Go to the Recipe: Dry-Style Barbecue Baby Back Ribs
Sous vide. Incredible process that can save a lot of time and headache. Unfortunately, I have found that the sous vide becomes boring and I become disinterested in using it. Yeah it's nice to have around if needed, but not at the expense. Go partners with someone else, similar to a La Caja China (portable pig roaster). Unless you have the need for consistent use, it's hard to drop the cash for a fun toy to use once in a while. Go halves or thirds with another person or two and share the amusement and crack a cold one and make it a social endeavor.
MSG on the rib rub? Really?
Yep. For those who are skeptical: http://slate.me/12BelSe
Hmmm, we've had a very different experience in our culinary careers. Can't imagine running restaurants or consistently having great meals at home without these tools. Don't get me wrong, we love an old-school pig roast, but for day-to-day cooking sous vide lets us eat better.
Expense aside, learning how to read a pice of protein- it's thickness, density texture and apply heat directly, coping with and overcoming its size variation is the really interesting and exciting part about cooking. Cutting raw food into cubes , wrapping them in plastic and watching them simmer for a few hours creates a perfect little morsel. But I'll stick with some great pans, wonderful oils and make it perfect in the way it all comes out.
It's funny that people,before many years,had the same arguments about the salt and electrical ovens as many have today about the 'dangerous' msg or the 'borring' sous vide which is simmering in water our poor food whithout even touching it or having the capability to raise the temperature up to a simmering point.Furthermore the funnier thing which complicates the things more about our human behaviour is that even more years before,ancient atheneans for example didnt eat much without putting some Garos on it (or later garum for romans,or garitsi after for byzantines,or fish sauce as we almost know it today)from the sundried inwards of summerlong-aged sardines gavros etc which was a bomb of M.glutame.So all this skepticism is not even a denial of true evolution.We've been there without knowing it thats maybe the reason why we like itThank u guys for keeping calm against some barren criticism and keep in mind that your open work is valuable for many of usFrom a new cook far away in a greek island
I normally cook my ribs at 60 C for 8 to 12 h so I was looking forward to cutting the time to 4 h in the bath. It could have been the ribs I bought but for me, these turned out too dry for my liking. It was not the smoking part of it as they looked dry coming out of the bags. Will have to do a side by side test next time with two different bath temps.
Hi, I just finished these and they turned out very dry. I smoked them for 3 hours ranging from 140-160F in my pit. I'm going to have to try again. The rub was awesome! thank you
My guess would be that the pit was very dry. What I like to do is stick a digital probe (thermocouple style) just beneath the surface of the rib meat so that I can measure the surface temperature. If I have a second probe that tells me the temperature of the pit, then I can calculate the relative humidity. You'll get the best results with the %RH around 65 to 70% in my experience. If your pit is running the humidity around 50% or lower, you will definitely end up with very dry ribs. This is one of the reasons we always put a big tray of ice into our smoker. It keeps the humidity high and acts as a big heat sink that prevents the temperature from spiking too high if the wood chips start to really burn.
Thanks Chris. I have a stickburner so it was definitely too dry. I'll try the ice cubes next time. best regards
I recommend going with big blocks of ice in a large pan if possible. When the ice is gone, time to dump the water and add more ice.
Question: Presumably one could sous vide the ribs in batches and refrigerate, and then smoke at the end when ready?
Yes, we often do it exactly that way.
Brilliant thanks. Loving this site, by the way.
I usually also use 60 C for my ribs (but normally for a longer time than you, about 48-72h) which always gives a good result (with or without a smoker). Consequently I was a little bit surprised to see 75 C as the temperature used. That said, it would be great to cut some time, as long as it not turns dry and of course gets as tender as a 60C cook gives after 48-72h... I yet have to test the combo of temperatures and times suggested in the recipe though.
I have a rack of baby backs that I intend to cook sous vide. I don't have a smoker so how long should I cook them for to account for the 4 hours in the smoker? And also, should I still use the dry rub if I'm gonna use the golden BBQ sauce also shared here? Thanks
I would add the smoking time to the cooking time. I would still recommend the dry rub.
Hi guys, hope you could help me out with something. I want to do these ribs badly for a dinner party in 2 days, but its at someone else's place, where there is no room to bring a smoker. Could I sous vide the ribs as per standard, then smoke as per standard, then vacuum seal for later and reserve? what are some options in regards to bringing it back up to core temp but without losing the actual final product? bringing it up to temp in a low oven perhaps?? Any help would be much appreciated.
Would there be any flavor or textural advantage to brining the ribs prior to sous vide?
