St. Louis Ribs in #3

[tomd8]

I finally got to do a St. Louis rib rack in my #3.  I thought I’d try the “no peak” approach since I had always done the 3-2-1 or the 2.5-2.5-1 in my old smoker.  I did a yellow mustard base and Jeff’s rub (modified with less sugar and less salt) the night before.  I used a 2 oz mixture of a cherry chunk, hickory & pecan chips and blended pellets all foiled with some air holes.  I also added a small aluminum pan of apple juice and water next to the smoke box.  I smoked at 225 for 6.5 hrs bringing the IT ribs temp up to 196.  Pulled them and let them rest for 30 minutes.  These were very moist with great bark and flavor.  Ribs were great with or without side sauce.  All wood burned great into charcoal.  I think these were my best ribs yet.  It’s amazing how much moisture is retained in this smoker.  Looks like I don't need to foil ribs in this box.  Sorry no pics.

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[Pork Belly]

Glad it worked out! You could have gone hotter and been done sooner but you cn't argue results. One tip is dont worry about temp on ribs, cook to the degree of tenderness you want. Bones and small sections of meat make for sometimes inaccurate temps.

[tomd8]

Hi Brian - Since this was the first time for ribs I tried to stick as close as I could to what I read.  I saw the recommendation being 235deg but it looks to be a bit of a guestimate on the analog controller.  Since I smoked with 2 probes, I saw the temp swings between 215 and 255 which may mean I should adjust the control knob if it's possible on this to split the difference.  Last 3rd of the smoke it varied much less.  I could push the knob to the halfway point from 225 to 250 or up to 250 and see if they get done faster without sacrificing moisture and tenderness.

[Pork Belly]

Don't watch the box them the swings will drive you nuts. You can not chase the box temp. Set it and walk away, it averages out.

Most guys smoke baby backs. Back ribs lack a lot of the muscle structure and connective tissue that makes SLR so tasty. You cn not interchange BB and SLR cook times, SLR will take longer.