3-2-1 Rib Question

[Slider]

I am playing around with my new PB 850 and wanted to feedback from the pros on the forum. I am cooking ribs, using the 3-2-1 method. Now, I've cooked many a rib in my day, but all were done, with the exception of when I used my WSM, on my Traeger. The Traeger ribs came out good, but not great. I always felt they were a little dry for my taste. Having now used my new rig for about one month, the BIG difference between the Traeger is the PB is rock steady when it comes to holding the temp. It does not even fluctuate by a degree and all food I've cooked came out amazing.

Here is my question - how many of you wrap your ribs? And for those who do, what do you add inside the foil?

 

[Cowboy1955]

I am playing around with my new PB 850 and wanted to feedback from the pros on the forum. I am cooking ribs, using the 3-2-1 method. Now, I've cooked many a rib in my day, but all were done, with the exception of when I used my WSM, on my Traeger. The Traeger ribs came out good, but not great. I always felt they were a little dry for my taste. Having now used my new rig for about one month, the BIG difference between the Traeger is the PB is rock steady when it comes to holding the temp. It does not even fluctuate by a degree and all food I've cooked came out amazing.

Here is my question - how many of you wrap your ribs? And for those who do, what do you add inside the foil?

I wrap mine in foil and pour in Dr Pepper or sprite

 

[Slider]

I like the Dr. Pepper idea

I started at 225 and dropped it to 200 for hour 3
I'll pull, wrap, and keep the temp steady at 200
Pull after 2 hours, unwrap, and bump up to 225

Thoughts?

 

[Jimsmokes]

Do I wrap? Yes. When I wrap depends whether I want a dry or wet ribs.
First I look at 3-2-1 as steps not time.
Wet
3- Bark/color
2- Steam wrapped in foil. Squeeze butter, brown sugar/honey, moisture of choice for flavor you want. Bbq sauce,fruit juice. Till probe tender or by flex. If you let this step go to long it'll fall off the bone
1- Back on grill for sauce to set if you can pick up whole rack. If not just open up foil dump liquid and let them dry some.
Dry
Ribs on spritz as they look dry and cook till the pig honey starts flowing. Then cook till tender probe tender and flexible but still able to pickup rack without breaking. Then add more rub if you want and wrap in butcher paper to hold till ready to eat. I shut the smoker down and let them sit in it till ready to eat.
This is my favorite way. Try a rack with membrane removed on back the back coated with salt and Cayenne pepper. On meat side coat with salt, course black pepper. I use 16 mes

 

[Steve In Pa]

I like the Dr. Pepper idea

I started at 225 and dropped it to 200 for hour 3
I'll pull, wrap, and keep the temp steady at 200
Pull after 2 hours, unwrap, and bump up to 225

Thoughts?

Basically in the 225 ballpark for me all the way, but I’m on a vertical model.

 

[bobissmokin]

Cooking 3-2-1, I mostly wrap in foil. Butcher paper wrap will still tenderize and preserve a good bark. Damn, craving ribs now!

 

[Mike From R.I.]

Wrap in foil and add butter, brown sugar and honey for 2 hours

 

[Oneilln]

I like what Jimsmokes said, uses the 3-2-1 method as steps and not time. I’ll smoke uncovered until about 165 IT. Sometimes it’s faster or slower depending on what I feel like setting the temperature at. Then I’ll foil with some brown sugar, butter and local honey. I try to pull it at around 190-195 but sometimes it happens so fast I blow past it without realizing. Then coat with sauce and rest for a bit. Usually just enough time to do the cooldown, clean up the cooking area and get the plates and sides ready. I feel like any kind of pork rib is very forgiving. Unless you’re in a competition, it’ll always be a hit.

 

[Slider]

Well, the ribs turned out to be probably the best I have ever made. I give lots of credit to the Pit Boss. The ribs on my Traeger were very good, but as I originally posted, they always seemed a bit dry. Last night, they were perfection.

I blocked 6 hours to cook, but pulled them at the 5-hour and 20-minute mark. At the 3-hour mark, I basted with brown sugar, and honey, and wrapped in foil. Bump the temp to 225. At the 5-hour mark, they were essentially fall-off-the-bone ready. But I basted them with bbq sauce, bumped the temp to 235, and let it roll for 20 minutes. Removed and served. They were epic!

Thanks everyone for your tips and advice.

Enjoy your Sunday

 

[Jimsmokes]

Pics or it didn't happen! Slider.

 

[Dooch]

I am playing around with my new PB 850 and wanted to feedback from the pros on the forum. I am cooking ribs, using the 3-2-1 method. Now, I've cooked many a rib in my day, but all were done, with the exception of when I used my WSM, on my Traeger. The Traeger ribs came out good, but not great. I always felt they were a little dry for my taste. Having now used my new rig for about one month, the BIG difference between the Traeger is the PB is rock steady when it comes to holding the temp. It does not even fluctuate by a degree and all food I've cooked came out amazing.

Here is my question - how many of you wrap your ribs? And for those who do, what do you add inside the foil?

Wrapped after three, one coated with sweet chili sauce, and the other with honey garlic, two hours in foil, and one more to carmelize.

 

[Slider]

Here u go

 

[Cowboy1955]

Looks delicious!!
I got napkins

 

[MeatLoafT]

I like what Jimsmokes said, uses the 3-2-1 method as steps and not time. I’ll smoke uncovered until about 165 IT. Sometimes it’s faster or slower depending on what I feel like setting the temperature at. Then I’ll foil with some brown sugar, butter and local honey. I try to pull it at around 190-195 but sometimes it happens so fast I blow past it without realizing. Then coat with sauce and rest for a bit. Usually just enough time to do the cooldown, clean up the cooking area and get the plates and sides ready. I feel like any kind of pork rib is very forgiving. Unless you’re in a competition, it’ll always be a hit.

If I wrap, I do it when the bark looks good and I'm starting to see pull-back on the bones instead of the 3 hour thing. The time varies depending on the size and meatiness of the ribs. I've been doing them with just SPG on the top rack lately, no wrap. More savory than sweet. Love them both ways!

 

[Slider]

The more and more I cook ribs, the more I realize that 3-2-1 is not for me. I would say it is more like 2-2-1. Wrapping is fine, but I don't want my meat falling off the bone. I think this is an image pushed by the media and restaurants to give folks the idea of tender ribs.

I prefer my meat on the bone and with some pull when I bite into them. My recent cook, as noted, was close to 5 hours of total cooking time. I didn't actually use the foil to wrap as so much to hold them. In doing so, I removed them after a short while, then basted them for the last 45 minutes or so. The ribs came out tasting and looking great.