Unfortunately the meat was cooked before it was smoked, so none of the smoke was absorbed. If the steps had been reversed there would be a very nice pink smoke ring along the edge of the meat.
- originally posted by Acer9999
Turns out that smoke is absorbed quite well by cooked meat (give it a try, side-by-side) and a smoke ring will still form on cooked meat. The reaction between carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide in the smoke with myoglobin in the meat still occurs even in cooked meat, but whether it happens when smoking depends largely on the quality of combustion when generating the smoke and the length of exposure. When we hot smoke meats cooked sous vide for longer than two to four hours with our smoker we form a very nice smoke-ring.
What you're saying makes sense, and I don't disbelieve, but I'm a bit skeptical.My understanding is that the CO and NO is what prevents myoglobin from turning grey. If the meat is cooked low and slow in a smoker, as well as basted or spritzed with a liquid containing sugar, then the CO and NO will bond to the sugar and have more time to be absorbed into the meat.However, if the meat is prepared within a sous vide bath before the smoker, then there is no exposure to CO and NO and the internal temperatures that causes myoglobin to turn grey would be reached before any CO and NO could stop it.Additionally, higher temperatures occurring within a smoker fired by coal or propane also produces more CO and NO than an electric smoker. I don't know if an electric smoker was used for the recipe above (it looks like it was), so that could also partially explain the lack of the "pink smoke ring".What I would use the sous vide for would be for a variation of the 3-2-1 method used in championship cooking: 3 hours in smoke, 2 hours in foil, 1 hour on grill. Except that I'd give it 3 hours on smoke and 3 hours in the sous vide bath.One advantage of doing that would certainly being able to time the arrival of guests better, since in my experiences there are quite a bit of risks having hungry people show up for a dinner party and the meat still needs another 2 hours.
So several problems with this line of reasoning. The first thing is that the sous vide cooking temperature is below the point where you will see substantial denaturation of myoglobin. You can easily demonstrate this by cutting open a piece of meat cooked at 140 °F for even 72 hours, expose it to air and watch it "bloom" as myoglobin re-binds oxygen. So it is quite reactive to CO and NO during cooking.Second issue, I cannot see (as a chemist) how the CO or NO would bind to sugar. Proteins contained in surface juices, yes, but not the sugar. I suspect what you're really observing here is that a overly-dry pelical is not very good at binding the gaseous phase of smoke (not just the CO and NO, but the carbonyls and phenolics). Spritz the surface, especially with a good humectant like sugar, helps keep the surface from becoming too dry during smoking and, as a result, you get better color and flavor development. The importance of surface moisture is well documented in the the scientific literature exploring meat smoking.Yes, higher temperatures produce more CO and NO, but more important than temperature is the amount of oxygen supplied to the fire. A smoldering fire (starved of oxygen) will produce A LOT of CO and NO (as well as a higher-fraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are strongly suspected carcinogens).I generally prefer to smoke after cooking sous vide than before. If you cook after smoking, the smoke continues to react with the proteins in the meat and the flavor tends to become muted and the acidic components of smoke can cause the surface to become overly tough. Of course, it depends on how long you cook after smoking, a couple of hours is going to be fine, but several days of low-temperature sous vide cooking after smoking will give you a very dark appearance, but the meat tends to be tough and there is very little smoked aroma.But this is totally a try it a few ways and see what you like.
I tried this smoke-second method yesterday and was delighted to get a lovely smoke ring on the ribs. Big success all around, thanks.
My ribs look beautiful but they're way too salty. Was I supposed to rinse of the salt after the sous vide step? Or did I miscalculate - 5 pounds ribs = 80 ounces x 0.05%
\= 4 ounces salt
@Chris Young - How do you measure the relative humidity in an electric smoker that does not provide this measurement? Did you create a makeshift wet bulb thermometer and then calculate the relative humidity by comparing to the dry bulb, or do you have a better solution?
Sorry to say, a miscalculation is at fault. 4 ounces is indeed 5% of 80 ounces, or 5 hundredths. But! If you double check the recipe, it calls for 0.5%, or half a percent or one-half of a hundredth. Sadly, your ribs were ten times saltier than intended.
test
Just made these by smoking them first then sous vide for 24 hours (well 25.5 to be exact). I like my ribs with some BBQ sauce caramelized over them so I dabbed some excess juice off them then put a light layer of BBQ sauce on and grilled for a couple of mins.
I left the salt and MSG out of the rub so as not to cure the meat whilst sous viding, sprinkled some fleur de sel over them to finish.
Sufficed to say, they were the best ribs I've ever made. The only thing I would change is that I used a little bit too much of the rub (I eyeballed it), I forgot just how deep the flavours develop when you vacuum and sous vide for a long period.
