Smoking babyback ribs

ShootnBlanks

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Alright, just looking for any tips before I attempt this later in the week. I haven't smoked ribs before, but from what I find online it all sort of runs by the 3/2/1 method. Any good rub recipes? I got some famous Dave's rub in the cupboard. Thanks guys!
 


fj40

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Not sure what 3-2-1 is but I smoke ribs for about 5-6 hours using hickory. Smoker temp around 160-170. I then wrap tightly in aluminum foil, add a little apple juice and finish on the grill till internals reach 190. If you use sauce, don't apply till the last half hour. Lots of good rubs out there. I picked some up at Costco and it works well. Dave's will be fine.
 

Fly Carpin

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3/2/1 is good, but simple is good too. Brush them with yellow mustard before applying dry rub. Helps to make it stick. After the rub wrap it in Saran for a few hours to overnight. Let them get to room temp before smoking. Toss them on at 225° and let them cook until the meat pulls back from the bone and they bend to 90° when you lift with tongs. Make an apple juice based mop and mop/spray once an hour or so. Hit them with sauce and put over high heat if you're into the saucy thing. Devour. Ribs are pretty bulletproof and hard to screw up
 

CatDaddy

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What he said....or "slow and low".....either way, bulletproof. Just did some Sunday and the family devoured them.

3/2/1 is good, but simple is good too. Brush them with yellow mustard before applying dry rub. Helps to make it stick. After the rub wrap it in Saran for a few hours to overnight. Let them get to room temp before smoking. Toss them on at 225° and let them cook until the meat pulls back from the bone and they bend to 90° when you lift with tongs. Make an apple juice based mop and mop/spray once an hour or so. Hit them with sauce and put over high heat if you're into the saucy thing. Devour. Ribs are pretty bulletproof and hard to screw up
 

raider

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traeger 321 is all you need...

last weekend at the lake i pulled 4 packs out of the fridge, opened up, pulled the silver skin off the under side, used home made spice to coat the tops, and threw them on the traeger on 225 along with a smoke tube full of mesquite pellets... followed the 321 recipe cept kept 2 racks in foil for the last hour cuz had some people who wanted mushy ribs...

doesn't have to be hard... had 4 people over 50 tell me it was the best ribs they've ever had...
 


VDAWG

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If you are using a prepackaged rub, watch the salt. A lot of the rubs you buy are so loaded with salt you can hardly use them. When I see a rub on the shelf that interests me, I first check the ingredients. If salt is the first ingredient, it stays on the shelf. 3-2-1 method works well. Keep it low and slow. For ribs, I like mad hunky general purpose rub, a generous amount of brown sugar, and a dusting of garlic powder. Use mustard to make your rub stick. Don't worry, you won't taste the mustard. Good luck! Mossy, let's hear you chime in.....
 

Kurtr

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When I wrap I slather in butter throw in some brown sugar and a little apple juice also.
 

luvcatchingbass

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All good advice above. One thing I have tried is marinating in pear juice overnight then just applied my rub I make, like stated above be careful with salt. to get my rub to stick I have used mustard, canola oil, beer, juice and they all work fine to help the rub stick and to help give the smoke something to cling to. For wood I have tried apple, hickory, pecan, peach, cherry all with good results. Normally I don't wrap my ribs but will have a pan that I keep some moisture or water in for steam. depending how long you want to cook them 200 seems to be a good area to stay in with 180 being my low and 225 being the higher end.
Have fun and good luck.
 

hardwaterdriller

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I usually do the 321 method as well. I make a spray containing some apple juice and apple vinegar. Spray that on the first couple hours, then spread some butter, brown sugar, honey on the ribs and then wrap the ribs in tinfoil (meat side down). Add a little apple juice to the foil for extra moisture. Then remove the tinfoil after a couple hours and then the last 20 minutes I will add the sauce.
 

nxtgeneration

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3-2-1 @ 225° is pretty much bullet proof. 3 hours with smoke, 2 hours wrapped in foil with some apple juice, 1 hour uncovered with bbq sauce and more smoke (if desired). I remove the membrane on the inside of the ribs, rub with mustard and whatever seasoning I have on hand and let site a min of 3 hours. overnight is better. keep the water pan full to help keep them from drying out.
 


