Beef Ribs, A Giveaway, & A Party

My neighbor is cooking a prime rib tomorrow which gave me a serious craving for some beef ribs.

We bought a few racks of beef back ribs (not short ribs) and I smoked them for a late dinner.  They were ready just in time for The Ultimate Fighter - Live! (Smoked ribs - broken ribs...what's the difference?)  This isn't a recipe post, just about how I made my ribs last night.

Beef ribs = Steak on a stick

I set up my Big Green Egg for indirect heat (plate setter in, legs up, drip pan, cooking grate) at 250f using coal and 3 chunks of cherry wood.

I removed the membrane from the back of each rack.  For me, beef ribs are a little harder to remove the membrane than pork ribs but here are a few tips.  Use a blunt knife and separate the membrane at the 3rd rib from the short end.  Work a finger underneath and through to the other side.

Work your way to the end, grab that and pull backwards.

It will go easily until the last 2-3 bones where you'll hit a fatty area - be careful there.  Work slowly between each crease and it should come off in one piece.  Then trim off the excess fat with a sharp knife.

I seasoned both sides with cracked black pepper and then liberally with a beef rub.  I used a commercial rub but you can use a mix of salt/pepper/garlic powder in a 2:1:1 ratio.  Smoked them bone side down for two and 1/2 hours.

Then I wrapped them in foil drizzled with butter, agave nectar, and roasted garlic hot sauce.  I cooked them 1 hour that way.   Next I removed them from the foil and cooked them one more hour.  I glazed them with BBQ sauce and let that cook on for 15 minutes.  After a 10 minute rest, we dug in!

I love the tender texture and rich taste of beef ribs, I like them as much or more than pork!  (Blasphemy?)

Giveaway - Steven Raichlen's Best Ribs Ever

Speaking of killer ribs, America's grill master, Steven Raichlen, is releasing his new book Best Ribs Ever - 100 Killer Recipes in just a few weeks on April 25, 2012.  (You can pre-order at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and select online outlets.)

Best Ribs Ever celebrates the ingredient that epitomizes barbecue and inspires passion, obsession, and almost primal lust in griller and eater alike. And there’s no one better than Steven Raichlen, America’s foremost and bestselling grilling author, to preside over the religion of the rib. Here’s a bone-by-bone guide to choosing, buying, and handling ribs. Eight essential techniques for prepping and cooking. The six great live-fire methods, beginning with direct grilling to spit-roasting. Plus rubbing, saucing, mopping, resting, serving.

Even if you don't follow BBQ media like I do, you know who Steven Raichlen is.  You have probably seen his TV shows Primal Grill and BBQU on PBS and his Barbecue Bible books (James Beard awards and New York Times best sellers) are among the most popular around.  I have several of his books and find them to be a great source of information, not just recipes.  I turn to them often for quick references or just inspiration.

Workman Publishing and Steven Raichlen are sponsoring my April giveaway:  An autographed copy of Best Ribs Ever.

How To Enter
Each person can receive up to a total of 2 entries per day as follows:

1. leave a comment below   (NOTE: If you use the "anonymous comment" option, be sure to leave an email or your screen name in the comment so I can contact you if you are the winner. Something like "EggerinFL from the Egg Forum" or "swibirun from the BBQ Brethren forum" is enough.)
2. Mention the giveaway with a link to this post in Twitter and use the hashtag #RaichlensBestRibsEver

The Rules

1. Giveaway entry period begins today, 12:01pm April 7, 2012 and ends April 24, 2012 11:59pm. Winner will be announced on this blog on April 25, 2012.
2. Comments will be numbered by order received and random.org will generate a random number for the winner.
3. Limited to residents of the continental US unless you wish to pay the extra shipping charges.
4. I am the final judge regarding any discrepancies, interpretations, grievances, etc about this drawing.
5. Workman Publishing is sponsoring the prize. They are not responsible for the drawing or the giveaway.
6. Winner must respond and claim the prize within one week of the winning announcement. If a winner does not claim the prize during the specified time, a reserve winner will be drawn from the original entries.
7. Employees, Board Members, pets, indentured servants, and family of Nibble Me This are not eligible to enter.

Blogger Party

Our third annual blogger party is coming up.  We always have fun lakeside at Larry & Bev's home in Greenback, TN.  

The East Tennessee Worldwide Blogger Party

Hosted by Katherine Aucoin,  Larry Doolittle, and Chris Grove

Date: May 27, 2012 – rain or shine

Time : Noon – til everyone leaves, eat at 1:30

Who: Any fellow bloggers who are willing to make the trip and significant other, or not.

Food: We will be serving crawfish/shrimp boil or Cajun pork BBQ Po Boys for the non- seafood fans.

Drinks: We’ll provide tea and soft drinks but feel free to BYOB

Donation: We’ll be asking for a small donation ($10 or so) to help with the food cost, but we won’t know what it will be for sure until we know the attendance.

RSVP: We need to know if you will be coming by May 6 so we can order the fresh seafood. Let Larry know at grandpop1@yahoo.com.