Help with technique-ribs pink like ham???

Hi all,

I've been smoking stuff on a Brinkman smoker for at least 27 years. This year I moved up to something a bit larger, a New Braunfels 4 footer. I never found it a problem before, but after watching all the cookoff shows on Food Network this year, I see that I may be doing something not quite right. Problem is, I don't know how to fix it!! My ribs come out pink all the way through and look just like ham. It looks like in the cookoffs, they are looking for just a smoke ring around the outside. What I do is start of my cooker(I use charcoal) and get it up to about 225 degrees. Then I introduce some wet hickory chunks to get a smoke going. Then I put the ribs in and start timing. I usually like about 1 hour of smoke, but somethimes the chunk(depending on size) might give me a bit more than an hour. Then I let the temp come up to 250 or so where I try to hold it. At 3 hours, I usually wrap the ribs in foil and cook another 1 1/2 hours or until ribs are done to the proper "bend" with the bones starting to show on the end. My ribs come out juicy, smokey, and come off the bone with a bite,but the bone will come clean if you want to pull it out firmly. I've been doing this for years and never had any complaints, but then again I never competed in a cook off either, which I may like to try sometime. What am I doing wrong?? Is it too much smoke, or smoke at the wrong time or temp?? Thanks for any advice.

bowhuntrrl

Actually, having a pink color to smoked ribs is desirable at a lot of places. This means the pork has been smoked sufficiently, and it will gain that pink color. Super Smokers BBQ in the St. Louis area and 17th Street Barbecue in Murphysboro, Ill. -- both of them big winners at the annual BBQ contests in Memphis -- do it this way, and their ribs are terrific.

If you can get your hands on some apple wood for the smoking, grab it. Both of the above places swear by it. But hickory is fine if you can't get it.

Looking at your cooking method, I think you may have the temperature a bit hot. A lot of the respected places I know of seldom go past 225 degrees. I'd try to smoke it longer (2-3 hours) at a lower heat ... longer if you (and the meat) can stand it.

Some of the hardcare barbecue places barely go past 200 degrees, but this is fairly extreme. If you have the time to smoke meat for 10-14 hours, go for it on the low-temperature method. Just remember -- as long as the meat itself reaches 140 degrees, it is perfectly safe.

Otherwise, I think you're doing a pretty good job. If you like what you're eating, why mess with it too much?

Hey Bow I'm not a pro haven't been doing it half as long as you.
Was wondering are you applying a rub that has salt and if so are you putting it on the night before this can make them come out hammy or try lessening the time you foil. Just a couple of ideas.
SAL

What rwan said; Cut your temp to 225 and cook a bit longer. Otherwise you are doing things exactly right. Pinkish ribs are not a bad thing.

MikeS.

I am a fan of the pink ribs! Better than the brown throughout ones I think, but hey, I love both kinds.
Joe

bow,
next time check the cyro your ribs come in. a lot of them are now being "enhanced" with a solution of between 5 and 7%. the enhancing liquid can cause the color that you are talking just like it does on my picnics.
as far as pink all the way thru goes. a lot of guys would kill to get that even tho KCBS judges are prohibited from considering a smoke ring in judging.
sounds to me like your taste and everything is the same as always so my self i would not change a thing.
jack