There is no question, when we have the “Ribs, ribs, ribs” class in ANSC 117, Texas Barbecue, the students have a great time enjoying the wonderful beef and pork ribs prepared for them. Each year, Davey Griffin helps out with this class by cooking the beef ribs on his pit.
Beef and pork ribs
The three beef ribs demonstrated this week were beef chuck short ribs, beef plate short ribs, and beef back ribs. The beef chuck ribs are sometimes referred to as “four ribs” and the beef plate short ribs are sometimes referred to as “three ribs.” The muscle that makes the chuck and plate short ribs so spectacular is the M. serratus ventralis, and because these ribs are so rich with marbling, they are not only popular with barbecue establishments, but also with the Asian export market.
Davey Griffin talking about smoking beef ribs
Beef chuck short ribs
Davey Griffin describing the airflow for his pit to the students
Beef chuck short ribs
The three pork ribs prepared were the pork back ribs and St. Louis style pork ribs. We also showed the class pork spareribs, but we did not smoke them.
For the back ribs and St. Louis style pork ribs, we cooked/smoked half of them “dry” or Memphis style and the other half, “wet” or glazed.
Eric describing the pork rib cooking
Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce
Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce
For the wet or glazed ribs, we used the Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce recipe. This glaze was applied after the pork ribs were near finished cooking so that the meat would not burn from the sugar that is in the sauce.
Finishing/serving ribs
Once the ribs were finished cooking (internal temperatures of about 180°F for the pork ribs, and about 200°F for the beef), they were wrapped in peach-paper and held/rested until they were served.
Glazed or wet pork back ribs
Wet and dry pork back ribs
Steven and Eric pulling pork ribs off the pit
Peach-paper-wrapped pork ribs
Beef chuck short ribs
Beef back ribs
Dry (left) and wet (right) St. Louis style pork ribs
Pork back ribs
Brogan, Alec, Eric, and Ty ready to slice pork and beef ribs
Brogan and Alec slicing ribs
Corn Salad
Corn Salad with Fritos (photo by Kathleen Meredith)
A family favorite of ours is Corn Salad. Our daughter, Jennifer, came up with this recipe years ago and has shared it with us. Paula Disbrowe asked me about recipes for tailgating, and I provided the Corn Salad with Fritos for her to include in the September, 2017 Texas Co-op Power Magazine.
Plated product
Here is a good example of what the students had to eat! When asked, most of the students preferred the wet or glazed ribs over the dry ribs, and the beef ribs over the pork ribs.
A full plate of beef and pork ribs and Corn Salad with Fritos
