"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) - With the pictures!

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) - With the pictures! (WarToad)

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:50:02 GMT

Hogzilla. Bane of the southern swamps.

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) - With the pictures! (Twinwillow)

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:22:23 GMT

John, that feller is biggern you!

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) - With the pictures! (Baah Ben)

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:20:31 GMT

WarToad..So, let me understand this. You don't do your ribs outside in the winter? Is that because you need a flame thrower to light the charcoal briquettes?

JohnA is a show off!

That little piggy went to market and fed a hell of a lot of people!

John - One question..Did you brine that meat first?

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) - With the pictures! (WarToad)

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:32:53 GMT

Baah Ben - I do exactly your cheatin ribs all the time. Why? In the past, no space, no smoker.

For a long period of time I lived in a 500 sq/ft apt, no deck, 4th floor, no options for smokers or grills, no decent BBQ places in reasonable driving distance. So if I wanted ribs, I made them myself in the oven almost exactly as you described. When I lived in Tokyo, if I could even find a 1/2 rack of ribs, I didn't even have an oven. I only had a toaster oven. (ie: definition of effort in futility.)

Under certain circumstances, you do what you gotta do, the best you can do.

I have a house now, a smoker now, but still in the depths of winter in North Dakota, when it's noon and -35, windchill taking it to -65, I'll throw a rack in the oven and maybe, maybe, a quick finish on the grill.

You do what you gotta do, the best you can do.

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (John A)

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:23:07 GMT

Tony Bad

John A

This is the rack that Baah Ben showed me a couple of days before he cooked them, what happened?

Are those Brontosaurus ribs?

Baah Ben told me he shot this hog with a black powder rifle just like the one used by Davey Crockett.

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (John A)

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:49:05 GMT

annpeeples

I have a question...I bought some beef ribs today( my father-in-law and his wife are visiting for 2 WEEKS!!) and he doesnt eat pork. I do not have a smoker, only a gas grill. I was told by the butcher to start them in the oven, with a rub, and then finish off on the grill.Anyone have any other ideas?? Thanks...

Hi Ann,

First off, everyone's ribs look mighty good to me no matter how they are prepared. Years ago a friend that cooked at a very good resturant, not a BBQ place so they did not have a smoker, gave me the their recipe. It's basically the same as Baah Ben's, just another way to skin that cat. Place a cup or so of water in the bottom half of a broiler pan with some liquid smoke. Pam the top half, place the ribs on it, then tent tightly with foil. Cut a few slits in the foil and put the rig into a 225 degree oven for 60-90 minutes. Check them for desired tenderness and either continue cooking or remove them. Finish up on a grill.

Ann, this will work just as well with beef ribs as pork.

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (Tony Bad)

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:44:12 GMT

John A

This is the rack that Baah Ben showed me a couple of days before he cooked them, what happened?

Are those Brontosaurus ribs?

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (John A)

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 06:08:46 GMT

This is the rack that Baah Ben showed me a couple of days before he cooked them, what happened?

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (Baah Ben)

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:44:54 GMT

Food - Do the pictures make you a bit more comfortable with this process? I wanted to get them on here as fast as I possibly could.
I know how starange the process sounds. Hey, it does work. Incidently, I didn't even have Saran Wrap. I used another off brand sold in Big Lots...Makes no diffence as far as I know.

I hope someone else out there will make them and give us a few more pictures. Give us their opinions.

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (Foodbme)

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:24:40 GMT

harriet1954

Foodbme

harriet1954

So, ah, for whomever did not take the time to read and understand the title of this thread, they have no business telling Don (who, without even meeting him, I'm sure is NOT insecure. Insecure????) what is real and what is not real. He knows. He chose this way. Not your way. Oh, and is SECURE enough to post it here without caring what others think.

And for whomever would like to condescend to me, who USED to totally smoke things in a smoker in her backyard - would you like to move me out of my apartment which has no deck, no balcony and no yard just so I can satisfy your purist heart? Some people do it more quickly their way and guess what? It's good, OK?

I plan to probably do mine tomorrow just about the same way, Don. Let anybody say a fresh word to me about it!

Chill out! Relax Darlin'. We're only talkin' about different methods of cookin' Ribs! Geez!

I'm very relaxed, Darlin'. I just didn't like the way someone was condescending to Baah Ben, saying that it wasn't real or pure. I guess you'll just have to get used to my personality!

I guess you'll just have to get used to my personality!

No Dear Harriet! YOU need to understand how some of the "Old Timers" on here relate to each other. Unless it's something really nasty or a personal attack, no one takes things personally on here. Is it lively discussion and debate?? You Bettcha! That's what makes this site interesting and encourages dialogue and debate. You'll know when someone is attacking a poster, the membership will rise up and be heard.

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (Twinwillow)

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:37:35 GMT

If I had a real life, a family and, the dough, I'd get one (assembled) in a NY minute!

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (Baah Ben)

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:29:42 GMT

Joe - Those are sooooo beautiful. That's legit "Q" Gramps (JohnA) must be so proud of you right now! Nice job!

