Low & Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons (18 page)
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Authors: Colleen Rush,Gary Wiviott
BOOK: Low & Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons
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1. Because lump charcoal is a natural product, it’s okay to re-use any leftovers from the previous cook. True or False?
2. Once the cook is under way, you should close the top vent . . .a. when the cooker stops billowing dark smokeb. about 30 minutes into the cookc. for the final 30 minutes of the cookd. when pigs fly
3. What benefit do you get from layering the wood chunks or splits in the charcoal?
4. What is the ideal temperature range in a low and slow cook?a. 150°F to 200°Fb. 225°F to 250°Fc. 250°F to 275°Fd. Thermometers are for engineers. There is no “ideal” temperature in low and slow.
5. Only refill the water pan when it is less than half full. True or False?
6. Kosher salt is ideal for using in brines because . . .a. it is flakier and dissolves quickly in the solutionb. it doesn’t contain iodine and tastes betterc. you only use half the amount, compared to table saltd. it does a better job of tenderizing meat than table salt
7. What does air-drying the chicken before cooking do?
8. Partially closing the bottom vent(s) on the cooker helps to stabilize the temperature by regulating the airflow over the lit charcoal. True or False?
Answers: 1. False. Charcoal absorbs moisture and odors that will give your barbecue off flavors. Always start with a fresh batch of charcoal. 2) d. Never, ever close the top vent on a cooker—it chokes off the oxygen, which smothers the fire. 3) The wood ignites and smoke penetrates the meat at different stages as the charcoal ignites. 4) c. The temperature will spike and drop throughout the cook as you open and restock the cooker, but the happy place in barbecue is in the 250°F to 275°F range. 5) False. The water pan should always be ½ to ¾ full. Check and refill as often as you open the cooker (which shouldn’t be very often). 6) a. 7) Increases the likelihood that the chicken skin will brown and crisp. 8) True
5.
LESSON N°3 BABY BACK RIBS
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE REACHED THE HALFWAY POINT IN YOUR PATH TO
low and slow greatness. If you’re reading this note, you hereby swear a solemn oath that you have followed the instructions faithfully and completed at least two successful smoked chicken dinners. You are now trustworthy and skilled enough to attempt a more expensive and unforgiving meat: baby back ribs (a.k.a. pork loin ribs or back ribs).
low and slow greatness. If you’re reading this note, you hereby swear a solemn oath that you have followed the instructions faithfully and completed at least two successful smoked chicken dinners. You are now trustworthy and skilled enough to attempt a more expensive and unforgiving meat: baby back ribs (a.k.a. pork loin ribs or back ribs).
After years of counseling students of this program, I already know that as soon as you skim over the instructions for the dinner, a voice in your head will start telling you that you might as well stuff the cooker with twice the number of racks of baby backs called for in the recipe. The voice will be very persuasive in rationalizing why it’s okay to stray from the directions. It will say things like, “Well, as long as I’m going to the trouble . . .” and “Then, I can invite a few people over . . .” and “I’ve already smoked chicken ten times—it’s not like I don’t know what I’m doing . . .” Trust me: you still don’t know enough to start wandering off and doing your own thing.
Of course you want to load up the smoker and invite over every neighbor and living relative you have to show off your new low and slow skills. Not only do I forbid you to do this, I guarantee that if you cook twice as many racks as instructed despite my warnings, the ribs will be so tough that your Aunt Hildred will break her eating teeth on the first bite she takes. You will sear the hair and skin on your forearms trying to rotate the meat around the grates. You will be exhausted and cranky by the end of the cook, and everyone you invite over will think you’re an idiot.
I am trying to keep you from taking what could be an embarrassing learning experience public by limiting the number of racks you cook and restricting the number of people who will eat this dinner. I also want you to cook each rack for a different amount of time so that you can taste what a little extra time does to the texture of the meat. Each rack will help you figure out how you like your ribs cooked—from chewy and toothsome to fall-off -the-bone tender. Later in the course of your low and slow study, I will teach you how to stuff that cooker so full you’ll be able to feed three generations of your family. But for now, keep it to three racks (one rack if you’re using a kettle) and immediate family or a select group of very patient and forgiving friends.
