Dadnatron
New member
First cook and my ribs were overcooked in 3 hours... my boys thought they turned out better than the local BBQ restaurant we had been to the night before... but I want to do better.
Bought 3 pack of Baby Back ribs at Costco. Trimmed/demembraned them then coated with mustard and a Penzy's rub I had received as a gift. Wrapped and put in the refrigerator for about an hour.
Grill to 225...
Ribs on for 1 hour then first mop... (apple juice, lemon, spices mix)
Ribs on for another hour then second mop...
About 10 min after 2nd mop I removed, brown sugared, mopped, and wrapped them in foil. Back on for another hour.
After an hour wrapped at 225, I checked them and they were falling off the bone. I removed them and allowed them to rest for about 15-20 min while the grill went to 'High'.
Removed the foil, back onto the grill at 'High' and sauced. Cooked for about 10 min.
Ribs were very tender, but a bit overdone IMO. My boys liked them, and in reality, they weren't 'bad' but they weren't good either.
....................
Things I noticed.
1. The meat had a very weak flavor in itself. It relied very heavily on the sauce. Too heavily in my opinion.
2. The Mak smoked very little at 225, at least much less than I would want for 'low and slow' given I WANT the smokiness. It seems to smoke very well on the 'smoke' setting, but after reaching about 210 or so, the smoke almost disappeared. While there was a soft and very mild 'smoke ring'... it seemed pretty light compared to what I would desire.
3. The two racks on the outside were more overcooked than the center rack. I suspect this is because the heat primarily rises around the outside, thus hitting these racks to a greater degree. I did not rotate the racks at all during the process.
4. After saucing the racks on 'High' setting and cooking for an additional 10 minutes, upon opening the lid, the pan (wrapped in foil thank goodness) burst into flame given the drippings and especially the sauce. When the oxygen hit the base, it burst into flame, resulting in me pulling the racks through a wall of flame. I had read about this on another thread somewhere... so I wasn't worried, but it certainly was a sight... my new grill flaming like a bonfire inside. I turned off the fan and closed the lid and it died almost immediately. I looked at it the next day... and everything looks fine. I don't suspect a problem.
So...
Any tips? Thoughts? Recommedations?
The ribs weren't bad by any means... but I want better, that is for sure.
The lack of flavor in the meat is a bit concerning. I have rubs and sauces coming from BPS already, but didn't want to wait.
My biggest concern is the speed at which they cooked. Being overcooked (or partially) in the course of 3 hours, while following the general plan of 2-1-1 or 3-2-1 does concern me. The grill (Pellet Boss) never went over 225. I suspect that confirmation of the temp is the first order of business, given both the lack of smoke, and the excessively quick cooking time.
Also, I really do want more smoke... if the temp is correct, this is more like a low level grill temp than much if any, of a smoker. I know this has been an issue for several people...
Anyway, I am happy with the Mak 2star thus far... I certainly have to learn its function and cooking much better. I would appreciate any pointers, tips, and thoughts.
Bought 3 pack of Baby Back ribs at Costco. Trimmed/demembraned them then coated with mustard and a Penzy's rub I had received as a gift. Wrapped and put in the refrigerator for about an hour.
Grill to 225...
Ribs on for 1 hour then first mop... (apple juice, lemon, spices mix)
Ribs on for another hour then second mop...
About 10 min after 2nd mop I removed, brown sugared, mopped, and wrapped them in foil. Back on for another hour.
After an hour wrapped at 225, I checked them and they were falling off the bone. I removed them and allowed them to rest for about 15-20 min while the grill went to 'High'.
Removed the foil, back onto the grill at 'High' and sauced. Cooked for about 10 min.
Ribs were very tender, but a bit overdone IMO. My boys liked them, and in reality, they weren't 'bad' but they weren't good either.
....................
Things I noticed.
1. The meat had a very weak flavor in itself. It relied very heavily on the sauce. Too heavily in my opinion.
2. The Mak smoked very little at 225, at least much less than I would want for 'low and slow' given I WANT the smokiness. It seems to smoke very well on the 'smoke' setting, but after reaching about 210 or so, the smoke almost disappeared. While there was a soft and very mild 'smoke ring'... it seemed pretty light compared to what I would desire.
3. The two racks on the outside were more overcooked than the center rack. I suspect this is because the heat primarily rises around the outside, thus hitting these racks to a greater degree. I did not rotate the racks at all during the process.
4. After saucing the racks on 'High' setting and cooking for an additional 10 minutes, upon opening the lid, the pan (wrapped in foil thank goodness) burst into flame given the drippings and especially the sauce. When the oxygen hit the base, it burst into flame, resulting in me pulling the racks through a wall of flame. I had read about this on another thread somewhere... so I wasn't worried, but it certainly was a sight... my new grill flaming like a bonfire inside. I turned off the fan and closed the lid and it died almost immediately. I looked at it the next day... and everything looks fine. I don't suspect a problem.
So...
Any tips? Thoughts? Recommedations?
The ribs weren't bad by any means... but I want better, that is for sure.
The lack of flavor in the meat is a bit concerning. I have rubs and sauces coming from BPS already, but didn't want to wait.
My biggest concern is the speed at which they cooked. Being overcooked (or partially) in the course of 3 hours, while following the general plan of 2-1-1 or 3-2-1 does concern me. The grill (Pellet Boss) never went over 225. I suspect that confirmation of the temp is the first order of business, given both the lack of smoke, and the excessively quick cooking time.
Also, I really do want more smoke... if the temp is correct, this is more like a low level grill temp than much if any, of a smoker. I know this has been an issue for several people...
Anyway, I am happy with the Mak 2star thus far... I certainly have to learn its function and cooking much better. I would appreciate any pointers, tips, and thoughts.
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