wrote:
On Apr 22, 1:07 pm, "Nunya Bidnits" wrote:

SNIP of excellent cooking advice

To make this totally decadent with a final step, take the ribs to
the grill and quickly crisp them up. Make some mashed potatoes, and
drown the potatoes and ribs in the gravy for a tasty meal.

Like minds, good sir, like minds.

If I had known you were on the case, I wouldn't have tapped away for
15 minutes!

Robert

Yeah, GMTA, like you said... g. But damn they sure want a high price for
shortys at the Price Chopper. I really don't like buying much at Sams
because of the WalChinaMart thing but they are about half the price of PCs.
Problem is like I was saying that they cut them sideways! I can get them cut
the right way, but have to order them ahead. I have never in my life seen
that before... got any idea whats up with that silliness?

MartyB

MartyB in KC

On Apr 22, 7:59*pm, "Nunya Bidnits" wrote:

At one point I even saw a formula on line which had to do with the volumes
of the cookers, I believe both the firebox and cook chamber (for offsets)
which then gave a formula to calculate both the diameter and height of the
stack for best draft results. Unfortunately I just can't seem to find that
link, but I bet someone around here has it!

I'd sure be interested in seeing that thing. My Klose has some
interesting characteristics that it would probably explain. It's got
two large 6" exhaust stacks at the top of the lid. Now every other
stack I've ever seen for a sidebox cooker seem to be mounted on the
side and no more than 3". So, you'd figure that to keep heat in you'd
want to close one stack completely and the one furthest from the
firebox opened to the equivilant of 3" right? Well, the damn thing
gets hotter at grate level with both stacks completely open. Go
figger.

On Apr 23, 10:48 am, "Nunya Bidnits" wrote:

Yeah, GMTA, like you said... g. But damn they sure want a high price for
shortys at the Price Chopper. I really don't like buying much at Sams
because of the WalChinaMart thing but they are about half the price of PCs.

Boy, that's a whole different topic, eh? I know exactly what you
mean, but for a repair/remodel contractor like myself, I am in a
quandary. I am now talking with clients that are facing $400 - $600
in gas (depending on high school dependents) and with everything else
going up as well, they aren't exactly knocking my door down to reward
me with contracts. I have some repair work, but NO remodeling.

Since my income is way off... where do I shop? I split between a
local grocer and big blue, but I buy most meat at Sam's, whom the
butchers tell me buy from USA cattle ranches. I am sure they are beat
to hell and back on their prices, but at least some $$ stays here for
us. However, they weren't always sure about the origin of their
prepackaged hamburger.

Problem is like I was saying that they cut them sideways! I can get them cut
the right way, but have to order them ahead. I have never in my life seen
that before... got any idea whats up with that silliness?

I have absolutely no idea whatsoever. They look ugly, awkward to eat
and cook. I rarely see them around here, and until lately, I just
attributed the "flanken" style ribs to a new guy at the saw.

But this has to be some kind of marketing ploy. You can bet your
retailer would be doing it if they weren't making money. But if I
can't buy the traditional short ribs I want, I dont' get 'em.

Robert

wrote:
%---------
Problem is like I was saying that they cut them sideways! I can get
them cut the right way, but have to order them ahead. I have never
in my life seen that before... got any idea whats up with that
silliness?

I have absolutely no idea whatsoever. They look ugly, awkward to eat
and cook. I rarely see them around here, and until lately, I just
attributed the "flanken" style ribs to a new guy at the saw.

Flanken? There's a term I am totally unfamiliar with. Sure you don't mean Al
Flanken?

he he he....


But this has to be some kind of marketing ploy. You can bet your
retailer would be doing it if they weren't making money. But if I
can't buy the traditional short ribs I want, I dont' get 'em.

Thing is, Sams used to cut them correctly, and the price didn't really
change when they started sawing through the ribs sideways like they were
some sort of CrackDonalds style riblets. Could they be getting more yield
that way? Its hard to figure how. What is even more mystifying is why Price
Chopper will sell boneless (why?) shortribs for cheap on sale, but not the
good ones. Anybody who braises short ribs knows that you gotta have that
bone for flavor. And the stupid term boneless shortribs is totally
oxymoronic.

Makes me think of that old Farside cartoon, The Boneless Chicken Ranch.

Damn all this talk of shortribs... I'm hungry again!

MartyB

On 22-Apr-2008, "Big Jim" wrote:

"skeeter" wrote in message
...
On Apr 22, 9:34 am, "Big Jim" wrote:
"skeeter" wrote in message

...

All,
I fired up my duo this weekend and was surprised that with just a
chimney starter full of royal oak lump, I got up to 300 degrees with
the vent 1/2 open on the side firebox. That was a bit high for what I
wanted to smoke (beef ribs). How much luck have others had with
maintaining 200-225 on that rig, which I thought was the ideal temp
for low and slow.

Other than that - it's been a honey of a smoker. the split chicken
breasts turned out juicy and flavorful.

300° is not a bad place to cook anything. Why do you feel the need to
cook
at 200°?. If your pit wants to run at 309° let it, don't fight it, you
will
spend a lot of time fire tending if you do.
--
James A. "Big Jim" Whitten


I just thought that was a bit too high for beef ribs, and especially
if I want fall off the bone tender ribs
and brisket. Maybe Ill cut back on the air damper a bit more. It's
nice though putting 1 load of charcoal
into the chimney and then onto the side burner, and that's the only
flaming I do for the whole smoke!


