ARRGGHH! I am failing in a stellar manor with the ribs and my new Brinkmann Bar

1. 51

   gouldianposted 14 years ago

   ARRGGHH!  I am failing in a stellar manor with the ribs and my new Brinkmann Barrel...
   
   smoker/cooker.  It is the small one and I can't get the heat right!  First when I wait till temp says 300 degrees to put the meat on it just dies shortly therafter and I have dried out ribs.  Then I tried to get a good bed of coals going first, and it never got below 400 degrees for the next 3 hours.  Can you give me an actual amount of charcoal to use, and exact steps?  I normally am a great cook... But failing horribly here!  HELP ME PLEASE!!!

   replyreport
2. 60

   Yankee Rebposted 14 years ago

   Okay ... daddy's here ....
   
   First off - do yourself a favor and par cook it
   (trust me here - easy perfection)
   
   WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
   
   take your rib's and wrap in foil with just dry spice on both sides
   and add a couple table spoons of water in before you seal the foil - that goes on the grill first.
   
   What I do to set up the coal bed is ALWAYS use a charcoal chimney with egg carton broke up under it (I don't trust the ink in newspaper or lighter fluid)
   
   In that chimney - when the upper coals are glowing a bright orange I put my coals on one side of the grill bottom - the side that the airflow is entering the grill from. That takes watching the direction the wind is blowing and controlling vents to use that breeze. (try to keep the breeze in and not gale force winds that remove too much heat and smoke)
   Then I try to add about 20% more coal on top of the lit coal bed and also add my (DRY) smoking wood to the end of the hot coals closest to the vent opening so the breeze pushes the smoke flavor across the whole inside of the grill.
   
   You cook the foil wrapped meat about an hour in the grill or until the water is gone (which meant it was not sealed well).
   
   Then carefully open it and see if the meat is tender - if tender - take out the foil and put the rack of ribs over the open heat
   (a spray bottle with water is always good to have when you start - helps extinguishing flare ups from dripping meat fat, juice, and dripping sauce
   
   Once it is out of the foil - put your favorite BBQ sauce on the top of the meat and close the lid - let it cook for about 10 minutes or when it starts looking fairly grilled (not burned - much) or until the sauce thickens - then flip meat and put sauce on the other side (this is side 2 getting it's sauce now)
   Let it cook for about 10 minutes or until a nice grilled look is achieved.
   
   Remember this - in the old days they had a camp fire with no lid
   the lid just makes it cook faster!

   replyreport