Thanks for another awesome recipe chef steps team!
When are people going to get off the MSG hate train?
Just tried these ribs yesterday. I have done some competition BBQ in the past, and I found these ribs to be excellent consistency and flavor. I cooked the ribs sous vide for 4.5 hrs, followed by just two hours on the smoker. Smoker temperature was closer to 200. Although I was skeptical, I thought the smoke flavor to be just right, although I did not achieve the smoke ring that normally occurs.
I typically prefer spare ribs cut St. Louis style. Would 167 degrees for 4 hours be the right cooking time/temp for spare ribs as well?
What type of wood do you recommend with this? I'm planning on making these and am out of wood so I figured I might as well ask. Do you recommend Oak like with your pork shoulder? Thanks, super excited to make this.
I made these yesterday. They were INCREDIBLE. They tasted better the more we ate them. Seriously. Wow. I was worried they wouldn't be sweet enough since it didn't have all that much sugar compared to the other ingredients but they were perfect. A few things:
* For fun I tried this with both baby back and spare ribs. Both turned out excellent. I honestly can't tell you which I liked better. I think the baby backs, but that's always my preference
* I used apple wood. I thought that complemented it nicely. It was softer than when I used hickory and went really well with the flavors
* These do not need sauce. Trust me. Don't do it. I think sauce would probably make it too flavorful.
* We were having people over for lunch so I was going to Sous Vide them the night before. I ended up doing it two nights before and threw them in the fridge. I REALLY liked the consistency. It wasn't falling off the bones like ribs can be, but that is a good thing as "falling off the bone" typically makes them have no chew and kind of mushy.
* Cooking them and cooling them actually helped me out a lot. I had a terrible time keeping my smoker cool, so having them start low allowed me to hit 167 right when I wanted to serve them. I fear if I didn't they would have hit that too quickly. Maybe not. I need to improve on my smoker technique.
* These were not dry in the least. I used the ice trick (but ran out,should have bought 20 lbs)
I can't wait to make these again. Thanks!
Great techniques and great recipes on this site for sure but frankly, I would prefer to go traditional with ribs. There's no real bark creation in this recipe and that's part of the magic of good ribs...good southern ribs. Apply the rub hours ahead of the smoke and when the smoke hits it cold, that's magic. Low and slow (even up to 300) and wrap them in foil and liquid (and butter, grape jelly and more rub!) for a half hour or more--not too much, they'll get mushy--after they've been on for 2-3 hours, then finish them dry. Apply and sear a sauce on if desired or go memphis dry with a bit more rub...my favourite. Gotta have bark.
One of the best overviews of the very real dangers of MSG comes from Dr. Russell Blaylock, a board-certified neurosurgeon and author of “Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills.” In it he explains that MSG is an excitotoxin, which means it overexcites your cells to the point of damage or death, causing brain damage to varying degrees -- and potentially even triggering or worsening learning disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease and more.
Part of the problem also is that free glutamic acid is the same neurotransmitter that your brain, nervous system, eyes, pancreas and other organs use to initiate certain processes in your body.4 Even the FDA states:
“Studies have shown that the body uses glutamate, an amino acid, as a nerve impulse transmitter in the brain and that there are glutamate-responsive tissues in other parts of the body, as well.
_Abnormal function of glutamate receptors has been linked with certain neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's chorea. Injections of glutamate in laboratory animals have resulted in damage to nerve cells in the brain.”_5
Although the FDA continues to claim that consuming MSG in food does not cause these ill effects, many other experts say otherwise.
According to Dr. Blaylock, numerous glutamate receptors have been found both within your heart's electrical conduction system and the heart muscle itself. This can be damaging to your heart, and may even explain the sudden deaths sometimes seen among young athletes.
He says:
“When an excess of food-borne excitotoxins, such as MSG, hydrolyzed protein soy protein isolate and concentrate, natural flavoring, sodium caseinate and aspartate from aspartame, are consumed, these glutamate receptors are over-stimulated, producing cardiac arrhythmias.
