tjmicsak
New member
This is my take on some changes made to the Grill Sergeant's 3-2-1 method video. View that video first to see most of how this is done.
Biggest change is no final "1" step to sauce and caramelize. This keeps the ribs moist, tender, full of the rub flavoring, and allows everyone to add any selection of sauces you put out for variety.
St. Louis style ribs
Preheat the vertical pellet smoker to 225 with a full water pan
Rinse, dry and remove membrane if present
Rub down with yellow mustard and apply your favorite dry rub of choice. Let the ribs set a short time if they are very cold still.
In the preheated smoker for 4 hours at 225 bone side down misting them every 30 minutes with apple juice or apple cider, or pear cider, or your favorite spray such as water and vinegar.
At about the 3-1/2 hour mark get the following stuff ready for the next step- *foil, brown sugar, honey, butter (read through first)
Pull the ribs at 4 hours and set the smoker to 250 to preheat while doing the next step-
*On "heavy duty" wide foil piece(s) about 8" longer than the rack, shiny side up, in a footprint about the size of the rib rack, sprinkle some brown sugar, three pats of butter, drizzle of honey. Butter pats would be sized cut into six per wrapped half stick or a full stick into 12 pieces. One half stick per rack.
Lay on the rib rack meat side down over those ingredients and do the same on the top side of ribs plus a splash of cider or apple juice on both sides, keeping the foil a bit into a bowl to hold it all towards center.
Wrap the rack in foil by putting long sides together first and rolling down to seal, then folding in ends so that the foil acts as a sealed leakproof pocket
Ribs go back on smoker at 250 for 2 hours.
Carefully pull wrapped ribs from smoker and set on a mess table. Carefully open the foil by rolling back the ends you did last, then opening the long center seam down the middle.
Test for temp- should be right near 200 -210 and ribs should be pull off the bone but not falling off the bone if your temps held solid and time was closely watched (based on an outdoor ambient of 76 degrees.)
Carefully pull ribs out from the liquid loaded open foil pockets- which will be full of a lot of great juices. Use some mixed in with your favorite BBQ sauce!
Let ribs rest under foil for 10 minutes and cut into servable portions.
If it is really desired, there is no reason this could not still be followed up with a sauce mop and some short time on a grill to bubble the sauce to coat and caramelize, but I would suggest trying them first right from the foil after the 4-2 method as they are perfect that way too. That way the rub and the meat really are the star. The added time for the first step lets the meat cook slower and lower for longer which gives great results.
Biggest change is no final "1" step to sauce and caramelize. This keeps the ribs moist, tender, full of the rub flavoring, and allows everyone to add any selection of sauces you put out for variety.
St. Louis style ribs
Preheat the vertical pellet smoker to 225 with a full water pan
Rinse, dry and remove membrane if present
Rub down with yellow mustard and apply your favorite dry rub of choice. Let the ribs set a short time if they are very cold still.
In the preheated smoker for 4 hours at 225 bone side down misting them every 30 minutes with apple juice or apple cider, or pear cider, or your favorite spray such as water and vinegar.
At about the 3-1/2 hour mark get the following stuff ready for the next step- *foil, brown sugar, honey, butter (read through first)
Pull the ribs at 4 hours and set the smoker to 250 to preheat while doing the next step-
*On "heavy duty" wide foil piece(s) about 8" longer than the rack, shiny side up, in a footprint about the size of the rib rack, sprinkle some brown sugar, three pats of butter, drizzle of honey. Butter pats would be sized cut into six per wrapped half stick or a full stick into 12 pieces. One half stick per rack.
Lay on the rib rack meat side down over those ingredients and do the same on the top side of ribs plus a splash of cider or apple juice on both sides, keeping the foil a bit into a bowl to hold it all towards center.
Wrap the rack in foil by putting long sides together first and rolling down to seal, then folding in ends so that the foil acts as a sealed leakproof pocket
Ribs go back on smoker at 250 for 2 hours.
Carefully pull wrapped ribs from smoker and set on a mess table. Carefully open the foil by rolling back the ends you did last, then opening the long center seam down the middle.
Test for temp- should be right near 200 -210 and ribs should be pull off the bone but not falling off the bone if your temps held solid and time was closely watched (based on an outdoor ambient of 76 degrees.)
Carefully pull ribs out from the liquid loaded open foil pockets- which will be full of a lot of great juices. Use some mixed in with your favorite BBQ sauce!
Let ribs rest under foil for 10 minutes and cut into servable portions.
If it is really desired, there is no reason this could not still be followed up with a sauce mop and some short time on a grill to bubble the sauce to coat and caramelize, but I would suggest trying them first right from the foil after the 4-2 method as they are perfect that way too. That way the rub and the meat really are the star. The added time for the first step lets the meat cook slower and lower for longer which gives great results.
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