Ribs, if cooked the wrong way, can turn into a tough and dry mess of bones and meat. But if cooked properly, ribs can be tasty, packed with amazing flavor and juicy tenderness. In fact, there is a simple technique that can help you achieve that every single time.
Introducing the 3 2 1 ribs method.
In this article, we’ll go into all the details about it. Let’s start with the definition.
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What Is The 3 2 1 Ribs Method?
The 3 2 1 ribs method is a reliable way to create soft, tender, and (almost) fall-off-the-bone ribs. According to the numbers, it follows the sequence below.
- The first 3 hours – smoke the ribs naked, without any wrapping.
- The next 2 hours – wrap the ribs (with some optional liquid inside) then continue the cook.
- The last hour – remove the wrap, slather your favorite sauce on the ribs, and put it back on the grill/smoker. In some cases, you can skip the sauce and just sear the ribs for a few minutes. Either way, let the ribs rest after cooking then serve.
This method is highly popular among backyard cooks. Nobody knows who invented it. But many believe that the 3 2 1 method came from the BBQ competition circle.
Now, you can use it in any type of cooker, e.g. smoker grill combo, pellet grill, kettle charcoal grill, and even gas grill. Regardless of the grill/smoker, the concept and execution of the method stay the same.
Also keep in mind that this method takes the total of 6 hours. A bit less depending on what you want to do in the last hour (and perhaps the second 2 hours, more on this later). Don’t forget that temperature is around 225F to 250F (107C to 121C) throughout the whole process, which is the typical low n slow temperature range.
Finally, the 3 2 1 method is specifically designed for pork ribs. You can still use it for beef ribs. But the numbers will be different.
That’s because beef isn’t cooked the same way as pork due to its different composition in connective tissues and fat. Not to mention beef’s various levels of doneness. If you end up cooking beef ribs with the 3 2 1, remember to use a quality leave-in thermometer. You need one!
Prep Your Key Ingredients
Before we dive into more details of the 3 2 1 ribs method, let’s briefly talk about what we need, starting with the ribs itself.
Ribs
There are two main types of pork ribs – baby backs and spares. Baby backs come from the portion of the rib cage that is near the spine of the hog. Spare ribs are instead a little further down close to the belly.
Baby backs are leaner, smaller, and more curved than spares. With one rack, you can feed 2 people. Due to the size and the amount of meat, baby backs cook faster than spares. Therefore, you might want to reduce the first 3 hours to 2 to avoid overcooking your baby back ribs.
Spare ribs, on the other hand, are bigger, with a lot more meat, collagen, and fat. Because of that, It takes the full first 3 hours (sometimes more) to cook spare ribs to properly break down all the tough connective tissues. Spare ribs are also flatter, which makes it easy to sear them if you prefer that.
Spare ribs are less expensive than baby backs. They’re more tasty to cook and you can feed more people with one slab (2 to 3). Now, keep in mind that there is also St. Louis style ribs. They’re actually spare ribs, but the rib tips have been removed. As a result, they have a nice rectangle shape and are used a lot in BBQ competitions.
Now, most people buy pre-cut ribs from the local grocery store. But if you know a good butcher, that’s obviously a better option.
Because baby backs are near the spine, which has lots of loin meat attached to it, you can ask your butcher to leave the extra meat on. You have to pay extra of course, but it’s well worth it. You can also ask him to trim the spare ribs down to the St. Louis style. Again, you have to pay for it. But if you’re one of the regulars, he probably does it for free.
Another thing to look for when buying ribs is to avoid shiners, which are ribs that have the bones exposed. You want the meat to fully cover every bone of the slab. Also be careful with ribs that have an “enhanced” or “basted” label. They’re already infused with salt. So, if you have salt in your rub, that’s going to make your ribs too salty in the end.
Finally, buy ribs that are fresh and firm, with a good amount of meat and intramuscular fat (or marbling). If the ribs look bad and smell funny, fuggedaboutit!
Dry Rub
After getting the quality ribs, you need to think about the rub. You can buy any brand at the grocery store or make your own rub. One of my favorites is Stubb’s BBQ Rub. I’ve used this a lot on my ribs. Works like a charm every time.
Now, before you apply the rub, you need to remove the membrane from the ribs. It is the thin layer of skin, a.k.a silverskin, on the bone side of the ribs. If you cook with the silverskin on, it will reduce the amount of the smoke that the meat can absorb. Furthermore, it will get chewy after cooking, which isn’t pleasant for your jaws.
Now, slather your ribs with some cooking oil or mustard. This helps the rub stick better. Start with the bone side first. The curve of the ribs keeps the meat off your working surface. When you put the rub on later, it will be less of a mess.
Try to coat as much as you can on both sides of the ribs. Don’t forget the edges either. What I do is to roll the ribs into a cinnamon roll, turn to one edge, and sprinkle the rub. Flip to the other edge and do the same thing.
