Clearly, barbecue is very hot right now! We follow two websites for great information about BBQ and food techniques. Undoubtedly, the best resource for BBQ is Amazing Ribs. Likewise, for technique (especially sous vide), it’s Chef Steps.
While browsing Chef Steps we found a method for “Apartment Ribs.” Basically, the ribs are salted, bagged, and cooked in an immersion circulator at 167°F for six hours for St. Louis style, or four hours for baby backs. Then they are blotted dry and painted with a mixture of molasses and liquid smoke before applying the rub. Ten minutes in a 450°F convection oven sets the bark and caramelizes the sugars. Finally, they are done! Sounds easy enough, right?
Smokerless Ribs - CVap Style
We wanted to duplicate the process using a CVap® oven. First, the ribs were placed on a rack on top of a sheet pan. Next, we covered the entire pan and meat with foil. Accordingly, this simulates the bagging needed in an immersion circulator. We set the CVap for Vapor Temperature 167°F / Air Temperature 167°F. Lastly, the timer was set for six hours.
The CVap reverted to a 150°F Vapor / 150°F Air hold setting upon completion of the cook cycle. At that point, we blotted the ribs dry and painted them with the molasses/liquid smoke mixture. Lastly, we applied a generous dusting of Memphis Dust Rub (this is a REALLY good rub that we use on just about anything BBQ). After ten minutes in a 450°F convection oven, they turned out perfect.
People who have had ribs from my smoker said that these were more moist than usual! Likewise, they were perfectly cooked with a bit of resistance to the bite. “Fall off the bone” is overdone – and highly overrated in my opinion! Because if you don’t have to bite the meat off the bone, you will never win a competition. Naturally, the slow, precise cooking from CVap made the difference. Consequently, there was no moisture loss with this method!
Of course, if you really want to smoke in your CVap oven, add a Winston Smoker Box. It will give you results that rival the best BBQ pits.
