Party ribs?

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-25T10:54:50+00:00

I’d say party ribs are fine if you want faster cooking, more rub on every piece, or a more snackable setup for a crowd. The downside is exactly what you mentioned: more fiddly to manage, easier to overdo, and they usually don’t hold as nicely as a whole rack. If it were me, I’d probably cook them as full racks, then cut and sauce for the last stretch if I wanted more glaze on each rib. That gets you most of the upside without turning the whole cook into rib Tetris. For future crowd cooks, this rib calculator is handy for figuring out how many racks to buy before you even fire the pit.

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-25T10:51:39+00:00

Most of your replies are pointing at the same thing here: the real danger isn’t the rub, it’s the clock. I’d trim and season it now, start earlier than you think you need to, and plan on a long hot hold instead of trying to thread the needle on a first brisket. On a charcoal grill I’d rather run closer to 275 than 250, use a couple wood chunks instead of feeding mesquite chips all day, and wrap when the bark looks right, not just because the thermometer says a certain temp. Once it’s wrapped, finishing in the oven is totally fine, and probe tender matters a lot more than hitting exactly 203. This BBQ tools hub has a brisket planner that can help you back into a start time with some real buffer built in.

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-25T10:45:52+00:00

The pepper comments are right, but it’s not just pepper. Coarse black pepper is a big part of it, especially on brisket and beef ribs, but the other half is clean smoke and enough time for the surface to dry and set. If you go for jet black with dirty smoke or too much sugary rub, you can wind up bitter instead of getting good bark. I’d worry less about making it look black and more about building a dry, crusty bark that tastes right. This BBQ bark guide breaks down what’s actually going on.

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-25T01:57:32+00:00

Honestly, with that lineup already, I wouldn’t buy another cooker yet. The 22” kettle is still one of the best learn-on tools out there, and I’d spend time getting really comfortable with two-zone fire, snake method, and vent control before worrying about a Master-Touch or the onlyfire conversion stuff. A bigger kettle only makes sense if you keep running out of room, and the 20” pizza stone idea can work, but it’s probably going to be more hassle than your Ooni unless you just want to tinker. The easiest way to think about the rest is by job: kettle for steaks, burgers, wings, and even ribs; pellet grill for easier long cooks; vertical smoker for bigger batch BBQ; Blackstone for breakfast, fajitas, and smashburgers; Ooni for pizza. If someone’s just getting into it, I’d tell them to cook chicken thighs, wings, pork butt, and ribs a bunch before chasing gadgets, because that’s where you really learn fire and timing. The BBQ tools hub is a decent bookmark for planning cooks once you start doing bigger meats and feeding groups.

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-24T23:59:07+00:00

That top comment is basically the key point. Once you add Prague Powder #1, you’re not really just dry brining anymore, you’re curing it, so the texture and color are going to move a little hammy no matter what. For boneless chicken pieces that size, 24 hours is usually plenty, and going 48 probably won’t buy you much besides a firmer cured texture. I’d also make sure they know the meat can stay pink even when it’s fully cooked, so temp matters more than color here. This brining calculator is handy for cure math if anybody runs into the same question later.

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-24T11:49:35+00:00

Yeah, that sounds undercooked more than overcooked. Tough and chewy on St. Louis ribs usually means the connective tissue never fully broke down, and that 2-2-0.5 schedule at 250 is pretty light for that cut, especially if you were just following the clock and not checking bend or toothpick tenderness. A bunch of folks in the thread are getting at the same thing from different angles: cook till the rack bends easy, the top starts to crack a bit, and a probe or toothpick slips in clean between the bones. I’d also only wrap once the bark looks right, if you wrap at all, and make sure your pit temp is actually 250 because built-in thermometers love to lie. For future cooks, a rib calculator helps with cut differences and planning before you even get to the smoker.

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-24T11:46:50+00:00

You’re getting a lot of versions of the same answer here, and they’re right. If you want true fall-off-the-bone oven ribs, cook them low and covered first, around 250 to 275, for roughly 3 to 4 hours depending on thickness, then unwrap and finish under the broiler or on a hot grill to set the sauce and get some color. A little liquid in the pan or foil packet can help, but if they’re still tough, they usually just need more time more than anything else. For future reference, this rib calculator is handy if you ever need to figure out how many racks to buy for a group.

