Slow and Low Ribs on the Big Green Egg Mini Max

Best Present Ever

From the moment I learned of the Big Green Egg, I’ve wanted one. A ceramic cooker that can smoke, grill, and roast sounds like heaven. One Christmas, Cristina surprised me with a Mini Max. I’ve always wanted to cook slow and low ribs on the Big Green Egg Mini Max.

The First Slow and Low Cook

After a few cooks of chicken breasts, I did my first slow and low ribs on the Big Green Egg Mini Max.  My local grocer had some St. Louis ribs for a good price.  I bought some rub instead of making my own.  I can’t wait to try Dizzy Pig rubs and make my own (Update in 2024: I have, and they are delicious, but I usually just make my own, which will be a future blog). Around noon, I split the rack in half so it could fit on the Mini Max. 

I coated one with olive oil and applied the rub, while I coated the other with mustard and did the same.  I placed the ribs back in the fridge.  Around 1:30, I lit the Big Green Egg using Big Green Egg brand Lump Charcoal.  I also added some apple wood chunks.  Once I got the grill to 250, I put the plate setter and grill on, and then the ribs.  I also put on two potatoes to slow cook at the same time.  I monitored the egg until it reached 250 again.  Once it got there, I adjusted the vents so the temperature stabilized.

The big green egg held the temperature for the next 3 hours. The best thing about slow and low cooking on a nice day is that it allows you to do other things such as yard work, school work, or just enjoy some cold beverages. After 3 hours, the ribs look like this:

I then wrapped the ribs in foil with butter, honey, rub, and apple juice.  I put them back on for another 45 minutes.

The Results

Here are some pictures of the final result.

The final result was a little drier than I wanted them to be, but they were very tasty.  I think the last 45 minutes might have been too long or I didn’t add enough juice. I didn’t use a drip pan either.  The flavoring was fantastic, however.  If I want to be a pit master, I’ll have to make some adjustments. While I don’t ever plan on competing, I do want to take cooking on the big green egg seriously enough that my cooks can compete.

Cooking slow and low ribs on the Big Green Egg Mini Max is my idea of a good afternoon. In fact, in the 8 years since I wrote this blog, I haven’t changed this recipe all that much. I’ve learned a lot more about the Big Green Egg using web resources.

Have you cooked on the Big Green Egg before? What about the Mini Max? Any tips or tricks? Let’s discuss it in the comments!