Kamado Joe Pork Ribs, Dry Rub - KC Butt Spice.
While my wife and daughters celebrate a new tradition (The end of school holidays Mother, Daughter sleepover party) I decided that I need to increase the protein intake for the weekend. Need something to dilute the beer. Why not try Kamado Joe Pork Ribs, Dry Rub
Whilst I was in charge of the chosen dinner for the girls (Simple hotdogs) I also needed to get the Kamado fired up and some pork ribs underway. I definitely feel withdrawals in-between cooks.
All shop bought except the onion jam concoction I make. Fried onion, brown sugar , caramelized balsamic vinegar and sometime chilli powder.
Awesome on anything…
My last two attempts at ribs were a success, but for this cook, I was looking to try something a little different. Previously I had gone for the more saucy approach with the ribs following the tried and tested 3-2-1 method.
This time I was looking to end up with a rib what was still juicy, but had a crunchy/textured “bark”.
The ribs were from Aldi and are normally of a reasonable quality, in hindsight though may not have been 100% suitable for what I was trying to achieve, crispy outside while remaining nice and juicy and packed with flavour.
The setup
Kamado set for in-direct with the deflector plates in the upper position with the grill grate on the top level.
For the fire, it was topped up with fresh lump with a chunk of cherry wood for the smoke. The majority of the cook was going to be done at around 220-250F
The Cook
Meat prep, now I am not particular with the “look” of the ribs. That is, I am not prepping the ribs to look pretty, not trimming to suit a certain style (St Louis etc.) All that I look to do is to take the excess fat off. However, I am mindful that I am looking to keep as much moisture in the ribs as possible and some of that fat is useful in keeping the meat moist (and TASTY)! Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs, these ones were super tough to remove. Once trimmed and the membrane removed, a quick pat dry with some paper towel.
Time for some flavour
Wifey picked up some rubs from BBQ Galore a couple of weeks ago and decided to try one on these ribs. The weapon of choice – KC Butt Spice. I applied quite a liberal coating to the top side and patted it into the surface, then waited 10 mins allowing the rub to set to the meat then over to the other side and repeat. This is how I got the Kamado Joe Pork Ribs, Dry Rub packed with flavour.
Onto the Kamado
Now the grill is sitting nicely at around 230F it was straight onto the grill rack.
After around 2hrs I wrapped (boated) the ribs in foil and added a decent amount of pineapple juice, hoping this would add some sweetness and keep in some moisture.
At around the 4hr mark (2hrs wrapped) I removed the ribs from the foil and put them straight on the grill rack. It is at this point I opened the vents, looking to push the temps up around 350f. This was an attempt to firm up the bark and create that texture I had planned on.
The result
All in all they turned out pretty darn good. Heaps of flavour, but without overpowering the natural pork flavour. The external texture was fantastic. Although not perfect, it is certainly something that I will try again. I think I prefer the dry rub style but perhaps with the addition of a dipping sauce. Time to ponder. I will definitely be trying Kamado Joe Pork Ribs, Dry Rub style again.
What I learnt (and continue to learn)
I continue to relax about the dome temperature. For the majority of the items cooked on the Kamado, there is no need to stress about temps. Within a 30f degree window is probably close enough for most cooks. Remember to cook for temp ( in most cases) and not to time. This is the fine art of this method of cooking, cooking for others within a time frame. That is a challenge.
The choice of meat plays a big part of how the cook pans out, impact the cooking time and obviously the flavour. In this instance, if the ribs had more meat on them I think the cook would have turned out near perfect. I feel that the lack of meatiness would have contributed to some area’s being a little dry. If it was way overcooked I would think that the rack would have been tough and dry throughout, but that was not the case today.
This is exactly what has gotten me so hooked with BBQ, the lessons that can be taken from each and every cook.
Till next time.
Joe On !!!
Don’t forget to stop by the shop for the latest accessories for your grill
You may also wish to subscribe for the latest posts to be delivered to your inbox.
