What are kc style ribs?
big ribs, slow cooked at lower temps, and slathered repeatedly with a very thick tomato and sugar based sauce, very sticky and sweet, and dark with a crusty outer layer at times... as opposed to a Carolina style, more acidic from higher vinegar and spices combo, squirted on during later cooking, and at time they get plated...
I kinda like Virginia style, but not all of it is true to the state... some is northern, some is southern... Mountain (Blue Ridge) style is the smokiest, and best, combining all the differences...
now, ask about Cleveland Style BBQ, and smoking....low and slow...
I'll never give up my recipe for "Dirty White Boy" ribs... In the 80's, it cost about $35 a gallon to make my sauce... now that I grow my own peppers, and some of the hottest in the world, I may have to update my secret sauce.
Growing up in the Inner City of Cleveland, in the 60's (which was called the ghetto...) I watched and learned as a young child, every different aspect I could from all my pal's momma's, it was a melting pot of BBQ history,KC, NC, SC, Alabama, everywhere they emigrated from.. and on Memorial day, 4th of July, and all thru the summer, up and down my "ghetto" street, the air was filled with "perfume" of smokin' BBQ.
I backed a "biker" store with my sauce, and methods in the early 80's, and they won some top honors in the rib cookoff in Cleveland 2 years in a row....
Cleveland is TOUGH on BBq, I have to say that...
I resurrected a HUGE (and I mean HUGE) Cast aluminum grill, from someone's front "garbage day" discard last year, as I was driving a back road... it actually took me, and another fellow to get it lifted and into the truck...
Had a bad wheel... and the "baffle" plates over the gas flame elements were somwhat rusted, but everything intact, including the "multi burner side cooking areas" for pots and pans... covered since new, and pristine....
I'd have to say the unit when new, had to cost $2k easily..
I pulled the gas burner elements out, and cleaned the interior and cast iron grill tops, (saved the burners and will re-install this coming season), and all the hoses and such, and after cleanup and installing some internal "charcoal pans" have a grill that I can utilize for smoking, and also grilling, using a great "lump style hardwood charcoal", one side for coal for smoking, or both sides for smokin' & Grillin'.
Having 30 acres of hardwoods behind the house, helps dramatically, buying "smokin wood" ain't happening, as 1 dead Hickory tree, and a couple other Oak/Cherry/Chestnut/ and fruitwoods, cut into 2" slabs off the trunks, then simply chopped into small blocks which can be soaked and tossed onto my coals, makes for some nice flavor. I bought Smokin' Wood chunks... once.... then double face palmed myself and said never again.
I had one of those "tall cylindrical type" smokers, that I used for a couple dozen years, smoked MANY turkeys and ham combos in that, (ham on top, 2 turkeys below).. and always enjoyed the flavor, this new rendition I have didn't cost me a penny, and I really like that part, especially since I can do 4x more in the same time.
smoked turkey?
here's our mobile "grill master 2000"....
and a few years ago, we simply did it the old fashioned way... for 150# of turkey...
mmmmmm that WAS all done on Hickory wood, start to finish....