I wish I had your money so I could afford a Green Egg. There's a guy on this site, Ray Lampe (hope I spelled his name right) who represents them...He had one with him at the BBQ festival in Lakeland. Hey, maybe he can get you a discount..after the fact. Did you save your receipt

Nice ribs Joe! Do you make your own sauce?

Agnes - Twin - The Chinese oven process is a little difficult.

Hey, try the duck sauce; that's easy. Just try and find a large jar (32 oz) of the stuff (the small jars are so expensive that only JoeRugo can afford them!) in the supermarket.

Take a garlic press and do just one little clove for say two cups of duck sauce. Add a tsp of chopped pimento and a half cup of applesauce. If it's sweetened applesauce, just add a bit of white vinegar and mix everything up and taste it. If it is unsweetened, add a little simple syrup (water and sugar).

You should taste quite a difference now between your's and the original bottled stuff. IF you like the difference, do the rest, too. If not, just mix the rest in with this and it will be fine, too.

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (Twinwillow)

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:26:51 GMT

joerogo ~ Your ribs look FANTASTIC! And, well worth your effort, I'm sure. Wish I was at your house this 4th.

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (Twinwillow)

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:25:00 GMT

Thanks for the tip, Ben. The whole "Chinese process" is a bit too complicated and, sounds like too much work for me. So, I'll do them the way you did yours.
Or, I have some Chinese BBQ rib rub and, I might just try using it as my rub and then "glazing" them with Chinese duck sauce after I unwrap them and turn the oven up to high to finish them.

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (joerogo)

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:50:17 GMT

susanll

Well I do have a BD coming up.

Make sure you buy it assembled. It was a real pain in the butt to put together.

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (susanll)

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:25:41 GMT

Well I do have a BD coming up.

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (joerogo)

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:20:07 GMT

susanll, Go for it! Very easy to use for smoking.

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (kirstine)

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:16:29 GMT

The ribs look good Ben, I admit to cooking ribs in the oven, with all the rainy weather back home it was a hassle to me to drag the BBQ out. They've always turned out good cooked in the oven for me, not at all tough or lacking flavour, I guess if you use the wrong method they will turn out tough and lacking flavour but I've never had any problems. I'm gonna try your method sometime.

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (susanll)

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:05:23 GMT

I want an EGG

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (agnesrob)

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:02:39 GMT

Ben, reading your posts always make me smile! I also learned to do my own dumplings I would love your shrimp toast recipe. You're right, it's allot of prep work, as was my kabab dinner. It was so worth it, thouth, in the fact that my family loved it and the reaction when I posted the pictures! Yesterday I watched a marathon of BBQ University. On Steve's website he has a reicpe for Chinese style ribs. I am going to try it and to try to WOW two of my (Chinese Food Lovin) kids. I will let all know how it goes!

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (joerogo)

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:01:14 GMT

Baah Ben, Ain't nothing wrong with those ribs. Nice pics also.

I hope you don't mind if I show off a little on your thread. Hear is the highlight of our July 4th picnic. Four racks rubbed with Dinosaur BBQ's Cajun Foreplay Rub.

I am really starting to get the hang of my Big Green Egg Smoker. These guys smoked 4 1/2 hours with applewood, then rested for another hour wrapped in foil. Considering I had to get up at 6:00 AM to start the process, I am likeing your method more and more

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (Baah Ben)

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:27:43 GMT

Twin - St. Louis - Hormel's. Excellent. I got them on sale at Super Target last month..Paid $2.99 a lb..they are trimmed; no breast bone. Cryovac..I froze them. Ready to go. I take the back flap off and remove the membrane; allows more seasoning to get into the meat. This product did not have that saline solution.

These ribs are perfect for Chinese. But, you do them completely different in the oven. Find a good basic Chinese rib recipe; it needs to call for hoisin and Chinese 5 spice, fresh ginger, scallions, garlic, soy, sugar, etc. Jim Lee's Cook Book is great. There are lots of others.

Anyway, what you do is marinate them for at least 5 hrs and then you hang them in your oven over a pan of water that will catch the drippings and also create steam in the oven to keep them moist. You must take the back flaps off and the membrane for Chinese ribs.

This home oven configuration mimicks what we call in the business a Chinese BBQ Oven. It is basically a cabinet with a gas burner in the bottom and a drip pan. It has rods to string the roast port and ribs and they hang down and roast slowly. Look in any Chinese take out at the end of the cooking line and you will see them.

Anyway, place one of your two oven racks up as high it can go..The other as low as it can go. Get some curtain hangers and bend them so you can use them as hooks and hook into the top of the rib slab; not the bottom part!

Get a drip pan that will sit under the ribs and fill it 1/3 with water. Cook at low heat again so as not to burn them. I use red food coloring.... See if you can get the recipe and PM me with it or share it...I will tell you if it's a good one or not.

