3-2-1 Rib Method Thoughts?

[Gabzola]

Say this thread and just wanted to post a question and get thoughts and or anwsers on the 3-2-1 method. I have seen videos from pit masters who don’t seem to fond of this common rib cooking method. Was wondering any thoughts and what you think the benefits and negatives of doing this method. Thanks!

 

[boykjo]

321 for spares, 221 for Babybacks at 225-240 is a good place to start for beginners. Then you can tweek from there. Learn what ribs should feel like after they are finished. I rarely wrap anymore and just go by feel.

Copied and pasted post from another Epic pitmaster TNJAKE

 

[sawhorseray]

I don't wrap. Tried the 3-2-1- once, led to FOTB, rib failure. Since getting rid of my offset I use a Weber kettle, charcoal chain and wood chunks, like that more than the SnS. I start toothpick probing at around five hours in, usually do some sauce then too. I usually pull an hour later when the bend seems right, around 196º-200º according to my Mk4, clean bite. I don't smoke anything but spares, practice makes perfect. RAY

 

[TripleLindy]

The 3-2-1 method is way too long for my taste, especially for baby backs. They’re leaner than St. Louis ribs so they don’t need a long cook to break down collagen and muscular fat. I like baby backs cooked at 300° for about 2 hours, start to finish. Even St. Louis ribs turn out great in about 3 hours at 300°. But I know there are lots of people that love the 3-2-1 method.

 

[Gabzola]

The 3-2-1 method is way too long for my taste, especially for baby backs. They’re leaner than St. Louis ribs so they don’t need a long cook to break down collagen and muscular fat. I like baby backs cooked at 300° for about 2 hours, start to finish. Even St. Louis ribs turn out great in about 3 hours at 300°. But I know there are lots of people that love the 3-2-1 method.

Thats very interesting. I will definitely have to look into cooking that way. Do you wrap at all during this short Cook?

 

[Gabzola]

I don't wrap. Tried the 3-2-1- once, led to FOTB, rib failure. Since getting rid of my offset I use a Weber kettle, charcoal chain and wood chunks, like that more than the SnS. I start toothpick probing at around five hours in, usually do some sauce then too. I usually pull an hour later when the bend seems right, around 196º-200º according to my Mk4, clean bite. I don't smoke anything but spares, practice makes perfect. RAY

View attachment 660402

Is there a specific reason for not smoking anything other than spares? Just out of curiosity?

 

[smokerjim]

I dont think I ever tried the 3 2 1 so i wont comment on that, i dont wrap or spritz usually i do put dry rub on my spareribs over night, smoke at 250 until done to my liking. Usually 6-7 hours.

 

[JLeonard]

Like others on here I dont wrap. Thats tends to lead to fall off the bone (FOTB) ribs. We like them with a little pull at the bite. But if you like FOTB then wrapping is the way to go. And of course different cuts of ribs will cook differently (BB vs STL cut vs whole spares) just due to size and fat (collagen content). Thus the different times 3-2-1 and etc you may see. Do a search for sawhorseray rib cooks. He has some great posts on no wrap ribs and his method of cooking them. It has pretty much become my go to method.

Jim

 

[gmc2003]

Like boykjo mentioned above, 321 and 221 are good starting points. I go both ways. Sometimes I'm in the mood for wrapped and sometimes I'm not. Both of the above methods are for a 225* smoker. Word of warning I think you'll find your kettle likes to run closer to 250*. So keep that in mind. Some people like pulling the ribs around 195* and some like me use the bend test to tell me when my ribs are done. Both ways work great. However, if you going for FOTB ribs then be careful using the bend test. You may wind up with your ribs on the ground.

These are just about ready. Example of the bend test:

Seeing that your only 18. I won't suggest getting a beer pole.

 

[sawhorseray]

Is there a specific reason for not smoking anything other than spares? Just out of curiosity?

It pretty much boils down to just a personal preference. Baby backs are smaller and more lean, usually a little more expensive, and can get a bit dry in a hurry. St Louis ribs are just spares with a hunk of goodness trimmed off, I love the fatty juicy tips. I've been smoking spares on a Weber kettle for 47 years now and the cook has evolved quite a lot over that time period. Few more years I'm hoping to get things dialed in. RAY

 

[TripleLindy]

Thats very interesting. I will definitely have to look into cooking that way. Do you wrap at all during this short Cook?

Rarely. Only if I’m doing something special that requires a wrap. For example, I have a recipe that calls for butter, honey and seasoning on the wrap so that the ingredients are pressed up against the ribs (see pic below). But I usually like ribs with rub only and sauce on the side.

