BBQ LOG | #2 Smoked Babyback Ribs & Beef Ribs

BBQ Log: July 4th Smoked Babyback Ribs & Beef Ribs

we're cooking some smoked babyback ribs and beef ribs in the bonita barn for 4th of july.  preparation was seriously lacking.  we were supposed to start at 8:30am/9:30am with a boston butt, but that didn't happen.  the pep decided to do some late night gaming the night prior, we didn't get up until 10am.  

even just smoking the ribs.  there were two things I seriously under-estimated:  the time needed to defrost some ribs.  and the time needed to take out membrane from ribs.  

beef ribs in mojo sauce

Equipments Masterbuilt 30 in electric digital smoker

What are we smokin'?  2.5lb humanely raised pork babyback ribs, 2 x 2.5lb dried aged Luckydog ranch organic grassfed beef back ribs
Environment 07.04.13. Sunny. Smokin' on deck. outside temp 68°F
Methods
please note that all recipes here are modified based on what I have on hand.

2 x 2.5lb beef ribs

Jeff Phillips' Smoking Meat: The Essential Guide to Real Barbecue
Babyback Ribs: Revised Big Bald BBQ Rub +Dijon mustard + apple cider
Beef Ribs: Smoked Beef Ribs with Jeff Phillip's mojo sauce 

Wood hickory & apple chips every 30 mins for initial 4 hours
Time 5 hrs for both beef and pork ribs
Smoking Temp  225°F

babyback ribs in BBR rub

Game plan?  Beef ribs in mojo sauce smoke in pan for 1st 4 hours, remove and put on grate for last hour.  Babyback ribs in rubs, smoke on grate.  Smoked 1st 4 hours with wood chips only.  Last hour without wood chips.

What happened?
4:45pm Beef ribs in pan with mojo sauce (1st and 2nd rack); Babyback ribs cut into 2 pieces (3rd and 4th rack). loaded wood chip and continue for 4 hours

6:45pm (2hrs in) sprayed babyback ribs with apple cider.  everything looks good!  keep loading wood chips.

7:45pm (3hrs in) sprayed babyback ribs with apple cider.  everything looks good!  keep loading wood chips.  I notice when loading wood chips, temp shoot up to 237°F

8:45pm (4hrs in) sprayed babyback ribs with apple cider.  move beef ribs from pan to grate.  stop loading wood chips

9:25pm (4.5hrs in) Pep couldn't wait and pulling them ribs out to rest for 15 mins.

Tasting/After thoughts

Both Beef Ribs and Babyback ribs came out to be a bit on the drier side.  Beef ribs are nice, but mojo sauce came out to be very subtle...  not sure if it's worth all that time to make.  I like the garlic onion paste better, maybe I'll try that out with beef ribs next time.

Pep thinks we overcooked the ribs since we used humanely raised meat, there were way less fat in them.  So next time, we should aim for 3-3/4 hours at 220°F 

Temp temp fluctuate quite dramatically this time.  I opened the smoker way less often (on 2nd/3rd/4th hour to spray apple cider and to transfer beef ribs from pan to grate).  temp shoot up to 237°F mins after wood chips are loaded at times.  We'll set smoker at 220°F next time to allow for temp upward fluctuation, and add wood chips every 35 mins or so 

Remember allow extra time to remove membrane.  move ribs from freezer to fridge 2 nights prior