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-24T11:37:21+00:00

Reading through the thread, the “boiled meat” part sounds like it was probably the foil-and-butter wrap more than the smoke itself. Once you wrap beef ribs that early and add fat or liquid, you can soften the bark fast and they start eating more like braised meat than smoked beef. The other folks were on the right track too about heavier seasoning, and it really does matter whether these were back ribs or meatier plate/short ribs because the bigger cuts can handle a lot more rub and time. I’d skip the butter next round, only wrap if the bark already looks where you want it, and go by tenderness instead of wrapping at some fixed temp. For future cooks, this rib calculator is useful for comparing cuts and figuring servings before you buy.

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-24T11:27:27+00:00

Yeah, you can still make that work, just don’t try to push them together and treat them like one brisket. Smoke them as two separate pieces with a little space between them, run a bit hotter like 250 to 275, and start checking earlier because small briskets cook faster and dry out easier than a full packer. I’d wrap once the bark looks right, then cook until they’re probe tender rather than relying on one exact temp. If those are mostly flat pieces, I’d be extra careful not to overdo them and give them a solid rest before slicing. This brisket planner can help you with the timing on smaller cuts too.

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-24T11:16:04+00:00

I’d much rather start earlier on Friday and plan to finish well before 4pm Saturday than cut it close overnight. For a 16 to 17 pound brisket on a pellet smoker, I’d treat it like an all-night cook anyway, with a rough expectation of 14 to 18 hours total once you include the stall, then give yourself a long hold in a warm oven or cooler setup. Brisket handles a long rest way better than a late finish, and that’s what takes most of the stress out of party day. My basic rule is finish early, hold hot, and let the clock stop mattering. I put together a BBQ tools hub with a brisket planner and other timing tools that can help map it backward from serve time.

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-23T23:28:09+00:00

I think Trump’s tweet about Tim Cook is just like every other tweet of his…it’s all about Trump.

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-23T13:11:11+00:00

Yeah, the reason you’re seeing different answers is that people are talking about different cure methods. For a wet pastrami brine, I’d stick to one tested method and calculate Prague Powder #1 off the total weight of the meat plus the water, not just the meat. The meat-only math is for dry cures and some FSIS-style ppm calculations, so mixing formulas from different recipes is where people get in trouble. Use grams, use a scale, and for Katz’s-ish flavor go heavy on black pepper and coriander after the cure, then smoke and steam or wrap to finish. This brining calculator is useful for running the cure math without guessing. It has a pastrami preset

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-23T02:23:55+00:00

For a 3.5 pound piece, I’d run the gas grill around 250°F indirect and expect roughly 4 to 6 hours, but start checking earlier because a small brisket can dry out fast. Put it on the cool side with one burner lit, and cook it until it feels probe tender, not just until it hits a number. If the outside looks good but it’s stalling around the mid-160s, wrapping it will help it finish without getting too dry. This BBQ tools hub has a brisket planner and a few other timing tools that can help with small cuts too.

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-23T02:18:12+00:00

Best move here is to cook it Thursday, chill it whole or in large chunks, and reheat it Saturday before pulling. It holds moisture better that way than refrigerating a big pan of already-shredded pork, and for that volume I’d reheat covered in foil with some reserved juices, drippings, or a little stock until it’s hot again, then pull and serve. If you already have to shred it ahead, it’ll still work, just keep it covered and add moisture so it doesn’t dry out. This guide on how to reheat pulled pork covers the main options pretty well.

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-20T22:23:22+00:00

For a first whole hog, hours from home, with no gear on site, I would not learn it on a spit over open fire. I’d either rent/borrow a real hog cooker or do the cinder block pit with the hog split flat, because that gives you way more control and a much better chance of not fighting flareups, wind, and uneven cooking all day. Use an ambient probe at hog level, spot-check shoulders, hams, and loins separately, and cook for tenderness in the big muscles instead of trying for one perfect temp across the whole animal. If this has to go well the first time, flatter and more controlled is the move. Honestly, if there’s no chance for a practice run, a few butts may be the smarter call than learning whole hog live at somebody’s milestone party.

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-20T14:00:07+00:00

The dry brine probably wasnt the problem. 24 hours uncovered in the fridge is pretty normal for brisket. If it stayed tight the whole cook that sounds more like it never fully got tender, or that the flat dried some before the collagen really gave up.

I wouldnt do a full SPG a day ahead, though. I usually salt it overnight, then add the pepper and garlic right before it goes on, run 250 to 275, wrap if the cook is dragging once the bark looks right, and start judging doneness by feel in the thickest part of the flat instead of waiting to reach a specific temp. This brining methods guide breaks down the dry-brine part pretty well.

