OK, I got it. Just about.
Only had to deal with one slab tonight. Much easier proposition than six.
Large chunks of hardwood charcoal, not too many. Half a big chimney if packed in there. Equal parts applewood and hickory for dry wood, but again: not too much.
Indirect heat with drip pan. One slab. Typical rub. Black pepper, sea salt, garlic powder, a little turbinado sugar, all ground to total dust.
Dusted slab evenly, both sides. Grill HOT, like 400 degrees F. Only had an hour and a half to cook it.
No matter the kind of barbecue, the smoker should be smoking persistently but lightly. Not pumping it out like a chimney. Cooking can still happen in the latter state, but prop open the smoker lid so the extra smoke leaks out the sides and does not befoul the meat with excess smoke. When the smoke chills out, close it up again.
Slab went meat side up right on the grill over the drip pan.
Cooked it 15min or so, just until it got a little color. Did not develop deep color or char yet, given the proximity of the drip pan. The effect was almost like a cross between smoking and steaming the meat. Flipped the slab and cooked it meat side down for a while, another 15min. It loosened up here and got kind of floppy. It got damp with moisture from within the pork and also from the drip pan.
Pulled the slab once it had a little color and the moisture had steamed off. Took off the grill and removed the drip pan. Set up smoker for direct heat. Rearranged the coals to apply maximum heat to the slab and get a bit more smoke out of things.
Mopped the slab very lightly on the bone side and put it right on the grill, bone side down. Mopped the meat side. The mop had tightened on the bone side. Flipped slab to meat side down. Repeat, still high heat, with light dust of rub at the end. Cooked that way for about 30min.
The mop was Lem’s barbecue sauce (ketchup, vinegar, pineapple juice, I forget what else), some apple juice, and several teaspoons of tart cherry extract. I bought the tart cherry extract at Harvestime Foods. It was $11.99 for about 16oz, but shit, they claim it’s made from 12.5lbs of cherries. So I guess it’s worth it. I’d already made some pretty great sorbet with the cherry extract as a key ingredient, and I wanted to see how it played with pork.
Pulled the slab. Painted it with a mixture of apple sauce and a little apricot jam, with some of the mop mixed in. Both sides. Wrapped it in foil, back in the smoker for 10min per side, still high heat.
Pulled the packet of foil. Opened the foil and removed the slab. Placed the slab right on the grill again. Poured a little mop in the used foil to deglaze the apple sauce and apricot jam stuff, which had developed a fond. Painted the deglazed fond back onto the slab, flipped the slab, painted the other side. Flipped once more. Cooked like that for maybe 15min tops.
Let the ribs cool. Cut ’em up and ate them. Maybe a bit sweet. Probably didn’t need the apricot jam or at least less of it. Otherwise, a more-than-happy marriage of Lem’s-style high heat barbecue and competition-style glazing and fussing about.
Probably the best ribs I’ve managed yet. I think I understand the cut now, finally, after many years.