has anyone had mexican beef ribs?

apparently they cut them cross bone, so you get 2-3 rib tips per slice. they marinate them in a bunch of spice and they cook very very fast (~10 min).

apparently they are pretty good.

I agree with most the big thing I am against is mesquite. Very small amounts ar Ok to me but too much and it makes for a bitter smoke. Mesquite burns hotter than most woods and it is great for fast cooking like steak or chicken.

Fat up or down does not seem to make a huge difference in my attempts.

Low and slow is my mantra I cook untill the internal is at 160 then use wrap untill I hit 190. At that point I pull it off wrap it in towels and set it in a cooler till I am ready. I have kept a brisket for 5 hours this way and it was 180 internal when I pulled it out.

I have tried a ton of rubs but most tend to be too salty, I am now experimenting with my own mix.

The packer cut is what I use and trim the fat so that it is even, usually a few trims here and there. I also cut a corner against the grain so I can remember where to start after it is covered in bark.

Highly recomend DR BBQ's book on BBQ it has some very good recipes and he has done very well with his brisket in competitions.

ttt

Slow and low...

After cooking briskets for almost 30 yrs from a 8# to 5000# and every way between. I have concluded that a rub is a must, seasoned and rested in a plastic trash bag on ice, at least 12 hrs. Cooked with kingford charcoal and adding pieces of plain old post oak for smoke and plenty of time. Finish in aluminum foil. Let it rest over heat. 2+hrs in foil.

quote:

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Very small amounts ar Ok to me but too much and it makes for a bitter smoke.

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A guy told me one time that the bitterness from mesquite smoking is caused by leaving the bark on the wood when you cook it. He said to peel the bark off before throwing the wood on the fire.

I have followed his advice since that time and have never noticed a bitter taste.

[This message has been edited by NETAG (edited 5/9/2013 7:58a).]

I learned too many years ago that mesquite imparts a bitter flavor. If you have 95% mesquite available like me this is why you wrap the meat in foil for at least part of the time. In my experience, 1 to 2 hours directly in the mesquite smoke will get you the flavor you want. Wrap it up. I like to wrap it first and cook it wrapped which is really the same thing as sticking it in the oven. Then take it out for the last hour in the smoke.

Rudy's bbq uses oak.

great thread! i look at it every time i smoke a brisket for new ideas. one of the few that i bookmarked.

mmmmm.... hungry

TTT

damn, I got a little uppity on this thread

I smoked two racks of ribs Sunday and they were fantastic!

A couple of things:

Fat side up.
No foil.
Mesquite is proof that God loves Texas.
No basting.

Now, a question: I've become a big fan of brining my Thanksgiving turkey... amazing results! Has anyone ever tried brining a brisket? Seems like it might be yummy goodness, but I'm not fond of the idea of being the first to try it.

I always soak my briskets in red wine vinegar, worchestershire sauce and kosher salt (essentially a marinade) overnight before cooking. The salt makes the meat get flavor all the way thru. No bland taste.

I usually smoke 3-4 hours with mesquite or hickory or oak, then put in foil the rest of the time. 1 hour per pound of the largest brisket on the pit. Start hot, then stabilize to 200-225 degrees smoke temp.

You don't want white smoke on your meat. Let the fire stabilize to where your smoke is more transparent, and your meat won't get bitter. It has nothing to do with the type of wood or the bark. It's the type of smoke you are getting that matters.

Fat side down.

something i read recently suggested leaving your chimney completely open and controling the fire by the air vent so that creosote isn't an issue. i used it this past weekend and it worked well. i never had a problem with creosote, but i did have a problem with controling the air flow. keeping one of them constant helped me a lot.

^ i suggest always keeping the chimney open and regulating temp, air flow, etc from the vent.

did my first on saturday. dryrubbed the night before, fatside down for 9-10 hours on saturday. the thin side was a little dry, but great color and flavor, the thick side was like f'ing butter. jack daniels barrel chips are great -

the only downer, was not enough thick side.

12 people, 10lbs of brisket and 1 pony keg later, we was fat, drunk and happy.

ttt

Do the foil. If you don't your meat will get too much smoke and dry out. If Cooper's BBQ uses foil (they do), it's the right thing to do.

Since I posted this last, I've done a couple more briskets, and I've gotten my recipe down pat. Marinade/brine overnight, rub, let it set for a few hours until it's room temp. I'm not using mesquite anymore. I used oak/hickory last time, and it rocked. Most BBQ places use oak. It burns a bit cooler, gets big lumps of coals, and doesn't smoke as much as mesquite. Also, you won't get that bitter taste with oak. The hickory added a nice flavor, and is even better on pork.

On the fire, if you can build your fire in a separate pit and shovel coals into the fire box, this is ideal. That's how most commercial operations do it. Less white smoke, and you get VERY consistent heat.

[This message has been edited by tx4guns (edited 7/23/2008 11:46a).]

Another vote for a supplemental fire in a fire pit. Sure is nice to be able to add hot coals that are ready to go.

ttt

It's not on this thread, but I posted about this last fall.

I did a fat up and a fat down simultaneously. Wrapped both in foil.

Turned out the exact same.

did one last weekend. ~9lbs, fat side up, dry rub. 5 hours on the smoke, 3 in the oven at 250. fat side up.

Got one ready to go in the morning. I'm reading this to brush up before I go to bed.

Great thread, gentlemen.

The coals are stacked, the wood is soaked, and the beer is cold.

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If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you can read this in English, thank a Soldier.

Got a brisket rubbed up in the fridge and a stack of wood ready to go. Alarm clock is set for 5:00 am. Dinner's at 7:00.

Hungry already.

Thirsty too.

bumpkus

Czech-style brought over with ancestors:

Marinage three days in water, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and pickling spice.

In cooker (I have OK Joe too), place brisket in stainless steel pan (foil pan would work, just tight quarters) with 1/4-inch of water/marinade mix. Right heat is whatever produces a slow bubble. Cook for about 3 hrs.

Then, take out, slice up, and dump back in pan. Mix in paprika, chili powder, and maybe 1-2 tablespoons of actual BBQ sauce. Then cook for another 3-4 hours for desired tenderness.

I usually soak a few logs in water over night. When you think you want to take it off (meat, not clothes), throw a few wet logs to hit it with about 30 minutes to hour of real low heat smoke.

Unconventional, but a staple at Czech weddings where I'm from.

Some peeps like a bit drier brisket, and go no foil. I like mine soft and moist, and am pro-foil, once it is smoked a few hours. All the foil does is keep in moisture and flavorful fats while allowing it to continue to cook. After a few hours, it has sufficient smoking to have plenty of flavor.

Curack, your method is very similar to ours. (Czech also). Except for a while they are on the open grill, then cut up and panned once smoked. They get basted regularly with a mix kind of like your marinade as they smoke.