So...2 hours 45 mins into cook, l pulled the food out for digital temp check. Ribs at 192. They were very moist and had good color. Seemed thicker than usual ribs, like spongy.... Chicken was 165 in breast and 175 in thigh. I brushed on some mango daiquiri mix - wife loves mango - and put them back in for 15 mins.
Observations:
- Ribs a bit fatty - wetter than I expected - and that may have been a function of the meat itself. Prefer them a bit leaner / dryer and fat did not seem to melt off as much as I expected. I did trim a lot of surface fat before rub applied. These were Walmart - Smithfield I think - St Louis ribs and I have cooked them before successfully but suspect these may have been a bit fatty.
- Meat pulled clean off the bone. Great taste.
- Chicken done through and amazingly moist. Skin not as crisp / uniformly gold as I expected but decent.
- Flavor of everything outstanding - rub a tad saltier than I like but imparted an excellent flavor. Perhaps I just need to use less but it was quite good.
- Temp settled in at about 285 during most of the cook. I feel this is a tad low.
Future cook:
Will try to tweak the PBC to cook at about 315. I feel higher temps may get the fat rendered off ribs better. Will also trim ribs better but not much you can do with fat under the meat and I rely on the cook to melt that out. I feel the higher temp will also result in a crisper chicken skin.
Bottom line:
First cook I am impressed. One could say I am "hooked". I am sure that pun has been used before. I put the ribs in, sat down for an hour. Put the chicken in, sat down for an hour 45 mins. Brushed the mango on, sat down for 15 mins. Pulled the meat, stuck it in trays and foiled and sat down for 15 mins. Did not run around to multiple cookers with digital thermometers all over the place checking for flare ups or anything. Flavor among the BEST I have encountered. I make killer chicken anyway but this was effortless and excellent. Will only get better from here. Glad I bought this. US Army decal and made in USA just makes me feel good. I am VERY pleased with my results, with the quality of this cooker, and with the ease with which I achieved great flavor. Now to work on texture... Happy.
