New member with a silly question.

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Franj0
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Joined: Sat May 23, 2020 10:25 pm

New member with a silly question.

Post by Franj0 »

Greetings to everyone,
I fired up my offset smoker today for a cook and I wanted to ask a question specifically on pork ribs.

I am a casual user of my offset smoker, and I would consider myself a novice that is eager to learn and improve my cooks.

I have had my offset smoker less than 12 months (wife purchased an entry level stick offset smoker for my first Father's Day in 2019), and today was my seventh cook on it. I usually stick to Costco purchased beef briskets but today I decided to smoke some pork ribs (also purchased from Coscto yesterday).

Two full racks of pork spare ribs on the smoker, French's mustard used a bonding agent with the standard salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder with some smoked paprika powder mixed in for colour.

After 6 hours of smoking ribs are done and I went to devour what I had cooked.
I had my mouth set for a fantastic taste similar to a marinated pork chop, but instead the taste was closer to that of a ham hock.

This is the second time I have purchased ribs from Coscto, thinking here in Australia that most pork has white meat, first time I purchased St Louis style pork ribs and this time the 2 racks of pork spare ribs, both tasting very hammy if that makes sense.

Can someone please tell me here in Australia if I wish to do pork ribs again, which type of pork ribs would I purchase to get white meat resembling pork chops in flavour and texture rather, than a bacon or ham taste.

Thank you....
Davo
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Re: New member with a silly question.

Post by Davo »

Hi & Welcome Franjo,

I haven't had much experience myself with a stick burner but have with Bullet smokers and Pellet cookers.

Costco meat can sometimes be hit n miss but it is always Aussie meat. A Pork Chop and ribs comes from different parts of a pig...chalk and cheese.
The meat between the ribs is and can be as tough as a beef brisket or beef ribs.....it's meat that gets to move around alot and protects certain parts of their body.....so it takes some time to break down the proteins in this meat.

Firstly the ham taste could come from the salt in the rub or it could come from the smoke.....the meat between the ribs doesn't have the same taste as a chop unless it's enhanced and is why bacon mostly coming from the pork belly is cured with salts and sugars and nitrates.

I Used to wrap my ribs but i don't anymore, I prefer the crunchy bark and I don't like ribs falling off the bone like they do in restaurant after so many hours of boiling the buggers....I leave mine unwrapped for the entire 5-6 hour session untill you can see the meat pull away from the bone when you lift up one end and look under...if at the bend of the rib rack and you can see the meat splitting from the bone...then they are ready...if they don't...they might need another 20 minutes or so.

You only need a mild smoke...but smoke is a spice...applewood is good for Pork but Hickory is ok too.

The meat just needs to soften and render.....

Also I've found with Costco meat is that the best by date only has a couple of days to run so if you want to cook a certain type of meat....go up and get it the day of cooking or the day before....the window is that small.

Cheers

Davo
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paulr
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Re: New member with a silly question.

Post by paulr »

Hi Franj0, welcome to the forum, no sill questins only sometimes sill answers...
I cook my ribs on the KK or on smoker... Hmmm not usre about the whitem meat? As Davo said the chops are a different part of the beast. I havent had Costco spare ribs yet and we get our (shock horrot) ribs from Aldi... Theyre nice and meaty so...
As far as taste goes I tend to use a rub and slather with a nice sauce during the latter oart of the cook. I wouldnt go as fasr as calling it hammy...
And I dont lighly smoke... I hit that sucker with 2 handfools per rib...

Happy BBQ-inbg, Paul
http://aussiebbq.info/wp - my blog
https://lifesafeast.com.au/cookingclass ... criptions/ - great cooking classes
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Davo
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Re: New member with a silly question.

Post by Davo »

Many people think that pork is a white meat as it is with chicken but they are not correct and whilst it looks whitish by comparison to beef or lamb, it's actually classified as red meat. weird I know!!

while this is an American site, it still gives a good explaination of why Pork is still classified as red meat....the same happened in Australia.

https://www.thespruceeats.com/pork-for-a-change-2246397

Cheers

Davo
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paulr
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Re: New member with a silly question.

Post by paulr »

Lol I remember the days when you would send pork back in a restaurant if it was medium.... Red meat indeed haha
I prefer my beef mooing... Blue is the go; easy on the BBQ 1m each side...
Nom nom

Happy BBQ-ing, Paul
http://aussiebbq.info/wp - my blog
https://lifesafeast.com.au/cookingclass ... criptions/ - great cooking classes
See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, Beer Me.
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