Smoking bone in country style ribs

[LindellProStaf]

Has anyone done this with good results? They are on sale here and thought about doing them this weekend. Don't want them to be dried out but I like a lot of smoke on my meat. Was thinking about a rib modification. Something like a 1.5, 1, 1. Or maybe even a 2,2,1? Would appreciate any ideas.

[Deep]

If you are talking country style pork ribs, I do them all the time.

I smoke them heavily for 2 hours and finish off with another 2 hours in the smoker or oven set at 200 degrees.

Now my new favorite is bone in pork shoulder smoked for 5 hours and then put in oven for another 5 hours, great for pulled pork sandwiches.

[LindellProStaf]

Do you just put a rub on them like doing baby backs? I sprayed my baby backs with a vinegar and apple juice combo that I saw on here when I wrapped them and they turned out nice an juicy. thought I might try that.

[Deep]

I put season salt on the night be for and that's it. You can season to you taste. Good luck and have fun.

[thirdeye]

In the East.... country ribs are usually a section of loin with the back ribs attached (baby back ribs). In the West country ribs are cut from the butt end of a shoulder. Each style require a slightly different method and finish temperature. Which kind do you have?

[LindellProStaf]

They are bone in country style ribs. They have them often at the local store.

[LABS4ME]

Thirdeye... The Country Style ribs here are cut from the shoulder...

I have never seen them cut from the loin like you described... I buy them often around here and they are always a shoulder cut.

Good Luck!

Ken

[RebelSS]

Those are all I will do. Get mine from my Mom 'n Pop butcher shop; at least 1 1/2" thick. Take some concentrated frozen apple juice, and make it about 3 x stronger than the directions, reserving about a cup that goes into the spray bottle. Soak ribs in this in a Ziploc bag overnite in 'fridge, take out in am and rub with my rib rub. Smoke/cook over applewood at aroun 200-225 for a couple hours, spraying frequently with the apple juice. Tender and juicy. Yum.

[thirdeye]

They are bone in country style ribs. They have them often at the local store.

Both styles have a bone. The "loin" CSR's have rib bones, the "shoulder" CSP's have pieces of the blade bone.

[thirdeye]

Thirdeye... The Country Style ribs here are cut from the shoulder...

I have never seen them cut from the loin like you described... I buy them often around here and they are always a shoulder cut.

Good Luck!

Ken

Hey Ken, You're East of me... but maybe not far enough East to see them. Heheheee. Both styles are pretty good... the loin style just need to be cooked to a lower internal temp, typically they are cut from the sirloin end of the loin as it begins to taper off.

Here are some loin country ribs:

These are some really meaty loin country ribs, they almost look like a center cut bone-in rack of pork. Notice the familiar curve to the bones? That is the end of the baby back rack.

And here are the shoulder country ribs that are usually in my stores:

And my typical prep:

[LABS4ME]

I'd say your shoulder CSRs are closer to our pork steaks. Our CSRs come from the same cut of meat as a pork steak (shoulder), just thicker cut and trimmed closer to the bone... more the length of a normal spare rib, just thicker... Maybe I'll see if I have some in the freezer and snap a photo.

Good luck!

Ken

[thirdeye]

I'd say your shoulder CSRs are closer to our pork steaks. Our CSRs come from the same cut of meat as a pork steak (shoulder), just thicker cut and trimmed closer to the bone... more the length of a normal spare rib, just thicker... Maybe I'll see if I have some in the freezer and snap a photo.

Good luck!

Ken

Yeah, it's all in what the meat cutter has to work with. Sometimes I get the boneless ones on sale and they are the same price as a butt. I use them for sausage because there is less prep, almost no trimming and no bone.

[LindellProStaf]

I would say these are the shoulder ones. 1" x 2" x about 6" long. They have a little bone in each of them. My friends used to put them in the crockpot all day with bbq sauce and they almost fell apart. I wanted to smoke them as I mentioned earlier. Sounds like they should be ok. Looking forward to it... Thanks for all of the great info.

[thirdeye]

I would say these are the shoulder ones. 1" x 2" x about 6" long. They have a little bone in each of them. My friends used to put them in the crockpot all day with bbq sauce and they almost fell apart. I wanted to smoke them as I mentioned earlier. Sounds like they should be ok. Looking forward to it... Thanks for all of the great info.

If you are a sauerkraut fan.... smoke those CSR's for a couple of hours. Then put them in the crock pot. Add some sauerkraut, thin onion, a bay leaf, and potatoes. A little liquid (like beer or water), and about 6 hours later.... well.... you know where the story goes from here.