 

[gmc2003]

It pretty much boils down to just a personal preference. Baby backs are smaller and more lean, usually a little more expensive, and can get a bit dry in a hurry. St Louis ribs are just spares with a hunk of goodness trimmed off, I love the fatty juicy tips. I've been smoking spares on a Weber kettle for 47 years now and the cook has evolved quite a lot over that time period. Few more years I'm hoping to get things dialed in. RAY

A lot of BBs also contain a big hunk of loin meat on the top. Which I'm not a big fan of. Although they are getting better recently.

 

[thirdeye]

The 3-2-1 method was really designed for spare ribs, and called for a pit temp in the 250° range. Any ribs-by-the-numbers method is just a simple way for one cook to communicate the method to another cook.

For me, I tend to cook spare ribs in the 275° range and will wrap on color, which happens to be around the 3 hour mark. But my ribs don't need 2-hours for the wrapped step, I usually check on them after 1-hour and decide how much longer they need. Finally, I've never returned ribs to the pit for 1-hour, usually I make a boat and return long enough to re-set the surface since I prefer dry ribs and don't use sauce. Here are some examples of a 3-1 racks of ribs that might go back on the pit for 15 minutes. So they could be called 3-1-1/4 ribs.

 

[JIMSMOKES]

I think of 3-2-1 as steps.
3- color/bark
2- wrap/flavor
1- set sauce/bark

 

[Hijack73]

Nope. I'm pretty rib picky, and I don't really like to cook them as I struggle with "just right"

That's like saying "take a 5 lb beef ribeye roast and bake it for 3 hours at 225 then 45 minutes at 400" and it will be perfect. No other meat I know of has this ironclad foolproof method based purely on time. Big middle finger to the food network and all of those other cooking shows that taught 2 generations of people that the 3-2-1 is the way to go. Double big middle finger to that squeeze margarine stuff they popularized. It tastes like chemicals to me - kinda the way floor cleaner smells.

If you like fall off the bone sweet gooey mush, then the 3-2-1 will be your jam. Even if you like fall off the bone, but not mush, go by temp. I like mine ALMOST fall off the bone unwrapped, which is a bit more difficult imo - but that's what I shoot for.

sawhorseray - those look about as close to perfect as it gets. Even the sauce looks good.

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

Like boykjo mentioned above, 321 and 221 are good starting points. I go both ways. Sometimes I'm in the mood for wrapped and sometimes I'm not. Both of the above methods are for a 225* smoker. Word of warning I think you'll find your kettle likes to run closer to 250*. So keep that in mind. Some people like pulling the ribs around 195* and some like me use the bend test to tell me when my ribs are done. Both ways work great. However, if you going for FOTB ribs then be careful using the bend test. You may wind up with your ribs on the ground.

These are just about ready. Example of the bend test:

View attachment 660407

Seeing that your only 18. I won't suggest getting a beer pole.

View attachment 660408

Ribs aren't ribs unless you have Chris's Beer pole. I use the charcoal baskets in my Weber, and hot and fast them. Memphis style.

 

[pineywoods]

3-2-1 or 2-2-1 ribs are a very good starting point as has been said. After a few times start changing the amount of each stage to suit your tastes. Then try some without wrapping and see what works for you. I still do a modified version of 3-2-1 most of the time

 

[SmokingUPnorth]

Mmmmm ribs. Like everyone said, ribs are kinda ti each their own. Just have to figure out how you like them (fall off the bone, not quite fall off the bone) and go from there. I usually change it up all the time but I know when I can start to see the meat really pulling all off the bones. That’s how I like them.

 

[Brokenhandle]

Take good notes! Then you know what you did and how you did it. But as you can tell there are many options for how to do ribs... none of which are wrong. Just personal preference... what you like best. One that really helped me when I was trying to figure it out was a thread SmokinAl did, think it was called "perfect ribs everytime ". I do spareribs because I like them and around me are always cheaper. Anymore I usually go hot and fast, no wrap, no sauce... don't even remove the membrane. So usually between 275 and 300 degrees, using my pellet smoker or a cheap $20 kettle.

Think these were my first ribs on my pellet smoker...

The cook needed a sample!
Thankfully my wife likes them the same way as I do.

Ryan

 

[TripleLindy]

Thankfully my wife likes them the same way as I do.

That’s my challenge. My wife likes them “fall off the bone” while I like more of a chew. I can roll with the more tender version, so if it’s just us, I’ll cook them to her liking, but if I’m cooking for a large group, I’ll go for more of a bite.