I have had an interest in trying smoking meats for several years. I had a small Little Chief smoker I tried, but wanted something bigger and more insulated. I recently purchased a Masterbuilt 30inch Electric Smokehouse with window and RF controller. I know purists would call this an outdoor oven that smokes, but it was just what I was looking for in a starter smoker.
For my first attempt, I bought 2 racks of St. Louis style ribs. I also had a small boneless center cut pork roast that I sliced into 6 chops. I left the chops plain, but created my own rub to use on the ribs. My rub I made from some books and left some things out I don't like and added some I like. The wood I purchased was apple wood chips from Weber.
Friday night I coated the ribs generously with the rub and put them in the refrigerator for the night.
My rub consisted of:
Brown Sugar
Paprika
Black Pepper
Kosher Salt
Chili Powder
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Cayenne Pepper
Cumin
Before I could begin, I had to "season" the smoker. I followed the instructions according to the owner's manual and started the smoker and heated to 275F (highest possible for the smoker). After about 2 hours at that temperature, I added water soaked wood chips and let the smoker run for another hour or so. The instructions told to let the smoker cool before using, but I was short on time and patience and only let the smoker cool to 150F before I started the smoker back up. I set the temperature to 205F and once the temperature was attained, I put the meat in the smoker. Then it was time to wait for 4 hours.
I mixed up a small batch of my usual bbq sauce, with assistance from my lovely wife. During the final 30 minutes of cook time, I opened and slathered sauce on the ribs.
My sauce:
Ketchup
Brown Sugar
Onion Powder
Worcestershire Sauce
Garlic Powder
Black Pepper
The verdict came out better than I expected for my 1st attempt. The ribs turned out tender and delicious. The cayenne pepper left a nice little burn on the lips after eating. I was a little disappointed with the chops, I thought they were a little dried out, but my guinea pigs liked them.
Things I learned:
1. Do not wear light colored and/or favorite shirt for smoking. Good thing I have multiple identical MN Twins t-shirts.
2. Gloves can get very slick with grease and difficult to get off by myself. Need to plan better in the future.
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