Rib Technique Question??????

John Bowen · Mar 4, 2013

Several weeks ago on a BBQ Pitmaster episode – the one with Pellet Envy – they did ribs and brisket point.

The question I had was how they finished them. Rod Gray seemed to do roughly 3 (or so) hours then wrapped the ribs for roughly 2 hours but where I get confused is how he finished them – it seems like they just poured off the collected juice from the wrap. I was not clear on how he sauced them – it seemed like he just let them rest. The other competitive team seemed to do the same thing and the result was almost a “wet rib” – they did not set the sauce like I have seen before.

Are they just cooking the ribs until tender and then letting them rest a period covered in sauce????

GMDGeek · Mar 4, 2013

Basically they use a 3 - 2 - 1 method. 3 hours of smoke, 2 hours wrapped on the pit, then 1 hour wrapped in a warmer box or ice chest. They will remove the ribs from the pit, pour off the juices, and then sauce their ribs. Typically lightly sauce the back of the rib, flip it over, sauce the meat side, sprinkle lightly with their rub, then re-wrap them in foil, and then put in a warmer box for an hour or so. Keeps the ribs from over cooking. The residual heat while in the warmer box tightens up the sauce and finishes off the ribs. Its a technique I've come to use often.

Hope that helps.

John Bowen · Mar 4, 2013

It does and thank you for the info. So they do not set put the rib back on the smoker after the wrap phase - they put it in a warmer box - say at 150 degrees???

Does it make a softer bark?????

JS-TX · Mar 4, 2013

Not sure if there is any right or wrong way to do ribs, it's all about the end result IMO.

whiteboycustom · Mar 4, 2013

never heard of the 1 hour wrapped in a warming box......i used that last hour unwrapped

in my cabinet smoker i let them go unwrapped the entire time

John Bowen · Mar 4, 2013

I liked the way the sauce looked on their ribs – it did not look as set as when I let them go about 20 or so minutes on my smoker.

Do they sauce again before they turn in????

GMDGeek · Mar 4, 2013

Again its all about personal preference and how one cooks. No wrong or right way. Me, I've come to use the 3-2-1 method as I have the most consistent results with it.

As for chest temp, I'm not 100% sure, as I've never probed it. I wrap my ribs in two layers of heavy foil, then wrap all of them in bath towels, then put them in the ice chest.

tduffy · Mar 4, 2013

No way I could leave my ribs in foil for 2 hours. They would turn to mush. 1 to 1.25 hours is all I ever keep them in foil. If i went any longer the ribs would fall apart.

Bludawg · Mar 4, 2013

No way I would use Foil 275 4 hrs Done!

jimstocks53 · Mar 4, 2013

My 3-2 (never got to 1) resulted in pulled pork this weekend. 225 on a primo XL with good temp control. Pork spares - foiled after 3 hours with some butter, honey and beer - two hours later they were definitely falling off the bone. Next day just pulled all the meat off (which was incredibly delicious) and made sandwiches.

Motley Q · Mar 4, 2013

While GMD is watchin his ribs do something in a cooler.....

The rest of us are eating.

GMDGeek · Mar 4, 2013

Motley Q said:
While GMD is watchin his ribs do something in a cooler.....

The rest of us are eating.

You have your ways, I have mine. I've tried the straight up rib smoke with no wrap, I've tried a 2x2, and other techniques. I use the 3-2-1, simple as that with no complaints. Mine are bite on the bone and not fall off or mushy.

So as I said before - to each their own on their techniques and methods. I will do what I know works for me and a method proven by several others to be effective. IE Pellet Envy.

jketron · Mar 4, 2013

In my rookie experience at 275 anything over 3 hrs and they are mush.

John Bowen · Mar 4, 2013

I think some of us are getting away from the point – my question was about a process I saw on TV used by two very successful competitor BBQ teams. GMD was nice enough to explain it to me.
I just wanted to know the benfits and affects of that process.

jacksedona · Mar 4, 2013

i just smoke my ribs for six hours in the wsm and they always come out great nothing famct just pour bbq sauce after they come of the smoker

http://thebarbecuemaster.net

tduffy · Mar 5, 2013

John Bowen said:
I think some of us are getting away from the point – my question was about a process I saw on TV used by two very successful competitor BBQ teams. GMD was nice enough to explain it to me.
I just wanted to know the benfits and affects of that process.

I think all of us explained that. On the affects with spare ribs many of us have ribs that turn into fall off the bone mush if we foiled for a total of 2 hours. I cook at 225, maybe those with success with this are cooking at even lower temps?

Dave Russell · Mar 5, 2013

My thanks to the op and GMDgeek for confirming pretty much the exact technique Myron Mixon teaches in his book. I've not tried it yet due to my reservations that others have expressed, but it's good to know that others have used the same technique with success. I'll try anything once if you give me good enough reason to.

jmoney7269 · Mar 5, 2013

Bludawg said:
No way I would use Foil 275 4 hrs Done!

+1 :thumb:
But we do ruin em for comps with foil and glaze :doh:

Rib Technique Question??????

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