Aluminium Foil Or Butcher Paper
You can use aluminium foil to wrap your ribs for the second 2-hour phase. Wrapping meat with foil is generally known as the Texas Crutch. You can also use butcher paper. If you do use butcher paper, look for the food-grade type, with no waxing or silicone.
Time
The last key ingredient you need is time. Remember that you need at least 6 hours. A bit more if you’re new to this.
Pick a nice sunny day on the weekends. Grab some beer. Put on some good tunes (have you heard of J. J. Cale? Boy, that Tulsa sound!). And get some ribs cooking 3 2 1 style.
The First 3 Hours
Remove the membrane. Apply for the dry rub as instructed above. You can do it about an hour before cooking. But if you want to do that the day before so the rub stays overnight, it’s fine too.
After that’s taken care of, get your cooker of choice ready. The cooker’s internal temperature will be somewhere from 225F to 250F (107C to 121C). You can get a bit over 250F, but no more than 275F. That said, the temperature shouldn’t fall below 225F.
While you’re at it, throw in some smoking wood. Fruit wood, such as apple and cherry, is good with pork. You can try other stronger wood if you like. I tried hickory and mesquite the other day. Hickory is actually not bad at all. Mesquite is a touch too strong for me.
Once the cooker stabilizes and you start seeing that thin blue smoke, it’s time for the ribs. Put the ribs bone side down (or meat side up) on the cooking grate. If you position the ribs the opposite way, all the juices will create a puddle in the curved center of the ribs, preventing the meat from soaking up the smoke.
Now, one thing to keep in mind is that you should add some moisture to your cooker. The reason is because moisture helps smoke stick better to the ribs surface, which in turn creates a better BBQ bark. There are two ways of doing this.
- Using a spray bottle or spritzing – Get a clean one. Put water or mix it with some apple juice. Then spray sparingly throughout this first 3-hour phase. If you do it too frequently, smoke and heat will escape the cooker as you open the lid, affecting the quality of the cook.
- Using a water pan – Get one of those aluminium baking pans at any grocery store. Put one underneath your ribs and fill it with some hot water. You can also get another one and put it on top of the fire if you use the indirect heat method in a charcoal kettle grill. Water pan is a better option than spray bottle since you don’t have to constantly open the cooker.
After everything is set up, close the lid, drink your beer, and wait 3 hours. Remember that if you use baby back ribs, you only have to wait 2 hours. If you go over that, it might overcook the ribs.
Also don’t forget to add more charcoal and wood if needed. This 3-hour period is where you want your ribs to take in the most smoke.
The Next 2 Hours
One you’ve reached the 3-hour mark, it’s time to remove the ribs. By now, the outside of it has developed into a nice crimson red color. You also see that some of the meat have shrunk down, exposing a bit of the bones.
Job well done! The next step is to wrap the ribs. Now, you have the option of adding some liquid to the wrap. The reason is to create a steaming puddle inside and further tenderize the ribs, making it fall-off-the-bone as a result.
You can add whatever liquid you like. For beginners, I’d recommend one cup of apple juice, with some butter and brown sugar. This is what I used when I first started off. You can experiment with different combinations and adjust accordingly later on.
Did You Know? Many pitmasters (e.g. BBQ competition judges) might not like the fall-off-the-bone texture in their ribs. They prefer a bit of resistance when they bite on it. Therefore, they leave the ribs in the wrap for only 30 minutes to 1 hour maximum. Some don’t even wrap.
The reason is because the steam in the wrap cooks the ribs faster than dry heat. So, the meat might be overcooked, making it too soft and mushy. Not to mention that the steam can also soften the bark and wash away the smoke flavor.
If you’re new to cooking ribs, I’d recommend sticking with the 2-hour mark. See if you like the final texture or not. And depending on your taste buds, reduce the wrapping time if needed.
The most common material for wrapping is aluminium foil. Get the heavy-duty type. Make a boat out of two sheets to prevent any leakage. Place your ribs in the middle of the boat. Put the brown sugar and butter on top. Then pour the apple juice onto the boat.
Now crimp tightly the aluminum boat around the ribs. Make sure there is no gap. It has to be a tight seal. Otherwise, heat and moisture will escape, making the wrap pointless. Also keep in mind that when you put the ribs down, it should be bone side up (or meat side down).
Bone side down might end up poking holes through the foil. However, there is one advantage to that, which is the meat will be facing away from the steaming liquid. As a result, you can leave the ribs inside the foil for the straight 2 hours, without overcooking it.
The second material you can use is pink/peach butcher paper. Now, the first upside of it is that it won’t soften the bark as much as foil. That’s because of its porosity, which allows the ribs to breathe a little. By the same token, butcher paper also lets smoke pass through, maintaining that smokey flavor. With foil, you can’t add any wood during this 2-hour phase. Nothing gets out so nothing gets in either.
