Perfect St. Louis ribs on a Weber grill.....can it be done?

[Goat Holder II]

And by perfect, I mean tender with a little crust on the outside. Everything else is variable. My experience has taught me it must be done VERY slow over a long period of time on that particular grill, since you can't build a big fire (it must be split into two) and it can't get too hot because it's so close to the meat. But somehow you have to achieve that temperature. Any experience?

Or a Boston Butt for that matter. I'd like to do it on top of the grate with a pan underneath to catch the grease and cook some beans and corn in.

 

[Goat Holder II]

And by perfect, I mean tender with a little crust on the outside. Everything else is variable. My experience has taught me it must be done VERY slow over a long period of time on that particular grill, since you can't build a big fire (it must be split into two) and it can't get too hot because it's so close to the meat. But somehow you have to achieve that temperature. Any experience?

Or a Boston Butt for that matter. I'd like to do it on top of the grate with a pan underneath to catch the grease and cook some beans and corn in.

 

[weblow]

You need to cook the ribs indirect at about 215 degrees for around 3.5-4 hours. The last 30 minutes of the cook, add some extra charcoal and bring the temp up to 350-400 degrees and cook them for 10 minutes per side directly over the coals.

Gonna be tough on a weber kettle, which I assume is what you are cooking on.

Someone will mention boiling or wrapping in foil in T-minus 3......2.......1....... When, not if, it is mentioned, please disregard it unless you like steamed meats, then by all means, go ahead.

Check out the Big Green Egg forum for some good rib cooking methods. Don't have to have a BGE to cook them, although it surely doesn't hurt.

 

[Goat Holder II]

but I'm thinking I can pull it off if I'm careful. I'll definitely take your advice on the cooking method, especially at the end. In the past, I've tried high heat on the front end for a short period and it never worked (Obviously).

Don't worry, I don't do the boiling or foil thing. The smoke is what I'm after - if not, I'd do them in the oven.

 

[MISSSTATE34]

Are you using the Bullet?

Check out this website:

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/cook.html

Very informative

 

[xxxWalkTheDawg]

And by perfect, I mean tender with a little crust on the outside. Everything else is variable. My experience has taught me it must be done VERY slow over a long period of time on that particular grill, since you can't build a big fire (it must be split into two) and it can't get too hot because it's so close to the meat. But somehow you have to achieve that temperature. Any experience?

Or a Boston Butt for that matter. I'd like to do it on top of the grate with a pan underneath to catch the grease and cook some beans and corn in.

I used to cook ribs and boston butts on a regular large charcoal grill in the past. I would layer up some aluminum foil real thick, and basically divide the grill into two sections.. on side to cook... one for the fire. The temp is just a ***** to control that way and you basically have to babysit the grill the whole time.<div>
</div><div>I do not wrap the ribs the whole time. But i do cook the ribs naked for 3 hours, wrap for 2, and then again unwrapped for 1. low and slow is the key. if you want wet ribs, wait till the very last to baste on the sauce. Ketchup based sauces will turn to black crust before you know it. go on the internet and you can find some vinegar based mopping mixes to mop the ribs while they cook to help them stay moist.

</div>

 

[perch0]

I have two locomotive comodes one upside down on top of the other and a grate between them. With the charcoal on one side I cooked a whole chicken with salt pepper garlic thyme 4 bay leaves and half lemon in cavity four 4 hours day before yesterday along with 3 pork country ribs. yum yum.

 

[codeDawg]

Like everyone has said, temperature control is the big problem. I solved it by putting a **** ton of fuel in (I put one chimney's worth on each side), then shut it down almost all the way. You have to put a thermometer in there to control things, but if you get it settled it will cook for about 4 hours and not budge.

That was fine for ribs. The butt was a different story. I took the same approach, but it didn't work out the way I planned it. I started cooking at 8PM. The plan was to smoke it until 12:00, then put it in the oven for 8 hours, and finish it on the grill in the AM. Unfortunately the damn thing stunk up the house so bad I had to take it back out before the wife woke up to it and killed me. It was really overpowering.

So I put some fuel back on and left it out overnight. When I got up the grill was barely warm. I got it going again, and after 16 hours of cooking I had the best damn butt I have ever tasted, much less cooked.

All that to say, buy a Big Green Egg or Backwoods Smoker. It's a pain in the *** to cook on anything else for long periods of time.

 

[therightway]

I have done both ribs and butts on mine. It is a lot of work but it can be done. I do not miss those days. There are some accessories to make this a lot easier like the smokenater. If you want to do this often it is worth it. You also may want to try lump because it produces a lot less ash so you will not have to keep messing with the dampers.

 

[therightway]

sorry double post

 

[3000lbchicken]

.

