Ribs get all the glory and break all the hearts. Cooked right, they can make someone a legend at the next cookout. Cooked wrong, they become expensive shoe leather. This class is designed to make sure it is the former. Scott will cover three rib styles: big, beefy beef ribs, the classic St. Louis cut, and baby backs. Students will learn what makes each style unique and how to select a good rack by examining the marbling, bone structure, membrane, and trim. Participants will then get hands-on experience trimming the ribs, removing the membrane, and creating a rub that actually earns its keep. From there, the class will move into the heart of barbecue: fire. Students will learn the fundamentals of fire management, including building and maintaining a clean burn, controlling airflow, and keeping temperatures steady instead of fighting them all day. The class will also compare cooking on an offset smoker, pellet grill, and drum smoker, allowing students to understand the advantages and trade-offs of each and adapt their techniques to the equipment they use at home. Along the way, students will taste ribs at different stages of the cooking process because the best way to understand tenderness, bark, and smoke rings is to eat their way through it. Tough job, but someone has to do it. Finally, students will put everything together and cook a rack of ribs from start to finish, fire and all. Each student will be taking home smoked meats that they prepare. Before the workshop, each student will have a conversation with Grill Master Scott about your choices. Yummmm.