How to Treat your Meat - BBQ and Wine

I am hosting a pork pulling contest - well not quite, we just call the aficionados the "B.C. Pork Pullers" (haven't got around to having T shirts made yet though).

We had two guys that both claimed they made the very best ribs North of the border, so of course we had to get them together so we could judge. They both espouse a dry rub method and I have to agree with that as I prefer it to the various slopped on sauces - we had one guy whose 'secret sauce' was catsup, brown sugar and jalapenos. Mr Creative!

There is always the question of what wine works (even though this is food focussed, one does want to have a wine that works reasonably well with the food). Best guess would be Australian Shiraz, but a big Argie Malbec would work too.

Any comments on rubs would be of interest, or on cooking techniques. One of the best I know is long slow cook in an oven and finish in a Holland grill.

Any suggestions on accompaniments, salads etc. also gratefully received. I'll report after the event (later this month) as to who won and what wine worked best.

Bill,

I am confused because pork pulling and ribs are two totally different things. Which are you actually making?

Either way, assuming the dry rubs are not too spicy hot; Zinfandel could work as the wine match but I also like your idea of an Aussie Shiraz.

Bill,

I am confused because pork pulling and ribs are two totally different things. Which are you actually making?

Either way, assuming the dry rubs are not too spicy hot; Zinfandel could work as the wine match.

It is ribs, but that doesn't sound as good on a T shirt. Both contestants have declined in advance to wear a prize T shirt that says "Voted Best Rack"

Zin is a great suggestion - why didn't I think of that?

Here are two links you may find useful:
Chef Carey's Dry Rub & BBQ Sauce
Cooking for NiagaraCOOL

Thanks Howie, that looks good!

I'm almost tempted to do a tenderloin slow cooked myself, but I'm an amateur whereas the other two consider themselves semi-pros in terms of expertise so I should probably just let them go to it.

Of all cooking I can think of, nothing seems to create opinions that differ as much as two dishes - BBQ and chili!

The last time I made ribs a friend of mine showed me a new method and I liked the results. Start with some baby backs and remove the silver skin membrane. Put the ribs in a large stock pot full of apple cider and simmer on the stove. The cider tenderizes the meat and also takes away some of the fat.* When they are tender (but not falling off the bone) remove them from the pot and dry them off. Apply your dry rub and finish them on a charcoal grill with the lid closed. Serve on big platters.

*We discarded the warm cider after cooking but you could serve it to your guests to drink. It’s got to be pretty damn cold in an igloo so it will keep them warm while they wait for the ribs to finish.

Sounds fun Bill!

If you don't already know (LOL), I have a ceramic cooker/smoker like Bob H. called a Kamado, and that's where I do my ribs.

This is my method:

I start with a baby back ribs and remove the membrane on the back. 6 hrs before cooking I use a dry rub similar to Chef Carey's (mine has some brown sugar as I like my ribs on the sweeter side), and sprinkle it generously on the front and back of the ribs. I then squirt on some Frenches yellow mustard on both sides and rub in. After letting six for about 6 hrs, I get my kooker up to temp (I like 240 degrees F). I put the ribs on for about 3 hrs. After 3 hrs, I take a mixture of 3 parts honey and 1 part apple juice and bast the ribs. I allow to cook for about an hr. I then bast the ribs with Chef Carey's BBQ sauce and allow ribs to cook for another 30-60 min. I then remove from heat and allow them to rest in foil for about 30 min.

I really like the dry rub method, but have found that if I let the ribs sit overnight, they actually tasted cured, which I don't care for (although some others preferred it). When I did marinate overnight, the ribs tasted more like roasted ham rather than pork ribs.

I usually just drink beer with the ribs, but have found that a low alcohol Zinfandel is fine too (I usually drink Renwood Zin which has an ABV of 13.5%). I also like an off-dry Processo, the sweetness is good with my addition of honey and brown sugar.

Let us know how it goes!

When I did marinate overnight, the ribs tasted more like roasted ham rather than pork ribs.

I'm glad you mentioned that. In addition, you have to be careful about the amount of hard wood you put over the coals. Too much wood will produce too much smoke and the ribs will come out tasting like ham rather than ribs.

I'm glad you mentioned that. In addition, you have to be careful about the amount of hard wood you put over the coals. Too much wood will produce too much smoke and the ribs will come out tasting like ham rather than ribs.

ITA Dave. I used to make my own cherry smoke wood, but it was too much for me on the ribs...so I only use lump charcoal and no smoke wood. I find that the smoke wood is fine for a big pork shoulder, but definitely too much for me on the ribs.

Bill,
When pairing wine with true BBQ, the main issue I have is whether a sweet BBQ sauce is being employed. If so, I'd lean to a good Rosé to combat the sweetness of the sauce. For the meat itself, pull out a good powerhouse red: Zin, S. Rhone, Bandol (my Syrah I'll save for game, but that's just me). For rubs, I haven't tried Chef Carey's (that'll change soon) but I'm partial to Memphis-style dry rubs. Recipes will normally contain garlic powder, salt, pepper, brown sugar, paprika and a few other spices. Cayenne can be added for a spicy rub, but the black pepper will impart a fairly spicy profile even without capsaicin.

Enjoy!
Mark Lipton

[Jenise]

Zin and new world syrah for wines, absolutely.

Methods vary. It depends a lot on what you like, too. A friend of mine loves to wrap their ribs after smoking and cook them longer until the meat turns darker and falls off the bone. Not crazy about that myself. The wrapping steams them and changes not just the composition and color, but the flavor of the meat in a way I'm not crazy about. My own preference, texturally, is for meat that's still that natural pork white with a bit of pink at the edges, tender enough to pull away from the bone but still sporting some real meat-like chewiness. Tender, not soft. Our favorite method, and what we did for the Fourth, involves dry rub, smoking for 2 hours at about 200, then piling high on a baking pan (you can easily stack 20 lbs on one pan) with a sheet of foil on top to prevent the top layer drying out but not wrapped tight, then baking for two hours at about 250, then cooling and cutting into two-bone sets. For serving, the ribs are dipped in a thin, spicy homemade barbecue sauce and browned on a barbecue grill to both heat the ribs and cook the sauce on. They're great. Just had some leftovers for lunch (they reheat beautifully). Finger lickin good.