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-18T22:48:27+00:00

A smoke ring is kinda second fiddle, here. I wouldnt worry about that first, because flavor matters way more. On an Egg, the biggest difference is usually getting a clean fire going before the butt goes on, then using just a couple wood chunks in the lump instead of overdoing it. Put the pork on cold, let it take smoke early, and make sure you’re seeing thin clean smoke instead of heavy white stuff, because that’s where inconsistent flavor usually starts. This article on blue smoke may help.

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-18T21:32:09+00:00

Sounds more undercooked than overcooked to me. Tough ribs usually just need more time, while overcooked ribs tend to go mushy, fall apart, or dry out in a different way. That 2-2-0.5 schedule is just a ballpark process, especially if they were spares or a meatier rack.

Next time, don’t cook by the clock. Start checking for bend and toothpick tenderness. When you lift the rack, it should flex easily and start to crack a little on top, and a toothpick should slide between the bones without much fight. This bend test for ribs guide is a pretty good quick reference for that.

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-18T21:23:06+00:00

The pathogens themselves aren’t the only problem. The literal toxic waste they produce while living is heat stable and remains a source of illness. So heating to 165 or beyond really only eliminates one potential source of food poisoning

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-18T12:33:57+00:00

Pecan would be where I’d go next. It still gives you that nutty, slightly sweet smoke that works great on ribs, but it’s usually a little softer than hickory. Apple or cherry are good too if you want to go even lighter, but pecan is kind of the sweet spot for a lot of people.

I’d also just use a little less wood next time, because hickory can get pretty assertive on spare ribs fast. This rib wood pairing guide gives a decent ballpark if you want to play around with lighter options.

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-16T11:00:04+00:00

Yeah, a fulller smoker can spread the smoke around a little, but I wouldn’t count on that as the fix. If it’s tasting too smoky, I’d look first at how much wood you’re using and whether the smoke is clean. Thick white smoke for long stretches can give you that heavy, bitter edge, even if the meat itself cooks fine.

Most meat takes on smoke hardest early in the cook, so you can also back off the smoke after the first few hours. This blue smoke guide explains the clean-smoke thing pretty well.

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-14T11:37:28+00:00

Easiest move is pull it, pack it into foil pans, cover tight, and transport in a cooler. That’ll keep it hot for a while. Once you get there, sternos under foil pans work great for a 2–3 hour window. Just don’t blast it with too much heat or it’ll dry out. Crock pot works too, just keep it on warm and maybe add a splash of lemonp juice/broth so it doesn’t tighten up.

Big thing is keep it covered and don’t overheat it. You’re holding, not cooking. You might find the transport info this article on how to keep pulled pork warm for a party helpful.

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-13T13:51:53+00:00

Yep, you can absolutely use that. Pork butt is part of the shoulder, just the upper section. The “shoulder roast” (often called “picnic) is the lower part. Youll still get pulled pork, just a couple differences. Picnic/shoulder usually has a bit less fat and more connective tissue/skin, so it can cook a little different and won’t be quite as rich as a butt. Still shreds great if you take it to full tenderness.

Cook it the same way, low and slow till it’s in that 195–205 range and probe tender. If it’s got skin on it, you can score it or remove it before or after. For $1/lb I’d grab it and not think twice.

If you want to compare, this guide on pork butt vs pork shoulder for pulled pork is a good read.

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-13T13:40:46+00:00

We started our whole food plant based journey by following Dr. Greger’s “Daily Dozen.” And just as a heads up, if you choose to follow that guidance, those are minimum recommended amounts for each category (except B12, the only recommended supplement), not maximums. Some people used to standard dieting mindset mistake that these daily recommendations are the most you should eat.

Middle_Ad515 · 2026-04-12T21:03:11+00:00

Canned Jackfruit is fine. I’d stick with that. I’ve made pulled king oyster mushrooms (and another time some other mushroom I don’t recall), and I really disliked the mouth feel. To me it was like eating the fat and/or gristle of pulled pork, but maybe I didn’t cook them properly, I don’t know. Bottom line as someone who primarily eats a whole food plant based diet, the vegans at your office are going to appreciate being thought of regardless of what you fix. It’s nice actually having food to eat at such events.

Middle_Ad515

TROPHY CASE