Also in this chapter, you’ll start making heavier barbecue rubs—from a simple salt-and-pepper blend to a screaming-hot Szechuan pepper concoction. Bigger, tougher, fattier cuts of meat, like ribs and pork shoulder, need the stronger seasoning because herbs and spices mellow over a long cook. In the first baby back rib cook, you must use my basic Rudimentary Rub (page 115), for the same reason you used the bottled mojo criollo and the basic brine in the first cooks for Lessons #1 and #2: because I said so. And because cutting your teeth on the most basic recipe is the quickest, most efficient way for you to learn the fundamentals of cooking ribs with the least chance of failure.
I’m not asking you. I’m telling you: follow the directions.
Sincerely,
Gary Wiviott
BABY BACK RIBS
Don’t buy girly Niman Ranch, Whole Foods, or other gourmet-brand ribs. Not only are these ribs considerably more expensive, the upscale stuff is usually slightly smaller and leaner, which could skew the cooking time. And if things go wrong, it’ll hurt less to wreck $20 in ribs versus $40. Grocery store ribs are often pumped full of saltwater (so 20 percent of what you’re paying for is water) and other additives to “enhance” the flavor (and the price). Always read the label. If anything other than pork is listed in the ingredients (look for words like “enhanced,” “injected,” or “added water,” or salt or phosphate), don’t put it in your cart. I recommend inexpensive Costco or Sam’s Club ribs because they tend to be meatier, and are not enhanced.
WSM AND OFFSETSERVES 3 TO 63 (2- to 3-pound) racks baby back ribs
1½ cups white vinegar
¾ cup prepared yellow mustard
Rudimentary Rub (page 115)
Tart Wash (page 115; optional)
KETTLESERVES 1 TO 21 (2- to 3-pound) rack baby back ribs ½ cup white vinegar ¼ cup prepared yellow mustard Rudimentary Rub (page 115) Tart Wash (page 115; optional)
4 TO 5 HOURS BEFORE DINNER
Set up and start a KISS Method fire according to the instructions for your WSM (page 32), offset (page 34), or kettle (page 36).
While you’re waiting for the charcoal in the chimney to engage, rinse the rib racks in the sink under cold water. Douse each rack with about ½ cup of vinegar, and lightly rub the vinegar into both sides. Rinse the racks again under cold water. Set the ribs on a rimmed baking sheet and slather both sides with a light coating of yellow mustard, about ¼ cup per rack. (The mustard helps the rub adhere to the meat.) Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of rub over each rack, or more to taste.
TIP:
Ribs often have a slightly “off” smell and sticky feel when they are taken out of a vacuum-sealed package. Rinsing with vinegar removes the odor and tackiness, and vinegar is also a natural antibacterial agent.
RUDIMENTARY RUB
A basic rub doesn’t get any simpler than this. A light dusting over the ribs, about two tablespoons per rack, will produce an excellent, chewy bark with just a touch of spice. You probably have most of the ingredients already, but I don’t recommend using the musty, flavorless grocery store paprika in your spice cabinet. It’s worth the extra dollar to buy fresh paprika at a specialty food store or online spice shop like Penzeys, The Spice House, or Kalustyan’s.
MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP
3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1½ tablespoons Morton kosher salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1½ tablespoons Morton kosher salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until the mixture is thoroughly blended.
After slathering a thin, ¼-cup coating of yellow mustard on the ribs, sprinkle each rack with about 2 tablespoons of rub.
Store remaining rub in an airtight container for up to six months.
TIP:
Double or triple this rub recipe and save the leftovers for Lesson #4 and Lesson #5. The rubs in these cooks are almost identical to this blend and can be twea-ked with the addition of one or two ingredients.
TART WASH
Although I caution against opening and closing the cooker too much, I often spritz ribs with this seasoned liquid when I have the cooker open to check the charcoal or water pan levels. But don’t call it a mop. People think of mops as a panacea—a cure-all for keeping barbecue moist and tender. But it belies reason to think that any liquid could penetrate to the interior of a hot rack of ribs or a thick pork shoulder. It’s more accurate to call it a wash. This wash adds a top note of flavor to the meat, the sprinkle of rub in the wash reinforces the rub on the meat, and the small shot of cranberry-colored liquid makes the ribs pretty.
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