The 3-2-1 Method aka The Texas Crutch

Around the BBQ Pit you'll hear lots of heated discussions about the 'Texas Crutch". You may have heard of it's more common name, the 3-2-1 Method. I'm not keen on the term "Crutch" because it implies that I am somehow unable to "walk" without assistance.  BBQ purists don't believe in this sort of "cheating". I disagree.  Listen, the object of the game is to produce a tender,juicy rack of ribs for your family and friends to enjoy. That's it. I don't think it really matters how you get there.

The same goes for your cooking medium. I am absolutely a die hard fan of the Old School for my BBQ- charcoal and wood only for me - but I don't begrudge anyone for choosing more reliable and less labor intensive equipment  that doesn't involve a charcoal or wood fire that needs constant tending You like gas or electric? You're a fan of the "pellet pooper"? More power to you! Just make good BBQ!

Regardless of the cooking medium, the key to a good rack of ribs is "low and slow". Ribs are, by nature, not tender cuts of meats and the low and slow process allows the connective tissue to break down and become tender.

If you've struggled with ribs not coming out tender or if you just want a guaranteed "fall off the bone" tender rack of ribs, give the 3-2-1 Method a try.

It's a simple process.  The numbers stand for hours of cook time.  3= three hours with the ribs directly on the grill. 2= two hours wrapped in foil and back on  the grill. 1= one hour with the ribs out of the foil and back on the grill.

Start out by trimming a rack of ribs and removing or scoring the membrane on the back.

Step two usually invokes another heated discussion among Pit Masters - using a "glue" to hold the rub to the meat. I used regular yellow mustard. Surprisingly enough, the mustard taste disappears during the cooking process, so you don't have to worry about your ribs tasting like a hot dog when they're done. I've rubbed my ribs without mustard and it works just fine too. Mustard -no mustard- you decide.

Once your rack of ribs is trimmed and ready for rub, get to rubbin'! Here's a link to a really tasty Sweet and Smokey Rub we use.  Some cooks rub just the top, while others coat the entire rack. I am in the latter camp.  Don't be shy with the rub.

Okay, ribs are trimmed and rubbed. I let mine rest in the fridge while I get my smoker fired up.  Bring your smoker up to your favorite low-n-slow temp. I run my smoker between 225 F and 250 F for ribs, regardless of whether I'm wrapping or not.  Once you get your smoker up to temp, throw on the ribs.

Keep your temps between 225 F and 250 F with a nice thin blue smoke. We use a variety of smoking woods. Personally, I am a big fan of hickory but, apple, pecan, oak and cherry are also excellent for ribs. The only wood you won't hear me recommending is Mesquite. Folks from the Southwest will probably give me grief, but Mesquite is far to strong a smoke flavor for me. I have sworn off Mesquite, but if that's your thing, be my guest and use Mesquite.

After adding the ribs to the smoker, set your timer for 3 hours and let her buck! Once you hit the three hour mark, pull the ribs from the smoker and completely wrap them in foil. You'll probably need two layers, but make sure it's nice and tightly wrapped. Before closing the foil wrapper, add some moisture. We've tried Cola, honey, butter (real and squeeze margarine), honey & butter, Doctor Pepper and Apple Juice.  Try your favorite. The flavor wont be affected much, but the moisture will help produce super tender ribs.  Be sure to not go over 1/4 cup. This part of the process is basically going to steam the ribs in the foil. More liquid=more steam=big mushy mess of meat. A 1/4 cup is plenty (or a good squeeze of margarine or 3-4 tablespoons of butter).  Once that's done, seal up the ribs in your foil and get them back on the smoker for another 2 hours.

This part of the cook is where I struggle. If this is your first try with the 3-2-1 Method, I’d suggest you just follow the plan and let the ribs cook for 2 hours in foil at 225-250F. You can be almost guaranteed that after 2 hours in the foil your ribs will be super tender. I’ve never had a rack come out NOT tender, doing it this way. The problem is that after two hours the ribs are usually “fall off the bone” tender. Most people would be thrilled with meat that tender. I’m trying for ribs that bite clean off the bone with just the slightest pull. There’s nothing worse than taking a bite of a rib and having the entire rib meat come off the bone with your bite. If you like “fall off the bone” , leave the ribs in there for 2 hours. If not, you’re going to need to do some trial and error until you find the right time. Personally, I find 1.5 hours is plenty, but your experience may vary.

When the 2 hours alarm goes off, remove the ribs from the smoker/grill and carefully remove the rack from the foil. I say carefully, because there’s a good amount of liquid in the foil and it’s HOT! Yes, I know this from experience. Be careful!

Remove the rack from the foil and right back onto your smoker/grill for one more hour at 225-250F.

After about 15 minutes you can brush on your favorite BBQ sauce. Here’s a recipe for my Big Ricky’s BBQ sauce , if you’re looking for a good, easily adjusted BBQ sauce recipe. I add another layer after about 30 minutes into the last hour. This last hour helps the BBQ sauce to set up and the ribs to develop a crust of sorts. Depending on how the ribs came out of the foil, a whole hour may not be necessary. Again, try it as described on your first run and then adjust the times, temps and sauce/no sauce to your liking.

Never mind the naysayers. Everybody wants tender, flavorful ribs, but that takes practice. The 3-2-1 Method will get you there every time, without fail.

*Note- the 3-2-1 Method is good for St. Louis Style Ribs. For Baby Back Ribs, shorten it to 2-2-1.