First Time Using the Komodo Kamado 38 and the Results Are Amazing!
Baby Back Ribs for the First Cook
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Introduction
Baby Back Ribs on the Komodo Kamado 38
Welcome to the first cook on my new Komodo Kamado 38! I went back and forth on what a new owner would want to cook first. I almost went with a pork butt, but baby back ribs are a shorter cook. If you're a little intimidated, they give you enough time to get some smoke in and learn how the cooker works.
About the burn-in: as long as you stay under about 400°F and aren't grilling, you can cook before you do a burn-in. The burn-in just cures the solvent under the tiles and grout: bring it slowly up to 500°F for a few hours until you don't smell it anymore. After that, you can take it up to 700°F for searing.
Lump and the Basket Splitter
Use a high-quality lump, not briquettes. Kamados are designed for lump. It burns longer and hotter, with no chemical binders.
I used Komodo Kamado Coco Char, which comes with a new Komodo Kamado. If you want their coffee wood lump too, order it with your kamado to save on shipping.
The basket splitter forces air to go through the lump instead of around it. That's part of why the Komodo Kamado locks in so easily and holds temps so long.
On the 38, the charcoal always goes on the left, since the front of the firebox is rounded and the back is flat. The adjustable plates let you run a full, three-quarter, half or quarter basket. You'll rarely need more than half. I run a lot of smokes on a quarter, brisket on a half, and reverse-seared thick steaks on a half.
For this cook, I went a little bigger than a quarter, since the Coco Char pieces are big.
Wood and Lighting
Bear Mountain Hickory chunks. I love hickory on pork. Surround the chunk with lump so the smoke passes through burning lump and burns clean. I added one more chunk on top after lighting.
Light it with the GrillGun (use code: RUMANDCOOK to save 10%). I've used wax cubes, tumbleweeds and the wireless Looftlighter. I resisted the GrillGun for two years because of the propane, and I wish I'd bought one sooner. Coco Char is super dense and takes a while to light, and the GrillGun makes it easy. Safety tip: never leave the tank attached. If it falls over, it can leak propane.
Dialing In the Vents
More air in the bottom and a bigger opening up top means hotter.
Easiest method: pick a bottom vent setting and do everything else with the top. The top alone takes you from about 200°F to 350°F or 400°F.
Don't overshoot. Once the ceramic is heat-soaked, it's hard to bring the temperature down.
Be patient. Wait 5 to 10 minutes after each change before making another.
At 275°F, I closed the left side vent and started closing down the top. It took a while, and I remembered my 32 had a leaky gasket that threw off my settings. My final settings: bottom at an eighth of a turn, top a little over a quarter turn, locked in at 275°F all day. Use the same lump every time and your settings will repeat.
On smoke: thick, billowing white smoke is bitter. You want thin blue smoke for most of the cook. But you can run too clean a fire, too. A little dirty smoke early, or after adding a chunk mid-cook, won't hurt anything.
The Rub
¼ cup dark brown sugar (optional, but sugar and pork go together really well)
About 1½ tbsp fresh cracked pepper from the Pepper Cannon (use code: RUMANDCOOK to save 10%)
About 2 tbsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp each onion powder, cinnamon and thyme
3 tbsp smoked paprika
Add chili powder if you want heat.
Break up the brown sugar well. A funnel with the tip cut off makes filling a shaker easy.
The Ribs
Creekstone Farms baby backs, with the membrane already removed.
No binder. They were wet enough.
Rub them and let them sweat in the fridge until the color changes.
Top rack, away from the fire. The top rack alone could hold 7 or 8 racks of ribs.
The Cook
275°F.
Spritz with a 50/50 mix of apple cider vinegar and water from a spray bottle at 1 hour, then about every 45 minutes.
Try running more air in the bottom and less up top for a smokier result at the same temperature.
At 3 hours 10 minutes, they were at 174°F to 176°F.
Done at about 4½ hours. They were just starting to break when I bent them. They could have gone a little longer, but I'd promised my wife some time together.
Rest about 50 minutes. No sauce this time. I let the rub and smoke do the talking.
Taste Test
Nice smoke ring, moisture bubbling up and good hickory flavor. The rub is good. They were a little darker than I'd like, since the rub turned brown. Next time, I'd add more smoked paprika and some chili powder for a redder color.
Final Thoughts
I'd call the first cook a success. It took a little while to dial in the 38, but once you learn your vent settings, you can repeat them every time. Let me know what you want to see next on the 38: brisket, pork butt or something else.
Thanks For Watching
Whether you're a seasoned pitmaster or a novice, these tips will enhance your cooking skills and leave your family and friends raving about your delicious, smoky creations. Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more step-by-step videos, and let's together become the barbecue heroes we were meant to be!
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