Baby Back Rib Recipe 2-2-1 Ribs
Equipment
- Smoker / Pellet Grill
- Smoking Wood / Pellets
- Paper towels
- Cutting Board
- Aluminum Foil
- Sharp Knife (I use my Tumbler Knife Sharpener)
Instructions
Preheat
- Preheat the smoker to 225ºF. I like to use the Bear Mtn Savory Blend wood pellets.
Prep Your Ribs
- Remove the rib membrane from the back of the ribs
Season the ribs
- Slather the ribs with a thin layer of yellow mustard and cover the ribs with the dry rub, ensuring an even coating.
Smoke the Ribs Uncovered (2 Hours)
- Place the ribs meat side UP on the preheated grill and smoke for two hours.
Wrap the ribs and Smoke Wrapped (2 Hours)
- Add the butter to the meat side of the ribs and wrap the ribs in aluminum foil. Place the wrapped ribs meat-side DOWN in the smoker for two additional hours.
Smoke Unwrapped for 1 hour
- Unwrap the ribs. Place them on the smoker meat side UP and brush them with your barbecue sauce. Smoke for one more hour.
Rest and Cut
- Remove the ribs from the smoker. Cover them and let them rest for 15 minutes. Slice them, and serve! You should be able to cut these ribs without the meat shredding and falling off the bone. Remember, these are NOT 3-2-1 ribs.
Video
Nutrition
Expert Tip
Know your grill or smokers true internal temperature. Use a smoker/grill thermometer like the Signals from Thermoworks to ensure the inside of your smoker stays at 225F. If the temperature drifts too high or too low, it can drastically change the way your ribs cook.
If I’m smoking baby back ribs, I smoke them using the 2-2-1 method or even the newer Party Rib method. Keeping the ribs in foil for two hours gives me that super-tender rib, but thanks to the slightly reduced time upfront, I won’t overcook the ribs. If you’re concerned about the smoky flavor, two hours at the beginning and one hour at the end are still plenty of time to get smoke flavor on the ribs. If you want to geek out over the science of smoke, take a look at Meathead’s article over at Amazing Ribs, or join the debate over at Reddit.
Read this article if you are unsure of the difference between Baby Back Ribs and Spare or St. Louis-style ribs.
What is the 2-2-1 Method for Smoking Ribs?
The 2-2-1 refers to the hours of cooking during each step.
- 2 Hours on the smoker – Add the binder and the rub and place the baby back ribs meat side up on the smoker.
- 2 Hours Wrapped in foil – Wrap the ribs in foil and let them cook meat side down for 2 hours.
- 1 Hour back on the smoker with sauce – Remove foil. Add bbq sauce and let them smoke for 1 more hour with the meat side up.
I double-wrap my ribs to ensure the bones don’t puncture holes in the foil during cooking. I also like adding some butter and extra rub to up the flavor. Here’s a full video breakdown of how to wrap ribs in foil. After wrapping your ribs, please return them to the smoker for two more hours. Make sure you’re putting them meat-side DOWN!
Here are more details on how long to smoke a rack of ribs. We have an entire article that goes over all the variables, such as the type and size of the ribs, temperature, and the equipment you are using. Remember, these are NOT 321 fall-off-the-bone ribs.
If you have leftover baby back ribs, look at our article on how to reheat ribs.
Substitutions
- Yellow mustard for your preferred binder (Oil, mayonnaise, or even hot sauce)
- Our KC-style dry rub for your preferred pork rub (I love Fire & Smoke Society’s Sweet Preacher rub)
- Aluminum foil for food-grade pink butcher paper
Add one of our delicious desserts, such as apple pie or smoked cheesecake, to the menu to make this an extra special dinner. Give these ground beef empanadas a try sometime too.
FAQs:
How many ribs do I need for 20 people?
The answer to that question depends on the rib you serve. If you need Baby Back Ribs for 20 people, then you should get 10 racks. Spare Ribs are larger, so you will only need 7 racks. If you are serving beef ribs, then you will need 40 individual ribs. Sound confusing? Don’t worry—we have a rib calculator that will figure everything out for you based on the number of adults and children that will be eating ribs.
What’s the difference between 3-2-1 and 2-2-1 method for smoking ribs?
The main difference is that the 2-2-1 method smokes the rib for 2 hours instead of 3 hours in the first step of the process. This reduces the cooking time by 1 hour, giving the ribs a bit more bite. The meat should not fall off the bone with the 2-2-1 method.
The 2-2-1 ribs come out perfectly tender but still have a little bite.
I noticed you changed your new one. I downloaded this one a couple of years ago, but now I notice you changed it to 2-2-1.
How To Smoke Ribs:
A 3-2-1 Alternative
Author: Michael Haas
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 5 people
If you’ve ever gone to a BBQ competition and had the Pitmasters ribs, you will quickly notice something. The ribs are individually cut and the meat actually stays on the bone, until you bite it off with your teeth. Follow this recipe, and serve competition worthy ribs right at home!
4. Remove the ribs from the fridge and allow to warm slightly on the counter. Fire up the smoker to 230F. Add your favorite pellets when smoking ribs.
5. Place drip pan under rack, and line with tin foil.
6. Once the smoker is at proper temp, place the ribs on the grill meat side up.
7. Now you can pretty much wait for the three hours to pass or some fanatics prefer to spritz their ribs every 30-45 minutes with a 50/50 mixture of apple cider vinegar and water. Adding moisture to the ribs aids in a smoky bark. After three hours, remove the ribs and place each rack meat side up on a large piece of Heavy-Duty tin foil or Butcher Paper.
8. You can spritz the ribs for extra moisture at this time. Flip the racks around so the bone side is facing up.
9. Leave the racks bone side up and wrap the ribs tightly. Place back on the smoker bone side up for 45-60 minutes. Keep the temp at 225F. Optional: If you want the ribs more tender or closer to fall of the bone, cook in the foil for 1.5-2 hours. I do not recommend this method!
10. Remove the ribs from the foil and place back on the grill. Brush the ribs with your favorite BBQ sauce. Cook for approximately 30-45 more minutes at 225F.
You’re right it did change! Have you compared the old to new version?
very good ribs!