When magnesium stores are low, as we see in athletes, the glutamate receptors are so sensitive that even low levels of these excitotoxins can result in cardiac arrhythmias and death.” 6
Many other adverse effects have also been linked to regular consumption of MSG, including:
Further, even the FDA admits that “short-term reactions” known as MSG Symptom Complex can occur in certain groups of people, namely those who have eaten “large doses” of MSG or those who have asthma.7
According to the FDA, MSG Symptom Complex can involve symptoms such as:
No one knows for sure just how many people may be “sensitive” to MSG, but studies from the 1970s suggested that 25 percent to 30 percent of the U.S. population was intolerant of MSG -- at levels then found in food. Since the use of MSG has expanded dramatically since that time, it’s been estimated that up to 40 percent of the population may be impacted.8
For every study you have saying it's safe I have several other studies i can reference that show evidence to the contrary... Why do you choose this particular study to grasp upon? Even the study itself does not truly claim to be definitive, as well it shouldn't. Several studies have linked MSG to obesity in mice and in fact that is supposed to be standard protocol for making a rat fat, at least that's my understanding. When there is even a shadow of a doubt about the product, why do you embrace it? My love of food extends to nutrition as well so i wished you payed attention to this at all. Never is there any reference to how healthy the food is and I think this disconnection is a bit disturbing... This is all from a place of love because I realize you people are more like scientists but research continues to show a link between your 'gut' and your brain, as well as overall health. I would love it if you could take this into consideration in the future. Many health problems can be treated with food and many health problems can be created by foods as well. This is not a controversial concept.. every scientist would say it's good to eat vegetables and you will be healthier but they won't go so far as to call food, medicine. Seems like a total disconnect in reality, in my opinion. I love technology but I also see the health problems that have been created as a result of technology in the food industry so I submit to you that to err on the side of cautiousness is to truly be wise.
I just did this recipe yesterday, and for the most part, exactly as above. They were the best ribs I have ever had!!! I had a hard time keeping the temp down, so I kept them in the smoker for only 1.5 hours. Still excellent. Thank you sooo much for the post!!!
So I have the SousVide Supreme Demi, and I'm not going to be able to fit a whole rack of ribs in there. I assume if I was to cut them into smaller segments and bag them separately for sous vide everything would still be okay?
That's the way I do them. I do smoke them first and then cut them into 3-bone portions, bag them and throw them into the water bath. I do it that way because most of them going into an ice bath after cooking sous vide and then into the freezer. Still, everyone I've served them to says the same thing: "Best ribs I've ever had."
Isn't salting prior to sous vide a big no no?
Only question I have is if the fat renders enough at these low cooking temps?
Will this recipe work with a cold smoker?
Tomatoes have the highest concentration of MSG, naturally. Tomatoes are bad for you? Negative.
followed recipe except made my own rub ribs had just the right pull off the bone and looked just like the pic in the recipe on refridgerated after sous vide and smoked the next afternoon very good
Will this result in a meaty or a flaky texture?
if i do not own a smoker...would i just finish it on the grill? or oven? would i sear first with the rub...sous vide..and then sear again? thanks!!!
I'd like to smoke the ribs along with chicken and tri-tip at 220. How can I modify the recipe to accommodate a higher smoking temperature?
When you say your smoker has to be at 80oC or lower - could it be at ambient temperature? I have a cold smoker & could finish the ribs that way. Do they need any more cooking after the sous vide step is the question I'm asking.
Ribs are ready (safe) to eat out of the circulator. I can't speak with much authority on optimum smoking temp. Traditional cold smoking is around room temp, but the affect of the temp on pre-cooked ribs may vary.
I did sous vide for 4 hours at 167 then 3 hours in a 150 degree smoker...most of the fat rendered off in the sous vide process. These were the least greasy ribs I have ever made.
I did 2 racks of St. Louis cut spares tonight...167 for 4 hours and 3 hours in a 150 degree smoker -perfection
I use a ceramic cooker (Kamado Joe) as my smoker and so would have difficulty achieving the low smoking temperature called for. I typically shoot for around 225f. How should I adapt the recipe. Thanks
Many of the ingredients seem to have incorrect amounts. EG. The amount of rub is tremendously more than you could possibly use. Also .5% salt converts to about 23 grams for 10 pounds of ribs. Am I doing something wrong?
I love the sous vide / smoker combo method.
I sous vide my ribs at 140 degrees overnight (20 hours) then smoke them 4 hours @ 180 degrees. Use rub and sauce as you see fit.
Thank you... i have ribs in at 141 right now... will take out around 24 hours and then smoke... I will try 180 for 4 hours and see how they turn out... thanks!
If you don't own a smoker you can get by with a Weber grill (22.5"). Separate the heat source from the food and keep the vents almost closed to keep the temp down. I used to do this. I cut slot halfway into a cookie sheet and slid the sheet down into the grill to block the heat from hitting the food directly.
I now own a 22.5" Smokey Mountain Cooker along with a digital temperature controller & fan. Almost a grand for both but worth it!
I put my Sous Vide cooker into different sized containers, including a "Homer" bucket from Home Depot to much larger multi-gallon plastic storage containers. They all work. Don't be afraid to experiment.
What if you smoke the ribs first. Then Sous Vide the ribs, would this work the same.
