Low & Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons (20 page)

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Authors: Colleen Rush,Gary Wiviott

BOOK: Low & Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons
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TASTER’S CHOICE
 
IN YOUR FIRST RIB COOK,
it’s all about the learning curve and teaching yourself what style of ribs you prefer. The point of leaving two of the racks on longer—even for as little as twenty minutes—is to show how a little more time on the cooker affects the meat. Did you notice a difference in the texture or flavor between the three racks of ribs? The first ribs were probably chewier. The second rack should have been less chewy, and the third rack approaching fall-off-the-bone. Which ribs did you like the best? This experiment should trigger one of many epiphanies you will have in your low and slow education. You have just learned to make barbecue the way you like it. Savor it.
 
CONTINUING EDUCATION
 
BABY BACKS ARE THE SHOW PONIES OF RIBS: compact, meaty, and picturesque on a plate. They’re the most popular cut of ribs because they’re naturally more tender than spare ribs, which makes them easier to cook and less vulnerable if there is a mishap in the cooker. They’re also small—dainty, even. It’s the slab I’d serve the Queen if she came over for dinner.
Baby back racks (also called slabs) are cut from the blade and center section of the loin, and in some grocery stores and meat markets, you might see them packaged or sold as pork loin ribs or back ribs. Baby backs weigh one and three-quarter pounds per rack. I don’t waste too much thought on rib semantics. What you do want to know is what to look for when you’re buying them.
BUYING GUIDE
 
SIZE MATTERS.
A typical rack has twelve to thirteen ribs. Go for the biggest, meatiest baby backs you can find that weigh about two to three pounds per rack.
 
AVOID SHINERS.
A rib is a pork chop without the loin. When butchers cut baby backs, they sometimes cut too close to the bone to make a meatier boneless pork loin chop. If you can see the rib bone “shining” through the meat, it’s been overtrimmed.
 
FAT IS YOUR FRIEND.
Baby backs are leaner than spare ribs, but fat is what keeps the ribs tender and tasty. Buy racks with good marbling—the white, streaky fat that runs through the meat—but avoid racks with large, solid patches of surface fat.
 
APPLY COMMON SENSE LIBERALLY. Don’t buy racks that have dark spots or dry edges. Vacuum-sealed ribs may have an off smell right out of the package, but the smell should dissipate. If the funky odor lingers, don’t cook or eat the ribs.
 
DON’T BUY ENHANCED MEAT. The ribs will have a salty, chemical flavor. Racks are sometimes treated with saltwater, flavoring, and other preservatives so that amateur cooks can steam, bake, and otherwise abuse the meat and still make an edible rib. You know better.
One slab serves two to three people. It depends on the appetites, and whether ribs are the centerpiece dish or one of many barbecued meats you’re serving.
RUB
101
 
THERE ARE PROBABLY ABOUT TEN original rub recipes in the world. The nine billion other rubs floating around are just slightly modified or bastardized versions of the original ten. People naturally want to futz with recipes. They feel a deep need to tweak a perfectly good rub by adding mint, eye of newt, and other secret ingredients because they think these Franken-rubs will make their barbecue taste better.
Good barbecue has nothing to do with magic rubs or sauce. Remember? It’s about a clean, controlled fire. When it comes to good, savory rubs, I like what Leonardo da Vinci had to say on the subject: Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. (Yes, he was talking about barbecue.)
MEMBRANE: ON OR OFF?
 
THE THIN, PAPERY MEMBRANE OVER
the bone side of a rack of ribs can be removed—or not. Some people think the membrane prevents the flavor of a rub from sinking into the meat, so they take it off. Other people like the crisp, papery snap of biting into it, or they think it holds moisture in and keeps the ribs from drying out, so they leave it on. It’s purely a matter of personal preference. If you want the best of both worlds, score the membrane with a fish scaler or paring knife. I don’t think the membrane affects the taste or texture of the ribs enough to make a difference. If anything, removing the membrane is a bit like using good china. If you have company and want to impress, taking the membrane off makes for a better presentation. Here’s how to remove it:
 
 
1. Slide a non-serrated butter knife under the membrane of the last rib at the narrow end of the rack. Be careful not to slice through the membrane.
2. Gently pivot the knife back and forth under the membrane to loosen it enough to lift an edge with your fingers.
 
