Smoked ribs are the most popular food at my cookouts; they are always the first meat to run out! I like my pork ribs to be tender, juicy and have a nice crispy bark. However, I think most ribs end up overcooked using the 321 method. If you have attended a BBQ competition, you will know the meat should stay on the bone until you bite it off. I have taken some inspiration from BBQ legends like Aaron Franklin and Meathead for the method, which I will share below. So don’t struggle; my simple rib recipe will help you learn how to cook these crowd-pleasers. Hungry Now? Jump straight to my smoked ribs recipe! 3-2-1 Smoked Ribs Recipe Our ribs looking incredible! What is the 3 2 1 Rib Method for Ribs? Why I Don’t Recommend It The 3 2 1 method of cooking ribs is one of the easiest recipes, but it results in overcooked ribs. Below, I have outlined the 321 method, and then below that, I explain my method. Smoke the ribs for 3 hours. Cook wrapped in liquid for 2 hours. Smoke again unwrapped for a further 1 hour at a slightly higher temperature. Instead of the 321 method, I smoke my ribs for 3 hours, then smoke them for 60 minutes wrapped and then 30-45 minutes unwrapped. Click to Jump Straight to My 321 alternative smoked rib method (or keep reading to see all the delicious pictures of the succulent pork ribs I cooked!) 321 smoked ribs in electric smoker 6 Simple Steps to Juicy Pork Ribs I’ve laid my personal 12 steps to juicy pork rib below. Let’s do it! 1. Remove The Membrane At The Back Of The Rack (Recommended) Trim any excessive connective tissue or fat. Remove the membrane at the back of the rack. I like using a paper towel to help grip the membrane. Once you get a good grip on the membrane, pull and remove it. 2. Give The Ribs a Rub Mix the ground black pepper, sugar, kosher salt, granulated garlic, dried thyme, and paprika. Apply a binder like mustard or oil, then generously rub the ribs and ensure all the sides are coated. 3 bowls with salt paprika for rub Cover the ribs and refrigerate them for 2 hours. When you are ready to cook, remove them from the fridge and allow them to come to temperature. Preheat your smoker to 200F° – 225°F, I like to use applewood, cherrywood or pecan when smoking ribs. rubbed the other side of my pork ribs on cutting board ribs that have been rubbed with spices 3. Put Your Ribs in The Smoker and Spritz Place your ribs in the smoker and smoke at 200F° —225°F for about 3 hours. Spritz your ribs every 30 minutes. Some delicious rib spritzes are beer, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, and broth. just placed my ribs in the smoker on the middle rack without a tray 4. Remove and Wrap Your Ribs Remove ribs and place on foil flesh side down (you will need enough foil to wrap each rack of ribs up in a parcel). Cover the ribs with your favorite beer, cider, or preferred liquid. Make sure the foil parcel is closed tight. Return to the smoker and continue to smoke at 200F° – 225°F for 45-60 minutes. ribs rwrapped in foil after first part of smoking them 5. Open and Baste Your Ribs Open your parcels, baste ribs with BBQ sauce, and leave in the smoker uncovered for 30-45 minutes at 225°F. ribs in foil applying bbq sauce 6. Test Your If Ribs Are Done Test the ribs using the bend test, pick up the slab with tongs, and bounce it. If you see the ribs start to crack, they are ready. Remove the ribs from the smoker and let them rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing, serving, or eating! my pork ribs rested, sliced and ready to eat How Do You Know When Ribs Are Cooked You can tell if the baby back ribs are done during the first smoke. Part of the cooking is a “bounce test” with the smoked ribs; you pick them up with tongs and bounce them. If the meat starts to crack by the bone, the ribs are done smoking. You can then foil the ribs. Note: Ribs are one of the few cuts of meat for which you can’t use a thermometer. The bones impact the meat’s temperature. Here are some more ways to tell if your ribs are cooked. 1. Bending the Ribs: Grab your rack of ribs in the middle with a set of tongs. You should see the ribs bend in an upside-down ‘U’ shape and crack on top in the middle. If the crack is small and the upside-down ‘U’ is more like a horizontal ‘I’, they are not cooked yet. 2. Twisting the Ribs: The rib twist test is another go-to for me. Again, use a set of tongs to grab your rack of ribs in the middle. However, this time, you need to grab the end of one of the rib bones. Then, twist the rib bone. If the bone starts to separate from the meat, you are ready! Should Ribs Fall off The Bone? Contrary to popular belief, smoked BBQ ribs should not fall off the bone! If your ribs fall effortlessly from the bone, you have overcooked them. Perfectly cooked ribs should be slightly chewy and require some teeth work to remove the meat from the bone. Using a Pellet Grill? If you’re using a pellet grill to smoke your ribs, follow my recipe here. It’s a bit different from the one I have below. Love pork ribs? How about pork loin? My smoked boneless pork loin are a favorite at my cookout. 