Fireball Whiskey Baby Back Ribs Recipe | What's Cooking America (2024)

FAQs

What is the 3 2 1 rule for ribs? ›

Essentially, 3 2 1 ribs go like this: 3 hours of smoking the ribs directly on the pellet grill. 2 hours wrapped in foil, still cooking on the grill. 1 hour of cooking, unwrapped and slathered in barbecue sauce.

St. Louis-style spare ribs are the meatier ribs cut from the belly of thehog after the belly is removed. They are usually trimmed down by cutting away the hard breastbone and chewy cartilage, otherwise known as connective tissue. St. Louis-style ribs are flatter than baby back ribs, which makes them easier to brown.

Method 1. Instead of smoking slowly at 220 °F to 240 °F (104 °C to 115 °C), crank up the temperature to 300 °F (149 °C). Now smoke the ribs for about one hour and 15 minutes. Don't forget to spritz occasionally.

The 321 Rib Method is a popular method used in the preparation of ribs. This technique calls for 3 hours of smoking, 2 hours of wrapping, and 1 hour of cooking. The ribs are first smoked at a low temperature to give them the smoky flavor that many people love.

Wrapping your ribs are key if you want to lock in all of the moisture and flavor! Double wrap each rack of ribs securely and enjoy some ribs in no time.

Smoke at 225 to 250°F for 4 to 5 hours.

Baste or mop the ribs occasionally, but don't open the grill too often.

Grilling Beef Back Ribs

For fall-off-the-bone ribs, we suggest grilling these the slow way at 225 degrees up to 3 hours. Don't forget to add the barbecue sauce for perfect caramelization. Cook them the fast way from 1 1/2 to 2 hours at 350 degrees. Either way is delicious if seasoned correctly.

Smoke at 225 for 3 hrs. remove from smoker, wrap in foil with a bit of apple juice or beer, and return to smoker for 2 more hours. remove and unwrap. add a bit of sauce if desired and smoke for one more hour.

After conducting an internal poll, Baby Back Ribs came out on top as the clear winner. They're meatier and cook more quickly than St. Louis Style Ribs, making them a more convenient option for busy cooks. So if you're looking for tender, delicious ribs, go with baby back ribs every time!

St Louis ribs are flatter and straighter, whereas the baby back ribs are curved and shorter. Because the St Louis ribs are flatter and easier to brown and get just right on the grill, they can cook more evenly, which is excellent. They also have a more succulent and fattier characteristic.

Which has more meat baby back or St Louis ribs? ›

Perhaps a more well-known name for these ribs is “spareribs.” Compared to baby back ribs, this cut has more meat between the bones. They also have more fat between the ribs, which makes them a flavorful choice.

Adding Moisture while Smoking Ribs

I like to cook with a water pan in a pellet grill or offset, which is a personal preference. We also use a spritz while the 3-2-1 ribs are smoking. The added moisture to the cooking chamber really helps with color on the smoked ribs and keeping the texture moist.

Place ribs bone-side down in smoker at 225 F /110 C and cook for three hours. 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. Unwrap the ribs and return to the smoker bone-side down for one more hour.

One thing is certain about ribs and pork: If you overcook them, they do become dry and tough. There is something very important to learn with the “low and slow” cooking method employed here. Food is ready when it's ready.

The 3-2-1 method is specifically designed for pork spareribs, and the timing works best for that cut of rib. If you prefer baby back ribs, then you need to use a 2-2-1 method for the ribs or they will get overcooked and dry out.

3-2-1 is typically used for spare ribs, while 2-2-1 is used for baby back ribs. If you're doing 3-2-1 for baby back ribs, they may be a bit tougher. For my personal preferences, I want mine to sorta fall off the bone, so the last hour where they are back on the grates bare, I shorten it to 30 minutes.

Smoke at 225 to 250°F for 4 to 5 hours.

Baste or mop the ribs occasionally, but don't open the grill too often.

For unfoiled ribs 5hrs around 250-275 sounds about right. Foiling definitely speeds up the cook, but it also changes the texture of the ribs, too long in the foil makes them too soft and fall off the bone.