The worst part of this process is you heat the oven up and then first have to hang the ribs so you can burn yourself! So, what I do is take the top rack out, heat the oven, hang the ribs over the sink..Carry the rack with the ribs hanging down and slide it into the oven with the ribs on it. tough on the arms, but that's the best way to do it. Put a few towels down on the floor to catch the dripping marinade as it falls off the slabs.

I use to make Chinese meals all the time when I was younger..Tons of prep work! I did my own won tons (ground chicken because my wife does not eat red meat or pork), soup, egg rolls with shrimp, BBQ roast pork, ribs, fried rice (never got that down right!) shrimp toast (my best item) and shrimp with black bean sauce. I also could do egg foo young, sweet n sour, and a few other basics. I never could do lobster sauce. My favorite. I also fried up the table noodles and doctored up the duck sauce; you use applesauce, fresh garlic, chopped pimento and a simple syrup. I call it Brooklyn duck sauce. That's the way the good places make it!

"H" thank you!

Ann - Do your beef ribs with the Saran Wrap! They will be terrific. Just make sure you do not over cook them. You need that meat (what little there is) to stay on the bones. But, they will be so tender.

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (Twinwillow)

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:18:11 GMT

Harriet, I think they'll come out just fine. Just watch your heat. Not too high and, let stay in the oven as long as Ben did.

Be sure and give us a report.

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (harriet1954)

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:21:17 GMT

roossy90

Nice looking, but arent they tough?>...

Obviously, she was talking about me! Heh. *wink*

I've just put my rub together, because Miss Crabapple wants no sauce this time. It's really OK with me. I've simply used kosher salt, pepper, paprika, brown sugar and garlic powder. That is it and that's all she wrote regarding that.

Baah Ben, I'm rethinking the Saran wrap. I'm rethinking it, and might start these in a little bit and have them going very soon. I wish I'd had the foresight to make potato salad when I got home at 6:30 this morning!

Edit: I also wish I'd put the rub on last night with the Saran wrap, because I just reread your instructions and now it's too late to do that. I wonder if I can still put them in with the rub and the wrap straight into the oven...thinking aloud, maybe I had better just put aluminum foil on and then finish unwrapped at a higher heat. I have nothing to char-broil with, and my broiler of my oven is VERY small. We'll see what happens.

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (harriet1954)

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:15:31 GMT

Foodbme

harriet1954

So, ah, for whomever did not take the time to read and understand the title of this thread, they have no business telling Don (who, without even meeting him, I'm sure is NOT insecure. Insecure????) what is real and what is not real. He knows. He chose this way. Not your way. Oh, and is SECURE enough to post it here without caring what others think.

And for whomever would like to condescend to me, who USED to totally smoke things in a smoker in her backyard - would you like to move me out of my apartment which has no deck, no balcony and no yard just so I can satisfy your purist heart? Some people do it more quickly their way and guess what? It's good, OK?

I plan to probably do mine tomorrow just about the same way, Don. Let anybody say a fresh word to me about it!

Chill out! Relax Darlin'. We're only talkin' about different methods of cookin' Ribs! Geez!

I'm very relaxed, Darlin'. I just didn't like the way someone was condescending to Baah Ben, saying that it wasn't real or pure. I guess you'll just have to get used to my personality!

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (agnesrob)

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 14:28:45 GMT

annpeeples

I have a question...I bought some beef ribs today( my father-in-law and his wife are visiting for 2 WEEKS!!) and he doesnt eat pork. I do not have a smoker, only a gas grill. I was told by the butcher to start them in the oven, with a rub, and then finish off on the grill.Anyone have any other ideas?? Thanks...

Ann, your butcher is right. Before we moved last year I made my beef ribs totally in the oven. If you finish them on the grill they shoul be great. Two weeks! Yikes!

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (Twinwillow)

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:16:28 GMT

Ben, your ribs look mighty tasty and, succulent! They appear to be St. Louis cut spareribs. So, that's what I'm going to use and see if I can duplicate those little beauties. Many thanks for the recipe!
I might also try and make them "Chinese" style while I'm at it.

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (ann peeples)

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 12:34:33 GMT

I have a question...I bought some beef ribs today( my father-in-law and his wife are visiting for 2 WEEKS!!) and he doesnt eat pork. I do not have a smoker, only a gas grill. I was told by the butcher to start them in the oven, with a rub, and then finish off on the grill.Anyone have any other ideas?? Thanks...

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (ScreamingChicken)

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:22:08 GMT

Foodbme

roossy90

Nice looking, but arent they tough?>...

Who/What post are you referring to?

Mine, perhaps?

No, they weren't tough but they weren't soft and overly tender, either. It took a little effort to get the meat off the bone and it had to be chewed, but that's how I like it. Now had they been spares instead of back ribs they probably would've been tough.

Brad

Re:"My Cheat'n Ribs" (half assed ribs) (agnesrob)

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 08:03:12 GMT

Hey Ben, I wasn't able to grill outside for about 7 years until we moved last year. I made ribs this way all of the time. Hope you had a great 4th!