3-2-1 RIBS!
CB's EZ Baby Back Pork Ribs
Spend enough time talking barbeque with folks and sooner or later the subject of preparing ribs will come up. More often as not it’s in the form of a question along the lines of:
“How do I get my ribs to taste like (insert the name of a restaurant, bbq joint or neighbor/cousin/brother-in-law)?”
Based upon the number of folks involved in the conversation there will be, at the very least, an equal number of answers and methods proclaimed as the one-and-only-sure-fire-method.
The trouble with all of this is – everyone likes their ribs a bit differently. Oh – and there are different types of ribs – so that tends to, ahem, ‘flavor’ the advice as well.
Here’s a methodology that is practiced by many successful grill masters and I post it here only as a guideline for you, if you haven’t found the answer to your rib questions, and not as a proclamation as the only sure-fire way. It’s commonly referred to as the 3:2:1 method – which refers to the approximate hours for each of the distinct cooking processes that barbeque pit-masters use to prepare ribs.
After brining and/or marinating and/or seasoning with rub and/or par-boiling and/or prepping the ribs before cooking – first step is to place the ribs in the grill or smoker and cook:
- 3 hours (approximately) of slow cooking at or about 225F – 250F degrees using traditional indirect heat method with some wood smoke
The next step is to wrap the ribs in foil and cook:
- 2 hours (approximately) of slow cooking at or about 225F – 250F degrees using traditional indirect heat method wrapped in foil and some sauce or liquid added
And to finish … the ribs remain wrapped in the foil, maybe a bit more liquid is added and they get:
- 1 hour (approximately) of ‘hold time’ in an insulated cooler or closed oven – still wrapped in foil. If necessary and/or desired before serving use “some” exposure to direct grilling heat to finish up the glaze or to crisp the skin to the degree that you please yourself.
Will this get you the results you want? NOPE.
It’s just a guideline for you to use for developing your own technique and methodology that works for your taste and your cooker. It’s all up to you to interpret and personalize the process. Beginning with the type of meat you purchase and whether your desired method of preparation includes brining, boiling, and/or dry rub seasoning; your choice of the ingredients for the rub (or not) and how you decide to sauce or not sauce, when to sauce and such – will all come into play. Oh, and if you are preparing baby-back pork ribs they will require that you definitely tweak the times to suit your tastes as they most likely will cook faster than beef ribs, and those will cook differently than St. Louis style ribs which will cook a bit differently than Memphis style cuts and those will be a different cook from whatever your local meat market or regional favorite cut is.
Here are a few more proclamations that you may encounter in your personal quest to prepare the perfect ribs:
- par-boiling ribs is a sin against nature and barbeque
- par-boiling ribs in seasoned water is the best way to add extra flavor and moisture
- brining pork ribs is unnecessary
- brining pork ribs is necessary
- ribs should fall off the bone when they are done to perfection
- rib meat that falls off the bone is over cooked
- selecting the exact combination of spices for the rub is what it takes bring out the best flavors
- selecting the right wood smoke is what it takes to bring out the best flavors
- selecting the exact combination of sauce is what it takes bring out the best flavors
- using only good salt and pepper is what it takes to bring out the best flavors
- the best rib sauce is mustard-based
- the best rib sauce is vinegar-based
- the best rib sauce is tomato-based
- the best rib sauce is soy-based
- the best rib sauce is beer-based
- the best rib sauce is on-the side and used for the fried potato wedges
- yada yada yada
Are you beginning see something in all this? It’s personal choice. And it’s gonna take some experimentation on your part to get to the place where you are consistently delivering the product you want to enjoy and share (or not share!) with friends.
I encourage you to take a look at some of the rib recipes listed below and see if there are any that make sense to you and might be something you’d like to try out. After all you get to eat your mistakes.
Happy Grilling!
P.S. – If YOU have a great rib recipe or method you want to share, please send it to me with some pix so we can post and let others learn how to prepare your version of the best tasting ribs.
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Here are some rib recipes you might enjoy:
CB’s EZ Hawaiian-Style Beef Ribs
CB’s EZ Texas-Style BBQ Beef Ribs
Reader Recipes: Brady’s Cajun Style Pork Ribs
Barry – Thanks so much for writing this article… I’ve tried to describe it to folks and you have captured it very well! Oh – one other thing: The first step in preparation is to remove the skin or membrane from the back side of the ribs. I find using a paper towel as a ‘grip’ works pretty well most of the time.
I’ll reveal one of my personal secrets to having these ready for company, w/o having to worry lots about timing, or having the smoker busy doing other things:
1. Go to the end of step 2, then just put them in the frig.
2. The next night, when you want to eat: Put them (in foil) on the gasser (low or indirect heat) and let ‘em go for about half an hour.
3. Then, for a final 15-30 minutes take out of foil and put over med. direct heat and rotate them every 5-10 minutes, saucing them as follows:
-Take your favorite BBQ sauce
- mix 2-to-1 with honey
- cook this mix down a little so its nice and thick
- glaze your ribs…. caramelize but don’t let burn.
- This is best when you have started with a pretty spicy rub!!!!!!!!!! Yum-YUM!!!
Steve “Da Judge”
What did I tell you? Everybody has a method! Course, ‘Da Judge” is somebody I listen to…
can i cook baby back ribs in the Big Easy
Yes – you have my permission! But seriously – check out the Users Forums first and read some of the different conversations about this topic. Baby Backs can cook pretty darn fast – and by cooking them at high temperatures you’ll find in The Big Easy you may want to practice a bit.