros and cons of each ?

I could see that the spares were bigger than the bb's and the bb's cost half again more.
Other than that what can I expect ?

I'm familiar with the 3-2-1 method and variations of it.
Any suggestions would be appreciated, I could sure use some.

whitey · Posted: Feb 03 2010 Post subject:

I like My B.B's..
No foil.Sauce towards the end.Takes about 5 hours.
UDS will rock..
Whitey
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oldnndway · Posted: Feb 03 2010 Post subject:

I don't have a rack to stand them up in, will it be as good to lay them flat ?
Which side down ?
Need to flip half-way through ?

whitey · Posted: Feb 03 2010 Post subject:

I lay them flat and I start Bone down.I flip 1/3 way through,then flip and finish after the second 1/3 and finish.
Mop often.
Whitey
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Rojellio Es Caliente · Posted: Feb 03 2010 Post subject:

The BB's are more 3-1-1 . There is a thicker hunk of meat on the bone, not by much, and its more tender. And you dont have to trim it to St. Loius style.. its already there.

I usually do spares trimmed to St. Loius, mostly because spares are cheaper.

I dont foil, I spritz whenever I open the door too look. Some folks mop. You could mop one, foil one, and spritz one and determine which way you like better.
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BluDawg · Posted: Feb 03 2010 Post subject:

I do spares bigger and more meat. About 5 hrs or till when you grab them in the middle the rack turns into an upside down "U". I cook Memphis style" Dry" ribs. I rub them and smoke them the last 30 min I apply another shake of rub. I don't spritz, glaze, mop, baste Or foil. I use Hickory or Oak and Pecan.
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oldnndway · Posted: Feb 03 2010 Post subject:

Do ya'll peel the membrane off the back ?

... and is there a temp to take them to ?

day_trippr · Posted: Feb 03 2010 Post subject:

Always peel the membrane off the back of ribs - pork or beef. Get a corner loose by sliding a knife in about an inch from a corner and work it back to the corner. Then grab the membrane with a piece of paper towel and start peeling.

As for temps, I don't cook ribs by temp, I cook by time and then feel. Babybacks usually take about 4 hours @ 225�F on my humble cooker (cooked 2-1-1), while full spares take another hour and a half (cooker 3-1.5-1)...

Cheers!
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whitey · Posted: Feb 04 2010 Post subject:

Always peel that crap off.It only takes a second.
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Lang 84 delux long neck chargrill.
The Lil Squealer (UDS)
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Almost the Biggest Liar on the "Ring"

BluDawg · Posted: Feb 04 2010 Post subject:

MY BAD, I thought that was a given.
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Never met a cow that I didn't like with a little salt and pepper.
My Blog: http://acountryboyeats.blogspot.com
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Webber 22 OTS
Memorial UDS "Big Jim"

...Smoke... · Newbie Joined: 02 Aug 2009 Posts: 81

Spares for sure, remove membrane apply rub let sit for an hour or so then into the UDS bone side down 225-250sh no foil 4-5 hour's bend test eat. lol Smile

zysmith · Posted: Feb 04 2010 Post subject:

I a partial to spares and since it is your first ribs on the new rig, they are cheaper as well any 'mistakes' won't hurt as much.
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oldnndway · Posted: Feb 04 2010 Post subject:

watchchutalkinboutmistakes ?
Them ain't mistakes ... them's blackened

380tom · Newbie Joined: 26 Jan 2010 Posts: 29

Here's how I do BB ribs. (the only ribs I've smoked) Rub 2-3 hours before smoking. @ 225 Smoke for 2 hours bone side down. No extra rub,mop or spritz. 1 hour stacked one on top of another in pairs of two (if that makes sense?) switch bottom to top half way through. 1 hour wrapped in foil. Take out of foil and dust with rub. Serve any sauce on the side. That's how I like'em my brother likes to apply sauce after they come out of the foil. Good both way's though.

I am gonna try Spares next weekend for the first time when we go camping. I'll probably add about an hour of smoke time to them??
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killswitch505 · Posted: Feb 04 2010 Post subject:

BB's are where its at for me I like mine 2-1-1 and the temp at 250 my wife and I picked up some jerk seasoning while in Jamaica mix it with some �sugar in the raw� super ez rub
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zysmith · Posted: Feb 04 2010 Post subject:

spunkymunky · BBQ Fan Joined: 02 Sep 2009 Posts: 236 Location: Tulsa, OK

I like BB better but that is my taste. I do both and on BB I do the 2-1-1 @ 225-250. I just pulled a full rack of spares and will do them 3-1-1 @ 225-250. YES always pull the membrane. I have a pair of SS forceps and use a butter knife to get under the membrane. No sauce for me but serve it on side. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
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BeaverValleySmoker · Newbie Joined: 15 Sep 2009 Posts: 31 Location: Alabama

Sometimes its way too easy to get caught up in the rub, sauce, spritz, foil, 3-2-1, 3-1-1, temp, charcoal, smoke wood, etc, etc, etc

When you are new to a meat or method and you throw in all the variables above, and something goes wrong (or something goes right) you have no idea which part above was the issue.

The best advise I can give you is to start off with spares (they are cheaper and have more "natural" flavor because of the extra fat content), just use some salt/pepper and learn to cook them to the tenderness you desire over just charcoal briquettes, lump charcoal or burned down wood (depending on your cooker and preference). Once you master that (and that can take a long time if you are new to smoking), then start gradually adding in the rubs, smoking wood, sauce, etc, etc.

I see a lot of new folks use way to much smoke, or some other suggestion that someone gave them and then get turned off forever.

Learning to make great barbecue is all about learning to make it the way "you" like it........Learn the basics then start putting your own twist on it.

If you are like most of us, you will overcook, over smoke, under cook, under smoke, over season, under season while you are learning but thats just part of the fun. The trick is just not to have so many variables that you cant figure out what you like or don't like......again just my opinion!

oldnndway · Posted: Feb 17 2010 Post subject:

I think my biggest obstacle is not being familiar enough with my UDS yet to know what it is going on in there as far as what temps are where and fire control and such.
Just a learning curve that I have to get over.

OwenStubbs · Posted: Feb 17 2010 Post subject:

Excellent first post BeaverValleySmoker! Cool