If you are looking to conserve energy or get the most out of your wood-burning stove, you may want to consider using it as a cooking tool. Traditional wood-burning stoves that are used strictly for heating may not be suitable for smoking food such as ribs. Old-fashioned pot belly stoves with cooking compartments and vintage wood stoves work best.
Step 1
Select your ribs from a local butcher shop, which will ensure that you get a fresh rack. Look for pink ribs that contain a lot of meat and minimal amounts of fat. Choose pork or beef for personal preference. Pork ribs tend to be juicier and pick up the smoky flavor of the wood. Types include back ribs, spareribs, St. Louis cut and traditional spareribs. Beef varieties include chuck short ribs, beef back and plate short ribs. All back ribs are popular choices because they have an intense taste and resist drying out. Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs --- this can be tough and make the ribs hard to eat. Make sure ribs are seasoned and prepared before placing in the stove.
Step 2
Clean out the cooking area. This step is important because the grate or cooking area could have excess soot or ash. Make sure the stove is off. Remove cooking grate and clean with hot soap and water and then rinse and dry. Remove ash and kindling buildup, if needed, and discard.
Step 3
Set up your grate. If you are using a pot belly stove, you may need to add a cast-iron grate on stands --- this grate will serve as a makeshift smoker. If the stove has a grate or rack, adjust it so that it is at the highest setting away from coals. This position will allow more of a slow smoking as opposed to a charring or grilling.
Step 4
Fire up the stove. Start your stove as usual using a fire starter or kindling. Add wood. If you want to add additional wood chips that contain intense flavoring, place soaked chips in an aluminum foil pack. Vent the pack and place on top of wood. Use the smallest amount of wood possible so that interior temperatures reach only around 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 5
Place the ribs directly on the grate or in a cast-iron skillet or griddle. If your stove has a cooking compartment or oven, you can smoke the ribs in this area. If there is a vent system, you can adjust it according to how much smoke you want to reach your ribs. Make sure both vents are open so smoke exits out through the chimney. Maintain temperature for four to five hours or until ribs are completely cooked. Rotate ribs every 30 minutes to maintain thorough cooking.
Tips and Warnings
- Add sauce during the last hour of smoking, if desired. If foiled wood chip pack dries out or burns, remove or replace.
- Use hot pads to protect yourself from accidental burns. Do not smoke ribs in a wood pellet burner or corn burner. If your heater is for home heating purposes only or is connected to an electric motor, do not use.
Things You'll Need
- Firewood
- Seasoned wood chips in foil
- Cast-iron grate
- Rib seasoning or sauce
- Grill tongs and spatula
- Cast-iron griddle or skillet (optional)