Bull Herbie

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I'm in Minot, and in a constant search for smoking wood. Apple is my all around favorite. I would like to try other flavors. Where are some places to buy quantities of wood. Like they say at Famous Dave's "BBQ is all smoke and beers"
 

Fly Carpin

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Looking for whole logs, chips, etc? There's a few sources online. Gets a little spendy for whole logs though. With shipping comes out to about $2 per pound of wood. Find a neighbor with an apple tree and start dropping hints about it looking like it needs a trim
 

Callem'In

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Sunday must have been a rib day! I also made the 3-2-1 Traeger ribs for the first time. Turned out great. Love my traeger.
 

Whisky

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Alright, just looking for any tips before I attempt this later in the week. I haven't smoked ribs before, but from what I find online it all sort of runs by the 3/2/1 method. Any good rub recipes? I got some famous Dave's rub in the cupboard. Thanks guys!

3-2-1 is for spare ribs. If you do that with babybacks they will be grossly overcooked IMO.

4 hours at 275 will make a nice rack of babybacks. Famous Daves is a decent rub. I have gone to seasoning my ribs with a good layer of salt and pepper. Then a lighter dusting of whatever rub you like, to help with the color. I used to cake my ribs in rub, don't like that anymore. I also use to wrap with a bunch of shit in foil, don't like that anymore either. I'm finally learning a lot of times in BBQ, simpler is better.

Google "rib bend test". That is how you tell when ribs are done. If you pick them up and they fall apart or bones fall out, you overcooked them......IMO
 

Bull Herbie

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Ive put the bug in all my neighbors ear and most of them bring me their trimmings. I have found some suppliers in Minnesota and am willing to travel. I was just hoping I could find some closer.
 


Whisky

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Sunday must have been a rib day! I also made the 3-2-1 Traeger ribs for the first time. Turned out great. Love my traeger.

Touche....I did a rack of babybacks as well. And a shit ton of onion smashburgers on the griddle.
 

nxtgeneration

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3-2-1 is for spare ribs. If you do that with babybacks they will be grossly overcooked IMO.

4 hours at 275 will make a nice rack of babybacks. Famous Daves is a decent rub. I have gone to seasoning my ribs with a good layer of salt and pepper. Then a lighter dusting of whatever rub you like, to help with the color. I used to cake my ribs in rub, don't like that anymore. I also use to wrap with a bunch of shit in foil, don't like that anymore either. I'm finally learning a lot of times in BBQ, simpler is better.

Google "rib bend test". That is how you tell when ribs are done. If you pick them up and they fall apart or bones fall out, you overcooked them......IMO

Agreed. I usually do spare ribs but when I do baby back I do 3-1-1. That can even be to much cook time depending on how much you have the smoker.
 

norm70

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3-2-1 is for spare ribs. If you do that with babybacks they will be grossly overcooked IMO.

4 hours at 275 will make a nice rack of babybacks. Famous Daves is a decent rub. I have gone to seasoning my ribs with a good layer of salt and pepper. Then a lighter dusting of whatever rub you like, to help with the color. I used to cake my ribs in rub, don't like that anymore. I also use to wrap with a bunch of shit in foil, don't like that anymore either. I'm finally learning a lot of times in BBQ, simpler is better.

Google "rib bend test". That is how you tell when ribs are done. If you pick them up and they fall apart or bones fall out, you overcooked them......IMO

Agreed on the baby backs 3-2-1 is too long makes them tough. really depends how you like your ribs. If you like them fall off the bone I would just go with 2 hours smoking and then cover for 2. If you like a little bite 2-2-1/2 is plenty.
 

snow

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All good points and recipes,gotta love this time of year and this weekend for grilling and smoking stuff (pun intended) one thing I learned from some grill masters over time as far as pork ribs go,keep'em chilled until your ready to smoke,doing so will give the meat a very distinct smoke line and flavor,another great piece of pork to smoke is a "boston cut" pork shoulder roast,its a thin cut version of a shoulder roast,looks like a big thick pork chop (bone in) but either roast is terrific smoked,apple wood is a nice and mild smoke flavor.
 


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