321 Smoked Ribs Recipe My ribs are smoked and ready for the family to enjoy! Charlie’s Top 6 Tips For Cooking Ribs Use the best quality ribs you can: This is an essential cooking tip—not just for ribs. You should always use the best quality you can afford at your local butcher. Use a dry rub: I don’t like additional flavor overpowering my ribs, but the dry rub is an important part of cooking ribs. Before cooking, evenly coat your ribs in your choice of dry rub. Then, let the rub work its way into the meat, marinating it for at least a couple of hours to overnight in the refrigerator. Remove the silver skin membrane: Some people do this religiously, while others don’t care too much. I always remove the silver skin membrane. Don’t use an overpowering wood: Pork ribs have a lot of flavor, but strong wood can overpower them. I suggest using lighter wood, like apple or cherry. But if you have a favorite, go with it. Cooking low and slow is key: It doesn’t matter if you are smoking, grilling, or baking your ribs. Cooking them low and slow is essential for the best result. Cooking between 200 and 250 degrees F will get you the best results. Make Extra Who does love leftovers? There’s nothing like sitting down to a plate of ribs midweek that took zero effort to prepare. Just make sure you know the best ways to reheat your ribs. You don’t want to dry them out or make them chewy. Sides For Ribs I am not saying anything is wrong with eating a big pile of ribs hot off the grill. However, you need some good sides to accompany them. Here are some great side dish ideas for BBQ ribs. A classic potato salad Mac and cheese Southern collard greens Spicy corn salad Desserts For BBQ Ribs? Well, I am glad you asked! I love nothing more than planning a cookout with friends and family. That means spending a few days working on my menu plan! I always like to include a few desserts (not just for the kids). Here are a few of my favorite recipes! Reese Ice Cream Cake Grilled Pears With Cinnamon Drizzle Banana Fosters S’mores Smoked Chocolate Chip Cookies Grilled Pineapple Skewers with Coconut Caramel Sauce Peanut Butter S’mores Cookie Cups Smoked Ribs Recipe Charlie This is a basic recipe for smoked pork ribs. My recipe focuses heavily on the flavor of the ribs for the majority of the flavor. Please feel free to add more or less to the rib rub, or instead of the beer/cider bath use your own concoction of stock or juice mix. Print Recipe Pin Recipe Prep Time 15 minutes mins Cook Time 6 hours hrs 30 minutes mins Resting Time 10 minutes mins Total Time 6 hours hrs 55 minutes mins Course Appetizer, Dinner, holidays, Main Course Cuisine American, Barbecue, bbq, dinner Servings 2 people Calories 351 kcal Ingredients ½ tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp brown sugar 2 tsp granulated garlic 2 tsp paprika 2 tsp dried thyme 1 Rack of Ribs 1 Beer or Cider (stock or juice will also work) Your favorite BBQ sauce Instructions Trim any excessive connective tissue or fat. Remove the membrane at the back of the rack. I like using a paper towel to help grip the membrane. Once you get a good grip on the membrane, pull and remove it. Mix the ground black pepper, sugar, kosher salt, granulated garlic, dried thyme, and paprika. Apply a binder like mustard or oil, then generously rub the ribs and ensure all the sides are coated. Cover the ribs and refrigerate them for 2 hours. When you are ready to cook, remove them from the fridge and allow them to come to temperature. Preheat your smoker to 200F° – 225°F, I like to use applewood, cherrywood or pecan when smoking ribs. Place your ribs in the smoker and smoke at 200F° —225°F for about 3 hours. Spritz your ribs every 30 minutes. Some delicious rib spritzes are beer, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, and broth. Remove ribs and place on foil flesh side down (you will need enough foil to wrap each rack of ribs up in a parcel). Cover the ribs with your favorite beer, cider, or preferred liquid. Make sure the foil parcel is closed tight. Return to the smoker and continue to smoke at 200F° – 225°F for 45-60 minutes. Open your parcels, baste ribs with BBQ sauce, and leave in the smoker uncovered for 30-45 minutes at 225°F. Test the ribs using the bend test, pick up the slab with tongs, and bounce it. If you see the ribs start to crack, they are ready. Remove the ribs from the smoker and let them rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing, serving, or eating! Video Keyword 321 ribs, pork ribs, Ribs, smoked baby back ribs, Smoked Ribs Wrapping it Up So there you have it, my smoked pork ribs, one of my all-time favorite recipes! It doesn’t matter if you have an electric smoker, pellet smoker, charcoal smoker, or gas grill—you can make tasty smoked ribs! What is your favorite type of ribs? My favorite ribs? Baby back ribs! You can’t beat baby backs, baby! Charlie