All articles

Everything on Ember & Bone Journal, organised by topic.

Smoker Skills

• 225 or 250 for Ribs? Choose by Cooker and Time — Smoke ribs at 250°F (121.1°C) for the more practical first cook: it supplies heat faster, usually shortens the schedule, and remains within a low-and-slow…
• Clean Smoke: Fire Management for Better Barbecue — Clean smoke in barbecue is thin, faint blue, or nearly invisible exhaust from an established fire with adequate oxygen.
• How to Keep Smoker Temperature Steady for Ribs — Keep a smoker steady by letting it settle at your target before the ribs go on, then making one small vent change at a time and waiting about 15 minutes…
• How to Tell When Ribs Are Done Without Guessing — Ribs are done when two separate checks pass. For safety, the thickest meat has reached at least 145°F (62.8°C), the USDA minimum for fresh pork ribs,…
• Should You Wrap Ribs? Foil, Paper and No Wrap Compared — Wrapping ribs is optional. Choose a complete unwrapped recipe for fewer handling stages, a foil method for a moist enclosed stage, or smoker-approved…

Rib Recipes

• Baby Back Ribs vs. Spare Ribs: Choose the Cut — Baby back ribs come from the pork loin near the spine; spare ribs come from the belly side of the rib cage.
• How Long to Smoke Baby Back Ribs at 225°F? — Allow about five hours of cooking for the specific Traeger Kitchen method outlined below, not for every rack or smoker.
• How to Smoke Baby Back Ribs at 250°F — Smoke two 2-to-3-pound racks of baby back ribs unwrapped over indirect heat at a grate-level 250°F (121.1°C).