PS - I like to bake a couple of twice smoked hocks with the same stuff as above (or just the hocks) until the until everything is pullable. The flavor of the sauerkraut is great and having ham and pork is too.

[LindellProStaf]

I am drooling just thinking about the kraut option Thirdeye. Another great idea. I am a huge kraut fan. Onions too.

[corncob]

I like to take the thick (1 1/2" to 2") csr with the bone in and smoke them just like a thick beef steak, just til they are slightly pink in the middle ....They will be very juicy and excellent flavor, just like bbef steak.....Try these, you'll never go back to overcooking them again.

[JP Z]

Lindell,

You may....or DEFINITELY WILL want to make this if you are a Kraut fan.

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2831152/1

[CapnJack]

I have done the big boneless csrs from Sams Club many times. I usually pack them with brown sugar,garlic and black pepper and let them sit for a few hours.

They turn into a gooey mess then onto the smoker for about 4 hours with apple wood for smoke. After they come off they go in the oven in cookie pans covered in foil at 250 degrees for about another 4 hours. You almost need a strainer to lift them out of the pan. Perfect!

[LindellProStaf]

Wow I am drooling from all of the recipes now. I checked and they are the blade type of bones in the ribs. Went shopping with the wife today (bought some bacon so it was worth it) so will do the smoking tomorrow while I watch the Masters. CapnJack, I have them packed with brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper. That is exactly how I do my baby backs too. I usually do them at about 225 degrees. Will go buy more JPZ cause I am a huge kraut fan.

By the way, I bought Hormel Black Label Thick sliced bacon at Menards of all places. Cherrywood, Pecanwood, or Brown Sugar for $6.99 a lb and with a $2 rebate so ends up $4.99 a lb. Looks like real nice bacon so I stocked up on them.

[thirdeye]

I am drooling just thinking about the kraut option Thirdeye. Another great idea. I am a huge kraut fan. Onions too.

Mrs ~t~ bought 5 packages of smoked shanks because we're making ham and beans today to package for the freezer. I used some with a batch of the kraut, onions and shredded cabbage I mentioned. We did use some ham broth and water for the braising liquid and cooked the shanks until they were fall-off-the-bone tender. The flavor of the kraut is amazing. BTW, I did a second "wake up" smoke on the shanks for 3 hours in my Little Chief before putting them atop the kraut and braising tender.

[LindellProStaf]

I am almost salivating on my shirt Thirdeye. Well not almost, I am salivating on my shirt. That looks GREAT!! So we need to hear your ham and beans recipe too.... So you must freeze them in meal size packages???

[thirdeye]

I usually freeze portions of beans in plastic 2" high plastic containers, then transfer them to vacuum sealed bags. For larger portions I'll use the containers that the shanks came in with stretch wrap on the top and a covering of foil. Here is the recipe.

SENATE BEAN SOUP

2 cups dried Great Northern (or Navy) beans, pre-soaked in water overnight, then drained.

2 quarts water

2 smoked (or double smoked) ham shanks (or smoked ham hocks or ham bone with some meat left on)

1 medium onion - diced

2 green onions (with tops) - diced

¼ cup butter (or 1/8 cup of butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil) I use much less butter than this.

1 bay leaf

2 cloves of garlic – crushed

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon summer savory (optional)

1 teaspoon epazote (optional)

salt to taste. Add the salt at the end, otherwise the beans will be tough.

Garnish with chives or chopped parsley.

COOKING METHOD

Melt the butter in a frying pan on medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until browned. Put the beans and the water into a large pot or dutch oven. Add the onions, ham hocks, bay leaf, pepper, garlic and optional spices. Cover and simmer gently until the beans are tender. The beans can be cooked in the oven, just be careful to adjust and monitor the temperature (250 to 300 degrees) to maintain a gentle boil. Add a little more water if needed. As the beans become tender, add salt to taste.

Remove the ham and shred the meat, then return to soup. For a heartier and thicker ham and bean stew simply add more ham and cook down the broth. If the beans become too thick during this stage of cooking, add chicken broth (not water) to thin.

[eyeguy 54]

did on the grill.... mmmmm !

[mnfathead]

Ive done these quite often lately with good results. Personally I use the 3 2 1 method for all my smoked ribs, 3 in smoke 2 in foil pan with alittle beer or apple juice covered, and then back in the smoke for the last hour to sauce and get the nice bark to them, a good dry rub helps too.

[Leaky]

Nice pics of the difference in ribs!!! I tend to prefer the should cut. I've always browned, then braised them in a thin homemade barbacue sauce for about 2 1/2 hours @ 300. Then thicken the sauce slightly for gravey with mashed potatoes. Definately need to try smoking them.