Im ging to smoke some meat in an outdoor smoker for the first time.
I'm going with spare ribs but had a few questions.
Dry rub or marinade?
What is a "mop sauce" and do I need one?
At what point to apply BBQ sauce if at all?
Do the type of wood chips matter?
Thanks cu/ck/s
>>7373238
Dry rub. You put the sauce on during the last hour. Yes, the wood chips matter. Don't embarrass yourself. Get mesquite or apple.
Also - don't fucking use the term cu/ck/s
You co/ck/ su/ck/ing motherfu/cker
I usually do a dry rub the night prior. Use some brown sugar in it also. Make sure to peel of the thin skin membrane on the bottom of the ribs by grasping it with a paper towel and peeling it back- trust me they will be way tough if you don't do that. I never add sauce during the smoke, but I like to add sauce of choice and finish on a medium grill right before serving. I also use applewood chips for ribs, not too intense. Keep temp at appx 250-275 for about 4 hours and they will be perfect m8.
>>7373238
>Im ging to smoke some meat in an outdoor smoker for the first time.
Take notes of the amount of charcoal you use, and what temp it gets your smoker to for future reference.
>Dry rub or marinade?
It's up to you, anon, but I prefer dry rubs applied the night before. Whatever you choose, it'll be best if left on for at least 3-4 hours.
>What is a "mop sauce" and do I need one?
A marinade used to keep the meat moist, add a little flavor, and help with the color IF there is any sugar in it. Put a bowl of water in your smoker, and you usually don't need to use a mop. Foil up your ribs once they hit the color you want, and you won't have to use a mop either. It's up to you, though, anon, just remember that if you applied a dry rub, you don't want the mop to simply wash it off.
>At what point to apply BBQ sauce if at all?
Up to you, anon. You don't want to apply it early and have it burn on the ribs, so it's wise to apply the sauce with about 20-30 minutes left on your cook, just long enough for the sauce to set. Another option is to cook your ribs till done, then apply the sauce, and place the ribs under a broiler, or over coals, just long enough to set the sauce without burning.
>Do the type of wood chips matter?
Hickory can overpower if you use too much, but it's good for everything. Mesquite is very strong flavored and best used for beef, but if you enjoy it, you'll like it on everything as well. Fruit woods are lighter flavored and great for pork, fowl, and fish.
Easy smoking technique: smoke until you get the color you want, then pull it and finish in the oven. Foil will make ALL meat tender as fuck, but you'll have a soft bark and / or rubbery fowl skin. NOT foiling will give you a crisp bark and skin, but might just dry out your meat.
If you fuck it up and dry it out? Well, that's what sauce if for...
Good luck.
>>7373305
Sweet or savory?
>>7373305
Savory: 1 tbs paprika, 2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp cinamon
Sweet: 1 tbs paprika, 1 tbs brown sugar, 2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Make enough using this ratio to cover both sides of the ribs LIBERALLY. If you want a mop, add a tbs of this rub to 3/4 cup of apple juice and 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, or water. You could also add it to 3/4 cups of water and 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar.
Add another light coat of rub to the ribs right before you sauce them, or before you rest them if not using a sauce.
I use almond and cherry wood chunks I got from a local orchard, pretty good combo. I would suggest the chunks over chips, chips burn up too fast and don't produce much smoke.
Also make sure you dial in the dampers on the firebox to where the wood is still on fire inside and not snuffed out. The smoke stack shouldn't be giving off any actual white smoke, just slightly blue vapor or just heat waves.
