# New to smoking/grilling



## DietitianInTraining (Mar 29, 2011)

My husband and I bought a really nice grill/smoker last summer. Hubby has always done the grilling such as hamburgers,hot dogs, etc. but we haven't cooked much else on it and havn't used the smoker yet either. I have a rack of ribs that I usually cook in the oven, but was thinking about trying them on the grill this time. 

Does anybody have any tips or directions to help me conquer this idea? 

I, myself, have only grilled 2 times before but loved it and would love to become better at it! 

Thanks for any help!


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## FrankZ (Mar 29, 2011)

What kind of grill smoker do you have?


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## CraigC (Mar 29, 2011)

Is the "grill" real fuel or gas? If you are going to do the ribs as real BBQ, I can help with a nice rub and a mop if you choose to use one.

Craig


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## DietitianInTraining (Mar 29, 2011)

I'm not sure what it's called. I will try to atatch a picture of it.


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## DietitianInTraining (Mar 29, 2011)

Should have included that information. lol, It is a charcoal grill.. I have a rub and sauce recipe already but am not against trying new recipies!


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## CraigC (Mar 29, 2011)

No explaination necessary! That is a stick burner! Are you sure you want to fire it for a couple slabs of ribs?

Craig


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## DietitianInTraining (Mar 29, 2011)

I have no idea!! LOL, I just thought it would be neat to try it!


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## DietitianInTraining (Mar 29, 2011)

I made a very yummy seasoned pork loin and potatoes on it a couple days ago, I just put the charcoal on that left compartment and cooked them in there.


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## CraigC (Mar 29, 2011)

What kind of wood do you have available? I usually try to load my smoker when I use it as some woods can be expensive and getting the biggest bang for the money is a good idea. 

Do you have a chimney starter?

Craig


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## DietitianInTraining (Mar 29, 2011)

Do I have to use wood instead of charcoal? Is the wood what makes it smoke?


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## CraigC (Mar 29, 2011)

The wood is the essence of smoking. You can use charcoal and hardwood charcoal will give better results, but true BBQ flavor comes from wood smoke. You can get decent results if you use chips or chunks, but nothing will taste as good as cooking with wood logs or sticks.

As you can guess, this kind of cooking takes time. Probably more than you want to involve yourself in for just a slab or two of ribs. 

Craig


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## Andy M. (Mar 29, 2011)

You can use a charcoal fire and put wood chips or chunks on the charcoal to generate smoke.  Soak the wood chips for 30 minutes so they don't go up in flames.  

For ribs you want to maintain a temperature of about 225º F for about three hours.  You may have to keep adding charcoal and wood chips to maintain that temperature and smoke for the whole time.

If you're going to sauce the ribs, do so for the last 20-30 minutes or so.


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## DietitianInTraining (Mar 29, 2011)

Thanks guys!

This is all brand new to me, so i'm very much just learning as I go. I have watched some videos on youtube, and I picked up a bag of "All Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal" and also a bag of "Jack Daniels Wood Smoking Chips". 

I am very interested in using real wood in the future, I can imagine that it would make the world of difference.

I am noticing that this may be more challenging for me since I don't have any sort of temperature gage on my grill. We will just have to see how it goes...


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## Rocklobster (Mar 29, 2011)

For a temperature gauge, I use a meat thermometer that I stick in the hole for the rotiseree rod. Try not to get it too close the the heat source and it should give you a ball park estimate, anyway.


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## abngourmet (Mar 29, 2011)

Beginner Chef,

Basically, you have a BBQ cooker that apparently doubles as a charcoal grill (the smaller chamber on the left hand side, known as a firebox).  Essentially, you can grill in the smoker box, or BBQ in the other chambers to the right.  There is a difference, however, between BBQing and grilling.

Grilling is the act of cooking food on a grid over direct heat.  Grilling lends itself to cuts of meat and fish that cook rather quickly, and are fairly thin, though there are exceptions.  You wouldn't want, for example, to grill a chuck roast as the high heat (commercial grills are run at 700 degrees and up; home models less than that but still mighty hot) will coagulate the proteins so quickly that they will toughen or "seize," leaving you with very tough cut to try to eat.  Steaks, fish steaks and whole fish, chicken parts (breast, thigh, etc.), lamb chops, pork chops and tenderloins cut into medallions all do well on a grill, as do vegetables and pizzas.

BBQing is a different matter.  Essentially, it involves taking a relatively tough cut of meat (think brisket, ribs, pork shoulder and fresh hams, etc.), marinating in an acidic/salty marinade or dry rubbing it with a salty/sweet dry rub overnight, then cooking it "low and slow" in the cooker.  What I mean by this is your fire goes in the firebox, and your items to be BBQ'd go in the cooking chambers.  Temperatures are generally between 175 to 250 degrees, as the low heat helps break down the collagen in the meat into gelatin, making it tender.  Higher temperatures to coagulate the proteins too fast, resulting in tough meat.  And BBQing, real BBQing can take hours - the recipe I use for brisket is a 14 hour affair, but worth every minute.