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

Works for me, but I generally use Bab-by Backs. Prepare ribs with your marination, I use Worcestershire Sauce and McCormick Montreal Steak.
Start fire, medium, not too much charcoal, Put the ribs on for about 8 to 10 min each side, don't over do it.
Then pull the grill off, and place perforated Aluminum foil over the coals, the put the grill and ribs back on. Optimum temp, about 275.
About every 20 min. or so, splash with WS...turn over etc. Start checking for done-ness at about 2:15 min, usually 2:30 +/or - will do it, depending on how many slabs, and grill temp.
You can move this to your oven, for the last hour, They got the smoke in the first 90 min. or so.

 

[Goat Holder II]

There's not much better than drinking and tending a grill all day, especially during football season or if a golf tournament or MSU baseball is on.

 

[dawgman42]

I've made near perfect ribs and pork butts on my Weber bullet. BGE's are great, don't get me wrong, but singling it out as the only solution is ridiculous. For 1/4 to 1/3 the price of a BGE, you can get an excellent smoker that performs exceptionally well. A Weber SMC is NOT a BGE . . . duh. But I have no issues making ribs and pulled pork better than about anywhere I've ever had on one.

Ribs can be cooked easily in 4-1/2 hrs. Pork Butts take me 12-16, depending on the size. My next big challenge here in Tejas is to perfect beef brisket.

 

[Goat Holder II]

Now that (and butt, for the most part) are easily done on the Weber kettle. Low and slow, that's basically it. If I feel like the grill's too hot, it probably is. I have the vents, on top and below, almost shut.

Ribs is where I mess up for whatever reason.

 

[codeDawg]

I don't have to fiddle with it too much. Once it is stable, it will cook for a good long while. Adding fuel is less of a problem too. I'm just getting lazy in my old age and don't get to enjoy sitting around meddling and drinking beer like I used to.

One more thing. I have a friend with the 22" version of the Smokey Mountain and he says it is very stable over long periods of time. Much more so than the 18" version. Obviously, it cooks more ribs at a time too.

 

[weblow]

Ribs should require some pull to get them off the bone. If they fall off the bone, they are way overcooked, this is one of the biggest mistakes. If you will talk to different BBQ cooking teams, you will not find a team that cooks their ribs until they fall off the bone, well, not if they want to place or win.

Your goal is to cook them low with smoke to make them tender and add the smoke flavor, once you have accomplished that, you want to add some heat to them to firm them up and add some bark, or crust, as you have called it.

It is really not hard to make good ribs, just don't overcook them.

A few more tips for you:
Put yellow mustard all over your ribs after removing the membrane.
Sprinkle, do not rub, sprinkle your dry rub over the ribs. (most people will tell you to rub your dry rub in but doing this will take away from the ribs getting the most flavor from your rub. Meat has pores and when you rub the dry rub in, it clogs the pores in the meat. This will not allow the meat to absorb any more flavor. It will also not allow the meat to sweat and that is not good.
Once you place the meat on the grill, check it every 20-30 minutes, you are looking for the meat to sweat, when it does, sprinkle more dry rub all over the ribs. The meat should sweat 2-3 times during your entire cook. Also, when you check the meat, get a squirt bottle and fill it with apple cider vinegar and spray down your ribs.
Like I said earlier, the last 20 or so minutes you want to up the heat and cook directly over the coals to firm up your ribs.

 

[miss daisy]

as most have noted, the key is controlling heat, particularly if you are using wood - if it gets cold and you try to stoke - you are going to get nasty *** creasote, and your dog won't eat them. I have a big weber, and I can make better ribs on that one than I can on my 50 butt custom smoker (I BBQ'd professionally at one point).

Get a chimney and prelight your charcoal, so that when it comes times to add the 10-12 briquets to the grill, they are already burning, and you don't have them cooling off your setup and throwing alot of smoke and creosote in the process. The other major issue is that if you get that connective tissue too hot, it will never "melt" or break down into the simpler amino acids that give you that flavor and "greasy" perfection that is pork on flame. If it ever gets to hot, you can cook it all day and it will never get tender, especially a but or shoulder. Also, use the kingsford pro briquets, or the natural wood charcoal, regular charcoal has coal in it and smells and tastes like it.

The BIG thing to do is insulate your smoker - the problem with the weber is that it doesn't have much mass - my pro-setup is make out of 1/4" plate in the main areas, and that much steel hold and regulates heat really well, so I don't get the fluctuations, and my meat comes out perfect. With the weber, I took an old moving blanket and pieced it around all of the metal surface so that I had an insulated cooker - kind of a poor mans Green Egg. That worked like a sonofabitch until one day I got frisky and the thing caught on fire. I've refined it using the stick on shielded fiberglass wrap from home depot, and with careful application, you can get rid of the hot and cold spots and your temperature stays where you want it (if you don't have one, install a good thermometer in the thing).
Now, the ambient temperature has much less influence, I use about half the charcoal i was using, and most importantly, my dry rubbed ribs come out as tender as a ham, with a beautiful smoke ring, no hint of creosote or bitterness, and they are far, far superior to the "grill and wrap" soggy **** that a lot of people are trying to call bbq. Good lord, I got to make some of these come the weekend.

