St Louis ribs this past Sat, homemade dry rub, no wet mopping

- Big Green Egg with plate setter down, and DigiQ from BBQ Guru for temp control
- 250F until thick areas hit 203F (took just over 3.5 hours)
- Cowboy mixed hardwood lump charcoal
- a couple big chunks of cherry spaced in the anticipated burn zone for light, even smoke

First time using cherry on pork ribs and will use it again. I like the flavor profile as a change from my typ hickory

My least fav task with ribs is removing the membrane, but that effort is soooo worth it

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Prior to joining the Big Green Egg (BGE) cult last summer, I used just about every kind of smoker except pellet. The BGE with a DigiQ totally transformed my long overnight butt & brisket sessions

I can bring the BGE up to 225F, load in a butt at 9P, and then forget about it until morning knowing that the DigiQ is going to hold temp within a couple degrees until the butt is ready at 204F inside temp. Longest time so far is a 17 hour session that still had enough charcoal remaining in the basket to go for another couple hours

I also use a KickAsh wire basket, and that greatly improved aeration by reducing ash build up in the burn zone

Not a compensated user, just somebody who is finally achieving my low-n-slo goals after more than a decade of trying many methods to get there. It’s definitely not the only way, but the one I’m finally satisfied with

ATB - R

Jealous about peach wood. Only way I can find it here is mail order. Pecan chunks have recently been reliably found in 10-15 pound bags, so I have used it for lamb roasts and stuffed meatballs with great results.

I added a BGE pizza stone last Fall and no longer head out for pizza. It takes a bit of time + charcoal to hit 600F, but the hint of wood flavor reminds of East Coast pizza places with wood-fired ovens. I found larger chunks of charcoal work better than a ton of medium sized pieces for hitting 600F

Central Market has dough balls ready to warm and let rise, and I typically make 2-3 pies from one of these.

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Here's a great place to start with smoked, stuffed meatballs. This is always a hit with the fam and company, especially with a mix of extra sharp cheddar and pepper jack cheeses. I use thin slice reduced salt bacon - whatever is on sale that week. Regular bacon makes these a bit salty for my taste

https://www.smokedmeatsunday.com/bacon-wrapped-meatballs/

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And while you're there, I'm also a fan of their smoked meatloaf recipe:

https://www.smokedmeatsunday.com/smoked-meatloaf/

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During the winter I'll do a 2x or 3x batch and smoke them all at once. Once cool I'll slice the loaves up and vacuum seal dinner sized portions for easy leftovers. I've been doing loaves about every other month, a bit sooner if we have meatloaf loving company visiting for dinner

ATB - R

I use the same meatloaf recipe (see link in post above) plus chopped green bell pepper and onions to make bacon wrapped meat logs

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Wangs - YES PLEASE!!!

It’s been a bit since my last batch, and now I’m having second thoughts on my decision to do pizza this coming Sat.

My last wangs session

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romulusx - pardon my Vortex ignorance ... the two pieces of wood in the center of your food grate is your smoking wood chunks?

M-43 Tart Strawberry NE IPA - yes! I was able to snag a can of that last year thanks to Tavour.

On the topic of smoking/grilling ...

Who is brining as part of your meat prep routine, and what’s your preference(s)?

For my annual Tgiving turkey I wet brine (immersion in solution) with a concoction that includes salt, Zatarain’s liquid crab boil concentrate, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, crushed black pepper, and fresh Rosemary sprigs

For most all other meats I dry brine Texas style with just Kosher salt, usually for 12-36 hours uncovered in the fridge, and then load in to the BGE without rinsing.

Exception is pork ribs and pork butt where I apply the dry rub several hours in advance so the meat can absorb the salt and seasonings. I’m going to dry brine (salt only) my next batch of pork ribs, eliminate salt from my dry rub recipe, and apply this salt-less rub as usual ahead of load in. Should be an interesting experiment

Brining took my smoking/low-n-slo to a new level with flavor consistency thru the entire piece of meat. It’s easy to over do, especially if using the wrong kind of salt

ATB - R

looks like an XL and a Med BGE pairing.

I have an XL as I often cook for groups of 7-12, and am saving up for a second one for when it's just 2 of us, or I need to cook something at a significantly different temp. Undecided between a Med or L and leaning towards the L

any remorse that you got a Med instead of a L as your second BGE?

unsure if this is Keto, but here's my wangs prep:

2T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced very fine
1T Chili powder
1/2t ground Cumin
1/4t Onion powder
1/4t garlic powder
1/4t Kosher salt

I usually double the above for 3 pounds of uncooked wings. Mix it all together in a bowl

Add 1-1/2 pounds to a zip lock bag (or all in a larger bag if you have one that fits) and 1/2 of the spice mix. Zip tight and knead the spices until evenly mixed thru all of the bagged wings. Toss in the fridge for 4-24 hours, then add to a 225F preheated BGE. Cooking time is 2-3 hours (I cook until internal temp is at least 175F)

For beef (I typically use this on a Chuck Roast (aka "poor man's brisket")) I will dry brine with Kosher salt for 24 hours, then dry rub with the following spice mix

3T ground black Pepper
1T Onion powder
2t Mustard powder
2t garlic powder
1/2t ground Cumin
2t Chili powder
1/2t Cayenne powder

I let the dry rub do it's thing for 2-4 hours before loading in to a 225F BGE with a couple strategically Pecan wood chunks

ATB - R

Tonight’s meatloaf

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**That right there** is exactly the kind of experience-based reply I've been seeking - thank you! I had thought of many aspects, but had failed to notice the diminished accessories available for the Med unit. A Large it will be

ATB - R

Mexicali wings in the works for a late dinner tonight. Same rub I used for the chicken thighs that became street tacos. First time using this for wings

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These were packed in a refrigerated zip lock bag for 9 hours before loading on the the BGE

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I have a nice micro-brew Lager in waiting, and also some grilled veggies will be loaded on the side. Will try to remember to snag an image when these are done

Given the quantity, I made a double batch of this:

2T extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1T Chili powder
1/2t ground Cumin
1/4t Onion powder
1/4t Garlic powder

Mash it all up with a fork until it’s an evenly smooth paste, then add the wangs and toss or mix by gloved hand until evenly distributed. Load into a ziplock bag, squeeze the air out, and set in the fridge for 4-24 hours. I mix it up every couple hours until it’s time to load onto the BGE

Beautiful ring!!

Dinner is served!

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I like pecan better with this rub mix bs the apple/cherry combo. Still very good and worthy of a repeat

stop in - there’s leftovers

I have a two that are my go-to depending on the situation:

1) Big Green Egg: pulls all of the smoking, low-n-slo, and pizza duties. The BGE totally transformed my outdoor cooking experience, and I’m truly grateful for it. I have a DigiQ to control temp, and can low-n-slo at 225F for +17 hours for babysitting-free cooking.

2) Char Griller gas + briquette combo with side barrel option. Convenience of gas when the fam wants something grilled *now!* and a second grill for briquette grilling. The added side barrel allows me to do the Texas style low-n-slo while making full use of the briquette cooking surface. This requires babysitting to keep temp control for long smoking, but is great for a 4 hour set of babybacks

Today’s activities included a pair of meatloaves on the BGE. New recipe that I think I like better than the last outing, with two small chunks of Pecan for smoke

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Time again for another round of meatloaf on the BGE

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I used to live about two miles from Gibson's BBQ - sure do miss that place

R

need to add that post to the homemade pizza thread