"The best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray." -- Robert Burns
Usually, when I have food in the #3 I still tend to babysit it a bit ... too many years using conventional smokers, I guess. Today, we had a hellacious line of thunderstorms move through the area and I had to bail on a rack of ribs and go rescue someone who was stranded in high water.
The St. Louis ribs I prepped had 30 hours in the fridge with a homemade rub on top of a yellow mustard schmear before I put them in at noon with four ounces of hickory at 225. My goal had been to spritz them with apple juice every 75 minutes beginning at the 1.5 hour mark. At the one hour mark duty called ...
I made it back at just before 6:00 p.m. ... the ribs had been unattended but in the smoker for nearly six full hours when I pulled them. No 3-2-1 foiling, no spritzing ... just the Smokin-It doing its thing. I threw a quick coat of homemade sweet/spicy sauce on and broiled them in the oven for seven minutes until the sauce firmed up.
So, what did I learn:
1. Even though the smokers vent smoke (occasionally from the door seals) they are a very moist environment.
2. At six hours, without the foiling, the ribs are slightly overcooked (truly falling off the bone) but crazy moist.
3. Even the misses are hits with this smoker; the flavor was on point and the ribs were still a success.
These smokers do have far more flexibility than any other non-electric style of cooker ... and even when the results aren't perfect they put most commercial rib joints and backyard stick burners to shame.
