# Brining Ribs



## jenni belle (Mar 10, 2005)

Hello again all,

I'm going to try brining some ribs before I put them in the smoker this weekend. Can anyone give me any pointers? How long should I brine the ribs for? 4 hours? I don't want to make them mush. Also, if I brine the ribs, should I remove the membrane on the bones? Sometimes I remove it, sometimes I don't...depends on my cooking method. Will I need to keep it on this time with the brine & all so that they don't fall apart or will that be a problem? Any advice is welcome!


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

Ya know, nosy body.
Just curious why you are going to brine for smoking. Do you use a quick smoke? I usually brine for grilling, except little backs. I have wondered about brining for smoke, I haven't because I smoke for a long time. Mine will usually break apart by hand, and I keep em moist with mopping. I do net and brine p butts. Let me know what you decide and how they come out. I also flash the ribs with flame to get rid of most of the membranes.
pan


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## jenni belle (Mar 10, 2005)

Okay, more thought involved now.......I've never brined ribs before and was only thinking about it as someone somewhere suggested it to me. This will not be a quick smoke. It's an all day affair. 

Ribs are the only thing I haven't quite yet to master in the smoker. I always seem to cook them too long or something. I just can't that falling off the bone juiciness I want. I thought brining might be the solution. The flavor is always phenomenal, it's just not at the consistancy/texture I want. What other suggestions do you have for me? I don't have any problems with anything else, just ribs. 

(And like I say, it's not really a problem, it's just not as tender as I want.)


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## diego (Sep 23, 2002)

I agree brining seems unnecessary for pork ribs. A good rub before and mopping during smoking should do it. I would smoke at about 225F and after five or six hours they should be falling off the bones and be super juicy and delicious. Just don't ruin them with a mop or rub containing sugar or catsup.


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

jenne belle,
Don't let me talk you out of trying it.
Sorry about my terms. I meant smoking on a grill as a quick smoke.
My ribs usually go in the smoker after the peak in heat towards the end. I don't think the protiens can take hours of smoking. I usually just let them visit for an hour or so. Foil them, low bake for a while for tenderness. Flash them by lowering the grates on my grill. I just flash them to where there is a speckle effect. I also smoke them upright with one of those stands. This is just me now, but I prefer the ribs with a smokey flavor to accent the pork flavor. Once the smoke flavor takes over the meat flavor I just don't get it. I like the redness to be less then half way to the bone. Does any of this make sence?


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## blueschef (Jan 18, 2006)

I am also curious how they will come out (I would use spare ribs if I were you). This is how I do my ribs (at home). In the webber coals on one side, soaked wood on the other ribs standing in a rib rack with beer in a pan under them. I use the vents to cook at around 230-250 for about 4-5 hours ( I do mop them occasionaly with a beer, cider vinegar, Chipolte and Colemans mustard mop) or till I run out of beer!
I take the membraine off and use a dry rub (I leave it on for about an hour before they go on the grill). Never had any problems with this method.


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## nentony (May 7, 2005)

Never tried brining them. Looking forward to hearing how it works out. I skin mine. Panini, I never thought of flaming it off, I'm gonna try it. I use a rub. If I'm organized I do it the night before. Smoke at 225 for around 4 hours in my Big Green Egg with ribs in a vertical rack. I use a spray bottle with vinigar and apple juice as a mop. I Serve them dry, sauce on the side. Yum.

Tony


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

Nentony,
Those big green eggs are supposed to be very good. Aren't they pretty expensive? I bought some of those upright racks for my smoker. I really like those too.


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## henry (Jun 12, 2001)

Nentony,

I'd like to hear more about your big green egg. Is it difficult do deal with, as in moving in and out of the garage when not in use? What kind of special care does it need.

The brochure says food cooks quicker, but would like to know your experiences, especially with ribs and/or other slow cooked meats.

Thanks!


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## nentony (May 7, 2005)

Panini and Henry,

I love the Big Green Egg and it's everything they say. I always wanted one but never would have bought one. I knew someone who was moving from a house to a condo on the beach where no charcoal grills were allowed. We struck a deal, I helped them move in exchange for the Egg. I felt like a sweepstakes winner. Previosly I was always a Weber guy. Henry, there heavier than you can imagine, but you can get them on wheels, Mine is built into a table. The fire starts fast and it really retains heat so you don't use coal that fast. The two things I love about it the most are: A. Once you get the temp set it will stay right on it for hours, great for the ribs we're discussing on this thread. B; you can easily get the temp to 750 degrees or more( my thermometer stops at 750) and baby, you can really sear a steak. Man I THOUGHT I cooked a mean steak till I got it. One minute on each side at 750 them close all the vents and wait about4 min. and its done. You have to crack the vent s open before you lift the lid or you will have a fireball when the air gets in. Sorry for the long post, I guess you can tell I'm a fan.