Once you finish wrapping your meat, put it back to your cooker. The cooker’s temperature will still be around 225F to 250F. Maybe it’s time for a quick nap. When you’re back, we’re moving on to the last hour.
The Last Hour
Here we are at the final hour of the 3 2 1 ribs method.
Remove the wrapped ribs from your cooker. Slowly open it up. Be careful since the steam will be extremely hot. Wear your BBQ gloves when you do this.
From here, pay attention to how well the meat is connected to the bones. Also check the bark. If the meat is loose and the bark is soft, you might want to cut down on the last hour here. Consider cranking up the heat of your cooker. Then throw the ribs on top of the hot fire to tighten up the bark as well as the meat before letting it rest and serve.
However, if the opposite is true, you will want to go the full hour. With the same temperature (225F to 250F), put the unwrapped ribs back on the cooker. You would also want to re-introduce some smoke at this point.
Let it rip for 30 minutes. Then you can add the BBQ sauce of your choice to the ribs. Continue the cook for the remaining 30 minutes. It’ll be enough time for the sauce to firm up.
Another option is to add sauce in the last 5 minutes or so. Then crank up the heat and sear the ribs. If your sauce has sugar in it, sear both sides quickly to prevent burning the ribs (1.5 minutes max).
After you hit the last 1-hour mark, time to check if the ribs are done. There are many ways to do it. My two favorite techniques are the toothpick and the bend test.
- Toothpick test – Stick a toothpick in the middle of the ribs. If it’s probe tender or going through easily, then your ribs are ready. Don’t forget to do several spots to make sure. One thing I like about this method is that it won’t ruin the ribs.
- Bend test – Grab one end of the ribs with a tongs. Lift it up. If you see some shreddings in the middle of the ribs, then it’s definitely done. Be careful that if you overcook your ribs, it’s likely to break into two halves with this method.
Keep in mind that you can’t check the doneness of pork ribs using a thermometer. There isn’t thick-enough meat for the probe to enter. You can, on the other hand, use a thermometer with beef ribs.
Once your ribs are done, let it rest for about 30 minutes. Don’t forget to put some aluminium foil on top to keep it warm. Then serve thereafter.
Tip: If you happen to cook too many slabs of ribs, save them for later. You can always reheat ribs the next day.
Pros & Cons
Now that you understand more about the 3 2 1 ribs method, here is a quick summary of its pros and cons.
Pros
- Easy to follow process, with predictable steps and numbers of hours.
- Reliable way to make ribs. If you follow the instructions, you will avoid ruining some good (and expensive) slabs of ribs.
- The meat is always soft and tender, a fall-off-the-bone mouthfeel.
- Most people like the fall-off-the-bone rib texture, making you their BBQ hero.
Cons
- Fall-off-the-bone isn’t what BBQ competition judges are looking for.
- If you leave the ribs in the wrap for too long, it might soften the bark, weaken the flavor, and make your meat too mushy.
- If you wrap with foil, you can’t introduce any smoke during the 2-hour phase.
Variations After You Master The Basics
Once you master the basics of the 3 2 1 method and produce consistent results, you can then branch out on other variations or adjust the time periods to see which one you like better. Whatever you do, always try to keep it to the 6-hour limit.
For starters, you can try the 4 1 1. If you want more of that smokey flavor in your ribs, increase to 4 hours cooking unwrapped. Then only wrap for 1 hour to preserve the bark and flavor. Better yet, you should try wrapping in butcher paper instead of foil.
Another variation is 3 1 1. It’s the same as the original 3 2 1, but cuts down on the wrapping time. This configuration is what I do these days. I do sometimes like a bit of tug in my ribs. Besides, I don’t have to wait for an extra hour before I can eat.
The final one is the 2 1 1. It’s similar to the 2 2 1, which is designed for baby back ribs. Remember that baby backs are smaller and leaner than spares. That’s why you only need 2 hours of cooking unwrapped initially. Then the wrapping time is reduced to 1 hour, preventing the meat from being too mushy.
Try It Out
The 3 2 1 ribs method is a surefire way to make perfectly juicy ribs, with wonderful flavor and tender texture. Every. Time.
If you’re new to ribs, stick to the formula. You and your family won’t be disappointed. Once you know what you’re doing, you can then experiment with different configurations of the hours.
Different variations will yield different results. Depending on how you like your ribs, reduce the wrapping time for a soft yet not fall-off-the-bone meat. If crunchy bark and smoke flavor are what you’re after, increase the first hours of cooking the ribs naked. And maybe consider wrapping the ribs in butcher paper later on.
In any case, enjoy the process and, more importantly, the food and quality time you will be spending with your family. That’s what matters after all.
Thank you for stopping by. Let me know if you have any questions down below.
