UDS Ribs!

This was my first time cooking ribs on the Ugly Drum Smoker. I was comfortable cooking in the UDS by then and was looking forward to trying this. The UDS pretty much runs itself and it left me free to work on technique, instead of working on holding even temps.


One advantage I already see to cooking ribs on a UDS is clear. I started the ribs and then went into town for 2 hours. SWEET.
I'm usually tending a side box smoker for 6 hours when cooking ribs.

I had to go to town to get the fixins for "Roxy's Rib Glaze"
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 cup apple juice
1/8 cup cider vinegar
1/8 cup bourbon


Combine ingredients and whisk together well. Paint on ribs every 10 to 15 minutes during the last hour of cooking for a nice shiny glaze.

Royal Oak lump charcoal, apple wood,
OakridgeBBQ "Competition" rub and a sprinkle of OakridgeBBQ "Habanero Death Dust". I dribbled some Worchester on it after the rub.

I am trying to duplicate the results of my mega rib cookout the previous summer. this was the first time I made ribs since then.






I went outside to see what kind of damage the hail storm did. I found that it shredded both covers on my drums and some monster stone dropped and bashed in the top of the lid. I'm glad that that ice boulder didn't hit the car's sun roof!!








I fired up some RO red bag lump with some apple wood, got it up to temp, added food (and my pizza pan diffuser), slammed it shut and went to town.








After 2 hours, I foiled. They are baby backs, so I'm thinking of going with a 2-2-1 method.
That needs explaining. A simple rule for cooking spare ribs is the "321 Method". 3 hours unfoiled, 2 hours foiled and one hour unfoiled at 225 degrees. It's not the only way to do it, but it is the "normal method". Baby backs cook faster so you have to shorten those times.




4.5 hours into cook.
My cider vinegar was bad so I gave it a shot of white vinegar and added more bourbon. I think it will be OK. the taste test of the glaze was goood.

unfoiled and glazed


5 hours and 4 layers of glaze!
I spiked the temp to finish things up



I took out the diffuser and placed ribs face down on a lower level after the 5th glazing. Almost done!

 

I liked the extra sear in the end. I've never done that before. We got stuffed. The wife made some mozzarella covered asparagus for the side. It was awesome and the wife keeps saying she loves me as she's munching. Life is good around the pit!!

now for the results!!: