Long Resting Periods for Beef Ribs

[BigPete]

I'm planning on smoking Beef Ribs (approx 2.5kg) for Christmas day but had wanted to do them on the 24th and keep them resting/warm until the eating time on the 25th. I've never rested this length of time but do believe it's possible after watching some YT content (the whole reason is I don't have want to be up all night and also I need my oven for other things on the 25th).

Aiming for Christmas dinner/lunch at 3pm on the 25th. I was thinking that if I started on the 24th at 3pm and smoked them for approx 6 hours at 225 then wrapped and into an oven at ~140 until approx 12. Then out into a warmed cooler boxor hostess trolley to allow me to use the oven for other things until 3pm.

Any suggestions on this plan folks? TIA

[Dirtytires]

Wow...18 hours in a warmer is not something I would want to try. Food should not be left between 40 to 135degrees F for more than 4 hours. I just don't see them being safe to eat at that amount of time.

A better idea is to cook them early and then vac-seal and put in the fridge. You can easily warm them back up by placing bag in a pot of warm water when they are needed and you will hardly know they aren't right off the pit.

[SheffSmoker]

Hi Pete, funny enough I'm just smoking beef ribs right now, and know we won't be able to eat them all so are going to vac seal, freeze then sous vide them another day. Had really good success with baby back ribs doing this, will let you know how the beef ribs come out. As DT says we can never tell the difference with the sealed sous vide ones, if anything they develop a more deep smoke flavour.

[BigPete]

Thanks guys, will need to rethink as I don't have a sous vide machine to ensure they are reheated correctly.

I was near sure I heard some of the TX BBQ joints (might have been Franklin) cook the day before then keep in a warmer just wrapped in butcher paper.

Edit was looking for the original thing I watched and stumbled across this - https://www.virtualweberbullet.com/usin ... mperature/

[SheffSmoker]

Everyone has a sous vide machine Pete - it's called a big pan of water.

Cold water, bring slowly up to boil with frozen vac packs in, the simmer for a further 45 mins and hey presto.

[tinspark]

Also in a pinch if you don’t have a vacuum seal machine, you can use ziplock bags and throw them in warm/hot water.
If its only for a day, you wont need to freeze them just pop ‘em in the fridge and into a hot pan of H2O.

[BigPete]

Ahh yea, I thought I could risk overcooking without something controlling the temp. Will see how that goes! Thanks

[SheffSmoker]

I'm also reheating a yesterday's beef rib in the oven wrapped in foil, could be another option for you - will update on how that one goes too pal.

[tinspark]

I remember watching one of Harry Soo YouTube videos a while back about various methods of reheating brisket. He samples various methods and shares them in the video below. and gives his opinion of each one, (microwave, oven, water and baggie etc..)
which might be very similar in the results of beef ribs. I like his methodical approach to the tests, as well as various cooking methods and tests that he does all of the time, which has helped me perfect a few smokes to my personal liking and taste.
see attached video below if interested:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C3PAnO9AD4

[SheffSmoker]

Here you go Pete - this was smoked yesterday, stored in fridge overnight, and just re-heated wrapped in foil in the oven @ 160C for around an hour.

Both me and the wife taste tested it for you, and Thunderbirds are GO!

[BigPete]

I have a vac machine so can go either route. It's just the juggling of ovens/rings I'll need to think about on the 25th... Or just order pizza and save myself a ballache

[SheffSmoker]

I did our xmas dinner on the smoker last year pal. It was sooo worth it.

[Dirtytires]

Only thing I will throw on the table is that not all bags are created equal. I use medium-thick (4 mil) bags in my vac-seal but they do tend to get pin-holes if left in boiling water too long. Adjust your temp down a bit for thinner bags and, if using zipper bags, go with the "freezer" version.

I toss my frozen bad in cold water and put it under med heat. When the water boils, I shut the heat off, wait a few minutes and then eat.

[BigPete]

Only thing I will throw on the table is that not all bags are created equal. I use medium-thick (4 mil) bags in my vac-seal but they do tend to get pin-holes if left in boiling water too long. Adjust your temp down a bit for thinner bags and, if using zipper bags, go with the "freezer" version.

I toss my frozen bad in cold water and put it under med heat. When the water boils, I shut the heat off, wait a few minutes and then eat.

I guess I could also double vac bag it? I've no idea what thickness the rolls I have are though.

On a side note, since I've built the smoker I'm still trying to get it dialed in. Last weekend I learnt the heat difference between cherry and oak... 1 log of oak just slightly bigger than the cherry I used added an extra 100degC to the cook chamber (both seasoned for about 12mo+)!!

[SheffSmoker]

Oak does burn hotter than cherry, now you know the difference you can adjust the size of the oak splits down compared to the cherry ones.

[BigPete]

Oak does burn hotter than cherry, now you know the difference you can adjust the size of the oak splits down compared to the cherry ones.

Yep I knew it was hotter, but this just went crazy

[BigPete]

Well, that's was a lot of work for something inedible haha.

Overcooked and so much smoke flavour it was too strong (only done with 3hrs on oak then finished in the oven to 91degC)

Oh well at least the backup chicken was decent

[SheffSmoker]

Oh blimey, that's a shame Pete. Any idea what went wrong? The only time I've had a failure was when I was still learning and had way too much "dirty" smoke, too much salt in the rub but it was only the bark that was inedible. The inner meat was still nice.

[hogaboomer]

Are you only using door thermometers to monitor temps? That's how I started out and everything was overcooked. Switched to digital with probes on the grate and things turned right around.

[BigPete]

Oh blimey, that's a shame Pete. Any idea what went wrong? The only time I've had a failure was when I was still learning and had way too much "dirty" smoke, too much salt in the rub but it was only the bark that was inedible. The inner meat was still nice.

I've done similar cooks with cherry and never had an issue but this time I did add smoked tallow them wrapped in foil, I'm thinking that the tightly wrapped foil stopped the smoke flavour mellowing out and it was even more intense from the tallow. (I ended up doing the oven rest 71C rather than the sous vide really just down to the lack of hob rings for the reheat. I guess when I let it cool it maybe didn't let it cool off enough so carried over and continued to cook)

Edit: it's been cubed up and will be added into the next batch of chili so won't go to waste!

The fire was pretty clean the whole time 3hrs (hardly able to see the smoke from the stack) temps stayed between 100-120degC for most of the cook (was aiming for 107C or 225F) using a Weber iGrill2