Aaron Franklin (left) vs Instant Pot (right) baby back ribs.
A rack of baby back ribs is a wily beast. It’s a thin cut that is easy to ruin, yet it needs a long time in the smoker for tenderness. On a previous outing we managed to char the outer edges of our baby back ribs. This time we were more diligent in following pitmaster Aaron Frankin’s advice.
We started with “St Louis Style” ribs which are pre-trimmed, something Aaron doesn’t like. But this avoids food waste in paying for product you don’t use, plus a St. Louis Style rack fits snugly in our 18 inch Weber Smoky Mountain/Bullet. We slathered on yellow mustard then dusted the surface with a 2:1 black pepper/salt blend. Two racks went on the top level of the Weber while the lower shelf remained empty; it was a waste of BBQ space but we were correct that the top rack would maintain the ~250 degree temp that is recommended for ribs. 4 hours of this, then the ribs were wrapped in aluminum foil and returned to the Weber for another 2-3 hours till the fire went out. So far so good.
It’s easy to tell the difference as the baby backs were slathered with sauce before a final run under the salamander.
All this time a third rack of ribs was slumbering in our fridge. Only when the smoke cycle on the first two was nearing its finish did we crack open the cryovac. We dusted with a rub (Salt Lick Dry Garlic, which was what we had on hand though any good rub would work) and fitted in an Instant Pot on a trivet with a cup of water, half a cup of cider vinegar and a healthy dash of liquid smoke. These went on the Meat setting for 24 minutes, followed by 10 minutes natural release.
In our picture you see the state of affairs as the meats prepare for their final outing, a journey under the broiler for a few minutes with a cider vinegar/BBQ sauce lathering. (We used our Texas sauce for both.) The Instant Pot rack was pale at the beginning but after a few minutes under fire they looked identical. More important, tenderness and taste were so close it was hard to tell one from the other. The Franklin ribs had a bit more smoky flavor but the difference was very very slight.
A few minutes later, the racks look (and, more important, taste) nearly identical.
We’re not saying Aaron Franklin needs to move over for a new sheriff in town. But the Instant Pot deserves a deputy badge at least. And we’re going to keep this option in mind for occasions when a rib craving strikes but we don’t have all day to hang around the smoker.
