If you are anything like me, you don't let a little cold weather interfere with your grilling regimen. There are times when I don't grill, such as in a pouring rain, if there is six inches of snow on the deck or if conditions are icy. Otherwise, I cook outside on the grill year around, including the winter months. If it is really cold outside, I prefer to smoke the meat rather than grill it so I don't have to be out there continuously minding the grill.
(Just so we are on the same page, I think of grilling being done directly over the coals while smoking is done indirectly, with the coals to one side of the grill and the meat on the other. I use the words "smoking" and "barbecuing" interchangeably. But all cooking outside on a grill or smoker can be thought of as "grilling" in a generic sense.)
There are many delicious food dishes available to us today, but none of them are any better than a rack of baby back ribs smoked on the grill. My son Eric made ribs on his Kamado-style grill the other day for Christmas lunch. They tasted great. From that meal, I got the fever to do a little grilling myself; so a few days after Christmas I got some back ribs of my own and put them on my grill.
I have a Weber grill I purchased at Walmart. These grills are excellent, not only for grilling, but also for smoking meats. As mentioned above, there is a difference between grilling and smoking. With grilling, the meat is cooked relatively quickly, directly over the coals -- that's the way most folks cook their hamburgers. With smoking, the meat is placed on one side of the grill, away from the heat, and so is cooked indirectly. By using indirect heat you slow the cooking process down. This allows the smoke to penetrate deeper into the meat. With smoking meats, "low and slow" should be your mantra.
Also, if cooking indirectly, you will need to add more charcoal and wood chips as needed to keep the grill going for an extended period of time. Baby back ribs need to be on the grill for at least 3 to 4 hours, but longer is better. For ribs, the ideal cooking temperature is 225 F. A good digital thermometer is handy for determining the correct temperature.
Preparation for a barbecue is also important. I make my own dry rubs for smoking meats, mainly because commercial preparations are too salty. In fact, I do not add salt to my homemade rubs as I have come to believe the salt needs to be added first, by itself, anywhere from 2 to 12 hours prior to putting the meat on the grill. (This, of course, will depend on the type of meat. With back ribs, applying salt 2 hours before cooking is fine. With a large pork roast, adding salt 12 hours prior to cooking works best.)
Important Note: You will need to remove the membrane on the inside of the ribs before salting them. Just slide a butter knife under one end of the membrane and pull it off. Using a napkin to grip it will help you hold on to it better.
For an application rate, season the ribs just like you would at the table if you knew they weren't salted. After salting, wrap them tightly in cellophane and keep refrigerated until ready for cooking. The salt will act on the proteins in the meat and begin to break them down so the ribs are more tender and flavorful.
To begin the fire, I place a fair amount of charcoal (Kingsford is my choice), on one side of the grill and pour more charcoal into my charcoal lighter. I wad up some used newspaper, place it under the charcoal lighter, and light it. Pretty soon I have hot coals which I pour on top of the unlit charcoal in my grill. Then I put a good-sized handful of mesquite or hickory wood chips on top of the charcoal just before adding the meat. After that, I position my stainless steel grate on top of the fire. My grate has a hinged area that can be raised so more charcoal or wood chips can be added as needed. There is no need to soak the wood chips in water before placing them on the hot coals. They will not smoke more if wet and wet chips tend to cool off the fire.
While the charcoal is heating up, I remove the cellophane and season the ribs with my rub making sure to cover all surfaces well. Before sprinkling on the rub, I get the meat wet with water. Water is the best solvent -- it helps the spices in the rub break down and get into the meat better.
Once the ribs are wet, apply the rub liberally but not so thickly that you can't see the meat. The ribs are now ready for the grill. Just before placing them on the grill, add the wood chips. Put the ribs on the side away from the fire, place the lid on the grill, and set the vent holes so the fire can breathe. Now go take a long break -- you deserve it.
Over the next few hours, make sure the fire keeps going and that there is smoke coming out of the top vent. If the fire is hot, but isn't smoking, then add more wood chips. Don't leave the lid off for long so the fire doesn't cool off. Use a good thermometer to check the internal temp of the ribs -- it needs to be at least 150 degrees at the thickest part in order to be safe for eating. There are exceptions to this rule, but I don't want to confuse anyone. It is better to be safe than sorry.
When the internal temperature has reached 150 degrees, you can take the ribs off the grill. Let them rest for about 30 minutes before cutting them up. They can be eaten dry or with barbecue sauce. Prepare to be amazed at the wonderful flavor. Now relax and enjoy a great meal with your family. Believe me, the compliments will come pouring in from all sides. Try to stay calm and modest, if possible.
Although I have been grilling for years, I owe much of what I know about cooking on a charcoal grill to the website www.amazingribs.com. This website has many articles and recommendations for how to cook all sorts of meats and other things on grills and smokers. It also has many barbecue sauce and rub recipes listed for free. I mean any website run by someone called Meathead Goldwyn has to be good, right? Happy Grilling!
Sam Byrnes is a Gentry-area resident and weekly contributor to the Eagle Observer. He may be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 01/20/2016