As for cooking fuel, pellets, wood chunks, lump charcoal, wood logs and even propane can be used.  Most home BBQers have access to charcoal, wood chunks and propane; some have access to logs (you don't have to keep restocking the firebox as often).  Some use a mixture of charcoal and wood, others don't.  I use wood when I BBQ as it delivers the smoke flavor we so love.

There are any number of books and online sources to guide you.  Steven Raichlen's books are great, as are the ones by Chris Schlesinger.  John Willingham wrote a great book which was my introduction to real BBQ, and I highly recommend it.  Do a google search on BBQ, and you'll get thousands of hits.

Hope this helps,

Alan


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## Andy M. (Mar 29, 2011)

You can also just use an oven thermometer on the grill surface where you put the ribs.


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## abngourmet (Mar 29, 2011)

As for a temperature gauge, you can purchase one online (I've actually seen them in Home Depot), drill a hole in the lid of one of your smoker boxes, and simply bolt it in.

Alan


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## Joshatdot (Mar 30, 2011)

When I am in doubt, I check Alton Brown & Good Eats 

YouTube - Good Eats S7E2P1: Q

YouTube - Good Eats S7E2P2: Q


YouTube - Good Eats S4E1P1: Where There's Smoke, There's Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMk-y6330aE


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## Joshatdot (Mar 30, 2011)

BAH!! darn 20 min edit limit!!


When I am in doubt, I check Alton Brown & Good Eats  

YouTube - Good Eats S7E2P1: Q 

YouTube - Good Eats S7E2P2: Q 

YouTube - Good Eats S4E1P1: Where There's Smoke, There's Fish 

YouTube - Good Eats S4E1P2: Where There's Smoke, There's Fish


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## abngourmet (Mar 31, 2011)

*Alton Brown*

BTW, I am a graduate of the same school Alton Brown graduated from - The New England Culinary Institute, in Montpelier, VT.


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## BigAL (Mar 31, 2011)

If you haven't had much smoked meat, using all wood might be a bit much.  I've done my share of oversmoked meat, it isn't too good.  Charcoal/lump is great for fuel and add some chunks or chips for flavor.  I have read many places that soaking in water does more harm than good, but I've made some good stuff soaking and same w/out soaking.(6 of one...)  The smoke you want is thin and blue, not white or black that would not be "good eats".

Prep'n the ribs is important, too.  Most important is to take the membrane off the bone side.  Very thin membrane that doesn't break down during a long cook.   There are vids on u-tube, many vids.  Also for spares, to make look a little nicer, you can cut St.Louis style.  Vids also on the net.  I sometimes do it, probably more of a "healthy" St.Louis cut, just shy of a full rack of spares.  BB's are done, just take the membrane off.

I would use the side box to put the heat and the body for the meat, indirect heat.  If you can keep the heat above 210 or so and below 300 at meat level, you'll be fine.  It is better to have a consistant heat, and I actually like 235-250 for ribs.  Depending on temp, your look'n at a 4-6hr cook for spare ribs, a little less for BB's/loin backs.  

Consider using a 3-2-1 method for spares and 2-2-1 for BB's.  3hrs bones down on the grate, indirect heat.  Then 2hrs in foil, this is where you really gotta watch.  Then 1 hr back on the grate, bones down, indirect, to firm up and add sauce.  Don't sauce till the last 1hr or 30min before done due to the sugar in the sauce that can burn(if your sauce has sugar).  Or keep them dry and sauce at the table.  The time the ribs are in the foil you really gotta watch.  I don't use foil much, but it takes longer w/out.  I like to do spares at about a 4-.5-?(till done)  My temp is pretty steady at 235ish, no higher than 250 and it takes about 5.5-6hrs.  

I like to put in foil when the meat pulls from the bones about 1/4", then I foil for just a bit, then back out until they are done.  Some like fall off the bone, we don't.  We like the bite to come clean off the bone, but not pull all the meat off(fall off bone).

A good test to see if they are done is the bend test.  Use your tongs and get a good grip up to about 3/4-1/2 way length wise and pick up the ribs.  It will nearly droop 90* and you can see the meat pull'n away.  Sometimes you'll have a good 1/2"+ meat pull'n from the bone tips, sometimes not, so it's hard to go by just that.  I like to just pick them up and after a while you know just when to take them off.  Each rack is different, too.(for me anyway)

Hope this helps

Good luck


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