Yea I know most of you will probably groan at this! Normally ribs are not brined. When I saw this recipe on Food.com I saved it and knew I would have to try it. It was by Sue Lau who shares some of her recipes there. Her recipe was for baby back ribs on a charcoal grill but I decided on spare ribs for mine on my Traeger. It also included a Honey BBQ Sauce. The beer brine is what intrigued me!
The kids were off early Thursday for a day in Cincinnati, picnic and fun at Coney Island; then to a Red’s baseball game that evening. My wife & I would have BBQ ribs, baked potatoes and finish my corn salad off for supper. I got the ribs in the brine late Tuesday night. I sure hated to pour the 3 bottles of Yuengling in there!
When I got the ribs from the cryopak I saw even though they said All Natural the fine print said a 7% brine. I should have just bought them from my butcher.
My wife requested some more Cajun crackers so I smoked a batch early. Then I figured I would mow the grass, get it done early and then relax while doing the ribs. My rider would not start; dead battery from setting for over a month and is getting old. I put it on slow charge and figured it would need at least 3 hours. I don’t want to buy a new battery this late in the year. I did the back yard with my walk behind then finished with the rider. I still managed to get supper done on time since I was using a pellet smoker.
The ribs were in the brine for just over 12 hours. I got them on the smoker at 175 deg for an hour and 15 minutes then went to 225 deg. My Traeger was having problems holding 225, more like 250 but I let them go at that. Total cook time was 4 ½ hours. I mopped the sauce on for the last half hour.
I had baked potatoes in my oven at 350 deg. for 2 hours with potato rods inserted. Our favorite way for baked potatoes, after you eat the goodies out you have crispy potato skins left. I also served with some good bread.
My wife liked the sauced ribs; I liked them but not that well. She likes sauce but I am more of a dry rib person. The ribs were pull clean from the bones tender. I am glad I tried them, I may try them again sometime but will use baby backs.
Ribs and Brine ingredients
Brined and ready to smoke
Sauce ingredients
After the smoke time
Ready for the sauce
Resting
My Plate
Smokin Don
There are not many blogs out there dedicated to cooking on a pellet smoker. I have been cooking, grilling & smoking over 35 yrs now. I recently bought a Traeger Lil Tex Elite pellet smoker & have cooked on it over six yrs. now. I would like to share recipes & info I have gained from cooking on it. Update 2014: I have plenty of recipes here for the pellet smoker so I am now including other outdoor cooking and some of my indoor cooking too.
No comments:
Post a Comment