Tony


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## jenni belle (Mar 10, 2005)

Okay, a few notes from the weekend. I went ahead and tried brining the ribs for a couple hours before I put them in the smoker. BTW, my smoker is indeed a smoker, not a grill with which I put woodchips. It's a nice big black box that has a nifty little door and several racks inside. I just love it. 

Anyway, I tried brining the ribs. Imho, not really a big difference in taste or texture. I'll agree and say it was an unessesary step. I brined a pork loin and smoked it as well. It was phenomenal. The ribs.....not so much of a difference. Everything took a little longer to cook than normal, but that could have been because I had the smoker a little on the full side. After 8 hours at 250°, everything was still a little on the rare side.  I ended up tossing everything in the convection oven for a few minutes because dinner needed to be done. But, all in all, everything turned out great. 

For another tip, I used some apple wood that a friend had given me. WOW! By far the best wood I have used so far in the smoker. It was so dense. It really kept the temperature of the fire up. I usually do a combination of charcoal and smoker wood chunks. This time, I got my fire up to temperature with the charcoal and never again had to add any more charcoal. The apple wood burned nice, hot and long. Great flavor too.

Thanks for all the advice.


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## blueschef (Jan 18, 2006)

Jenni! thanks for the info! 
I have a smoking question for anyone. I met a guy this weekend who cuts down trees for a living (and yes he is going to get me some wood). He says that he gives fresh cut wet wood to another BBQ smoker and he smokes with it wet, has anyone heard of that?


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## jenni belle (Mar 10, 2005)

It guess it would be like soaking your wood blueschef. I soak my wood chunks in water for several hours (at least 2 hours) before tossing them into the smoker. The wood produces more smoke and burns longer this way.


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## ma facon (Dec 16, 2004)

"(and yes he is going to get me some wood)". 

Are you sure that you wanted to word it that way ?:lol:


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## nentony (May 7, 2005)

"He says that he gives fresh cut wet wood to another BBQ smoker and he smokes with it wet, has anyone heard of that?"

I've used citrus wood fresh with fish or chicken, quick cooking stuff, but I wouldn't use wet hardwood for beef or pork or slow cooking stuff. doesn't smoke, tastes resiney.

Tony


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## nowiamone (Jan 23, 2005)

Jenni Belle
I was surprised to see you say that after 8 hours at 250 your ribs weren't done. Did you check the temp of the meat? Brined pork will always a little pink. I think brining is counterproductive on ribs which you are going to smoke. They stay wet looking and don't get that maghoney glaze on the meat. I do brine poultry and other cuts of pork before grilling. 

I cook 6 racks every day. Must have good quality, fatty, large pork spare ribs. Leave them whole, pierce several small holes through mebrane, pat them dry, add the rub leave leave on for a minimum of 24-30 hours, loosely covered. Give them 20-30 minutes at room temperature, then in the smoker at 230; for 3 1/2 hours; keep the temp constant, leave the door closed. Let them set, cooling down to 160-140 or so before cutting. Perfect everytime.


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## jenni belle (Mar 10, 2005)

I was surprised too nowIamone. I always check my meat with a thermometer, especially when I'm smoking. The only thing I can think of was they were really meaty ribs. I usually buy the spare ribs with the brisket meat still attached. They turned out great, just took awhile to cook. Also, as I said before, I may have had the smoker a little too full. But I was still amazed they weren't done. Oh well.......

Thanks for the advice. I will try that next time.


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## jedichef (Aug 26, 2010)

I figure..There just cannot be a negative to brining even baby backs. If anything if someone makes a mistake and doesn't have control of their smoke and/or temp. it's gotta help from drying them out a bit. Otherwise it's just adding flavor to the many levels being created.

I like to mix wet and dry wood. Start with dry and add chucks of wet (soaked for a few hours).


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Jedi,

Until you posted this thread played dead for four years.  Two weeks is an eternity on the net.  If you're trying to communicate to the previous posters you might be better off with a Ouija board.

Other than reformulating the rub to control overall salt, there's no real downside to brining baby backs.  But there's no real need either.  The cut has enough fat, that along with any one of a number of proper techniques -- 2, 1, 1 for instance -- there shouldn't be a problem with dryness.  While brining gives you a little extra leeway, it's only a little.  All the brining in the world won't make your BBs right if you undercook, or overcook to mush or shoe leather.

I'm not saying "don't do it."  I fooled around with brining darn near everything and have grilled and/or smoked many dozen racks of brined BBs that came out great; before realizing that it was an unnecessary complication for the particular cut.  But everyone has to take their own voyage of discovery. 

FWIW, brining is more helpful with spares; and more often than not I brine them before smoking.

By wet wood, I'm guessing you mean soaked.  The soaked wood / dry wood thing is very cooker and technique dependent.  As a general rule if you can manage your fire well enough to keep dry wood from bursting into flames, you're better off going dry all the way.  Ironically, more often than not, flaming wood results from opening the chamber door to check on it. 

BDL


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