 

[maygray1]

I've triedGorilla Tape and other tapes and when the grill gets hot the tape lets go.

 

[eurotrash]

at http://smokenator.com/. Easy to use and you can keep a temp from 225-250 for three -four hours using the minion method (I like Stubbs natural charcoal briquettes). I also cook on a Green Egg which is easier to maintain low temps but the kettle with a smokenator works fine for ribs, butts, brisket, chicken and turkey--that's all the meats I smoke. Ribs need to smoke for about only an-hour-and-a-half (maybe 2) and you can then finish cooking them on the grill per your preference. But, wrapping in foil with apple juice for the last half hour makes them tender, or put ribs in a roasting pan with apple juice and covered in foil and use your oven to finish. That sounds like heresy but with the technology and **** that's pulled on the bbq circuit by so-called "purists", it's fine for me. My buds like tender, almost fall off the bone smoked ribs and I get only complements from guests (none of whom are KCBS certified judges looking for teeth marks after every bite.)

 

[miss daisy]

I actually got the idea from a guy that I used to compete against in a lot of events. On his big smoker, he used fiberglass insulation on his smoker sidewalls and lid, and then covered it with brown aluminum house siding, with a drill and aluminum tap-rivet install He could remove or add them as he wished, to account for colder outside temperatures so he wasn't burning up a cord of hickory to do a cook. I did the same thing on the weber, using unpainted aluminum flashing and uncoated sheet metal screws in predrilled holes at strategic points. Flashing is made to bend, and it is fairly easy to trim out some relief points and form it around the weber body and lid with a ball peen and dolly. Make sure you don't use something like tin or galvanized sheeting, its toxic when heated. Then I sprayed it with BBQ black paint so it doesn't look quite as redneck, and I was good to go. In truth, I had a summer weekend and felt like farting around in the shop - the moving blanket I think worked about as well, and I used it for quite a few sessions before I caught it on fire. for that, I just cut a whole in the top for the vent and temp gauge (never, ever cover or close that vent unless you are extinguishing the coals) and draped it on the same as you would a grill cover. It was short enough that the thing could draw in plenty of air underneath, but was one continuous insulation cushion over the grill. With either setup, I'm running about 12-15 coals on one side of the grill, with the exhaust vent on the other side so that it draws heat across the meat, the bottom vent at around half pull, and replacing coals about every hour and a half with well burning coals from the chimney. Turn the meat around when you add coals because you will get some radiant heat differences from the coals. Temp can be kept right at 225 by tiny adjustments of the bottom vent, which is the temp I've found to be the best balance for speed and keeping things tender. Baby backs can get done in about 3.5 hours, St. Louis ribs about an hour more. I peal the membrane and soak in apple cider with a tablespoon or so of bourbon overnight, then dry them off and use a dry rub that's a little higher sugar/less salt than a standard rub, because there's so little meat here that a normal rub is going to dry you out and make the meat overly salty. Leave those ribs out about an hour so that they are coming up to room temp before you put them on your grill, which should be running about 250, especially if you have several racks - cold meat will mess with your temperature regulation quite a bit. Watch the temp close for the first 15-20 minutes as the meat comes up to temp. Don't open the damn thing until you start losing temp because your charcoal is used up. When you add your already hot charcoal, throw on a SMALL handful of soaked hickory or applewood, or one fistsized chunk, already burning well. Because you never get the thing over about 250, you can use a high paprika rub and not end up burning it and creating bitterness. I put a pan of water on the coal grate to keep the coals off to the side and help regulate the temp. That's about it.

Edit to add: I just looked at that smokerator thing. I'd be a little worried about the ability to keep the coals running and how easily it would be to add fuel if needed, but that thing looks like it does pretty much exactly what you would want it to do, looks like an easy and effective solution, especially when combined with a little insulation.

 

[jcdawgman18]

How I like mine, and thus how I cook them, is to smoke them for about 3-3.5 hours over low-to-medium (preferably closer to medium) heat. This usually leaves them with the bones protruding about 1/8 inch, but not falling out at all. It then takes a little pull as you eat them, but the bones come pretty clean once you provide that pull.

One way I've found to get a tougher/crustier edge is to use more hickory chunks/chips early on to basically sear/seal the outside. Leaves them really, really juicy inside.

 

[fishwater99]

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

They have recipes for ribs, boston butt, and brisket that work great for a weber type grill. That is what they use during the cooking process. However, most of their recipes involve oven time. You do a few hours on the grill to get the smoke flavor then finish it in the oven to control the temperature.

I did a brisket two weekends back that was great with their recipe.