3. Use a paper towel to grip the edge of the membrane and gently peel it away from the bones. If the membrane tears, use the knife to lift and loosen the edge and continue peeling.
BLACK AND WHITE RUB
 
This basic blend, dubbed “dalmatian rub” by Indiana pitmaster Bruce Cook, is simplicity defined. It really lets the full flavor of the meat shine through, and it shows how wood smoke penetrates the meat and infuses it with flavor. If nothing else, this rub will teach you, once and for all, that there is no magic bullet in barbecue. It really is this easy.
 
MAKES ½ CUP
 
¼ cup Morton kosher salt
¼ cup freshly ground black pepper
 
Mix the ingredients in a small bowl, using a whisk to thoroughly blend.
To apply, sprinkle about 2 tablespoons over each rack of ribs, or more to taste.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to six months.
ALL-PURPOSE RUB
 
This is my all-occasion go-to rub for ribs. The smoky heat of the pepper blend is the perfect counterbalance to rich, fatty ribs. Thyme adds a zesty, herbal quality that never fails to leave people guessing the flavor. The rub can be used on chicken and beef, too.
 
MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP
 
⅓ cup Toasted Mexican Pepper Blend (page 18)
2 tablespoons Morton kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
½ tablespoon dried thyme
½ tablespoon dry mustard
 
Mix the ingredients in a small bowl, using a whisk to thoroughly blend.
To apply, sprinkle about 2 tablespoons over each rack of ribs, or more to taste.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to two months.
MUSTARD RUB
 
Pork and mustard have a natural affinity. In Lessons #3 and #4, the two rib cooks, the layer of cheap prepared yellow mustard is more functional than flavorful: it helps the rub adhere to the ribs, but its effect on flavor is nil by the end of the long cook. A rub heavy with freshly ground mustard seed is a different story. In this rub, the pungent, tangy spice gives the ribs’ crusty outer layer a notable, zesty
flavor
.
 
MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP
 
2 tablespoons coarsely ground mustard seed
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons Morton kosher salt
 
 
Mix the ingredients in a small bowl, using a whisk to thoroughly blend.
To apply, sprinkle about 2 tablespoons over each rack of ribs, or more to taste.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to two months.
KITCHEN SINK DRY RUB
 
There are a handful of herbs and spices that always seem to find their way into a rub, and this recipe uses a little bit of all of them. Feel free to tinker with the quantities. You can cut down on the pepper blend if you don’t want the heat or reduce the amount of kosher salt and increase the celery salt to alter the flavor. This is a good base recipe to fiddle with to create your own signature rub. As I mentioned in the recipe for Rudimentary Rub (page 115), don’t use the tasteless paprika you find in grocery stores. Splurge on fresh paprika from a gourmet store or specialty spice shop, like Penzey’s, The Spice House, or Kalustyan’s.
 
MAKES ABOUT ¾ CUP
 
3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons Toasted Mexican Pepper
Blend (page 18)
1 tablespoon celery salt
2 tablespoons Morton kosher salt
3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
 
Mix the ingredients in a medium bowl, using a whisk to thoroughly blend.
To apply, sprinkle about 2 tablespoons over each rack of ribs, or more to taste.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to two months.
FENNEL CORIANDER RUB
 
Fennel isn’t the first flavor that comes to mind when you think of barbecue, but a thick crust on baby back or spare ribs makes an outstanding, crunchy bark. Then again, I can’t think of anything this spice blend doesn’t taste good on—fish, beef, chicken, veal, you name it. Do not substitute fresh orange zest for the dried in this recipe. It is too moist, and can burn or turn bitter on meat over the long haul of a low and slow cook.
 
MAKES ABOUT ¾ CUP
 
½ cup fennel seeds
1½ tablespoons whole coriander
1 tablespoon white peppercorns
1½ tablespoons Morton kosher salt
2 teaspoons granulated or dried orange peel
 
Preheat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Pour the fennel, coriander, and peppercorns in the skillet and swirl the seeds around in the pan to toast. Be careful: the seeds will burn quickly. When the seeds turn light brown and fragrant, after 4 to 5 minutes, remove from the heat. Add the salt and swirl to blend. Allow the mixture to cool completely.
When the spices have cooled, pour the mixture and the orange peel into a spice grinder or blender. Grind to a fine powder, shaking the grinder occasionally to redistribute the seeds.

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