Good points. You can still get falling of the bone beef and pork ribs as
well as brisket and BUTTS at 300° and higher.
Depending on the pit it could take more fuel.
Don't be afraid if the temps git somewhat high, It wont ruin them.
Good luck.
--
James A. "Big Jim" Whitten

www.lazyq.com

I'm just reenforcing what Jim said. I cook with an NB Silver offset.
It absolutely does not like to cruise below 270°F. (245° - 280°).
It's basically rock solid at ~270° and stays there for about 3 hrs
on the first load. I cook chicken, spareribs, beef back ribs, butts,
picnics and briskets all at that temperature. With mixed loads, it's
just a question of taking the individual items off when they're done
and leaving the rest to finish in their own good time. I've had no problem
getting the collagen to break down all the way to the bone. Chicken
of course needs some help with the skin, but that's another story.
Beware of tenderloins and loins of either beef or pork. They cook
up god awful quick compared to other types of meat.
--
Brick(Youth is wasted on young people)

On 22-Apr-2008, "Big Jim" wrote:

"skeeter" wrote in message
...
On Apr 22, 8:17 am, skeeter wrote:
All,
I fired up my duo this weekend and was surprised that with just a
chimney starter full of royal oak lump, I got up to 300 degrees with
the vent 1/2 open on the side firebox. That was a bit high for what I
wanted to smoke (beef ribs). How much luck have others had with
maintaining 200-225 on that rig, which I thought was the ideal temp
for low and slow.

Other than that - it's been a honey of a smoker. the split chicken
breasts turned out juicy and flavorful.

So call me stupid, but when you close the vent it is in theory to
reduce the temperature, correct?
Do you have to reduce the incoming vent or also the vent of the
exhaust stack?

I have always left the exhaust vent wide open and closed the intake down
to
maintain heat settings.
--
James A. "Big Jim" Whitten

www.lazyq.com

What Jim said. I leave the exhaust stack wide open and damp down
the intake as required. My pit runs with the intake open about 1 (one)
inch. The only variations are for extremely hot and calm weather,
(stopped down even further) and for cool, windy weather when I
have to open up another 1/4 inch or so. On weird occasions, I just
have to let it run hotter or cooler then normal. It ain't rocket science.
I won't fail to make it into orbit if I'm off by ten degrees or so.
--
Brick(Youth is wasted on young people)

On Apr 23, 7:29 pm, "Nunya Bidnits" wrote:

Flanken? There's a term I am totally unfamiliar with. Sure you don't mean Al
Flanken?

he he he....

Is he still around? I thought he was gone along with "Air America",
broadcasting the gospel of the lefties over the air waves.

To me, he will always be Stuart Smalley!

Check out this page:

http://tinyurl.com/5lv6xh

It has the flanken style short ribs, the English cut short ribs, and
the chuck short ribs. I think the chuck short ribs must be the
"boneless" short ribs I see in the store.
There are other cuts of short ribs as well, and it makes me think that
anything that was cut from an area close to any kind of bone may
qualify as a "short rib".

Funny, looking at the butchering diagram, there is only one small area
a "short rib" could come from, though.

Which ones of those shown are you wanting?

Robert

wrote:
On Apr 23, 7:29 pm, "Nunya Bidnits" wrote:

Flanken? There's a term I am totally unfamiliar with. Sure you don't
mean Al Flanken?

he he he....

Is he still around? I thought he was gone along with "Air America",
broadcasting the gospel of the lefties over the air waves.

To me, he will always be Stuart Smalley!

lol.....

Actually..... http://www.alfranken.com/ he's seriously running for the
senate in MN.


Check out this page:

http://tinyurl.com/5lv6xh

It has the flanken style short ribs, the English cut short ribs, and
the chuck short ribs. I think the chuck short ribs must be the
"boneless" short ribs I see in the store.
There are other cuts of short ribs as well, and it makes me think that
anything that was cut from an area close to any kind of bone may
qualify as a "short rib".

Funny, looking at the butchering diagram, there is only one small area
a "short rib" could come from, though.

Which ones of those shown are you wanting?


These
http://www.thepauperedchef.com/image...hortribs_1.jpg

Or what is on that page as beef chuck short ribs look like the same thing.
Sometimes they are cut longer, sometimes shorter, where I buy them but look
and taste all the same.

English style looks just like the flanken with more meat on top to me. Did I
really see that the Chefscatalog website wants !!! $60 for 4 pounds? Are
they frikking crazed? Or are there really suckers like that out there who
will pay it? That's highway robbery. I wonder if a shotgun slides out at you
from your monitor when you go to pay for them on line.

MartyB

"skeeter" wrote in message
...
All,
I fired up my duo this weekend and was surprised that with just a
chimney starter full of royal oak lump, I got up to 300 degrees with
the vent 1/2 open on the side firebox. That was a bit high for what I
wanted to smoke (beef ribs). How much luck have others had with
maintaining 200-225 on that rig, which I thought was the ideal temp
for low and slow.

Other than that - it's been a honey of a smoker. the split chicken
breasts turned out juicy and flavorful.


After I added an extension tube to the stack vent, I now see a 230-240F
temp in the chamber rather than the 300F + range I was seeing before.
Thanks to the group for that modification advice. I tried taking it down a
little lower and it became quite the chore to keep a stable temp. I set the
inlet at about half closed and it go 3 hours at 240F. I am really enjoying
the versatility of the CG Duo and the cast iron is great to grill on.

Joseph

--

http://www.geocities.com/jrpitzner/BBQ

Brinkman Charcoal Smoker
CharGriller Duo w/Side Fire Box