The 3-2-1 Method for Perfect Barbecue Pork Ribs

The biggest complaint most people have with ribs is that they're dry and tough. But it doesn't have to be that way.

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The 3-2-1 method—so named for its three sets of cooking times—nearly guarantees tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs with little extra effort. All you need is a big sheet of aluminum foil and lots of time. Everything else follows the normal process of smoking ribs.

How the 3-2-1 Method Works

The 3-2-1 method is as straightforward as it sounds: You smoke the ribs as normal for the first three hours, cook them wrapped in foil for the next two, then finish them for one more hour unwrapped.

This gives the meat time to soak in smoke at the most critical initial three hours, then they steam inside the foil to loosen the meat from the bone. During the last hour, the ribs are exposed to the dry, smoky heat again to form a surface crust.

Checking Ribs for Doneness

With most meat cookery, the internal temperature of the meat is of the utmost importance. With ribs it's a bit different. For starters, the safe internal doneness temperature for pork is 145 F, but if you cooked ribs to that temperature they would be very chewy and tough. This is because ribs contain a lot of collagen and fat, which needs longer cooking at low temperatures to soften and create the tender, juicy ribs we crave.

Technically, when you cook ribs you're looking for a final internal temperature of 190 to 200 F. That said, it is very difficult to measure the internal temperature of ribs due to the many bones in the cut. The good news is that you don't need a thermometer to determine doneness for ribs. Simply wiggle one of the rib bones. It should be loose and the ribs should come apart with minimal effort.

A Step-by-Step Guide to the 3-2-1 Process

You don't really need any extra supplies or equipment for this rib cooking method—just the ribs, your favorite seasoning rub, aluminum foil, a barbecue sauce if desired, and your smoker or charcoal grill. Plan for six hours of cooking time.

1. Prep the ribs by removing the membrane.

2. Apply the rib rub, coating the surface generously.

3. Place ribs bone-side down in smoker at 225 F /110 C and cook for three hours.

4. Remove ribs from the smoker and wrap tightly in aluminum foil to form an airtight seal. Return to the smoker bone-side up and smoke for two hours.

5. Unwrap the ribs and return to the smoker bone-side down for one more hour.

6. Apply sauce to ribs (if using) during the last 20 to 30 minutes of the cooking time. Make sure that the cooking temperature is below 265 F /130 C to prevent burning, and apply the sauce in several thin layers.