Help! 3-1-1 Ribs, dry and chewy

B & C,[p]That last "hour" you went too long.[p]When they came out of the foil they were done. The last "hour" should really only be long enough to sauce and let the sauce set for a bit - maybe 15-20 minutes.[p]What I do is sauce them immediately after I take them out of the foil and let the sauce caramelize and reduce for just a bit and that's it.

B & C,
were they baby backs or spares?[p]lots of people do the 3-1-1 thing, you can't dry them out in that amount of time. even if they were b-backs.[p]i did spares on sunday, and they were indirect (not 3-1-1), and i gotta tell you. i now do them almost 7-8 hours. you can NOT dry them out even in that amount of time. i left them on during the game and they were better at 10 hours. dome was 250, indirect.[p]so why were yours tough and dry? maybe they were UNDER cooked. if they were spares, which are meatier, you might find they take longer than 3-1-1. dunno. all i know is each cook has some little twist that makes it different. i know that a lot of folks get nervous and take ribs off before they are done, and they will certainly be tough, and they'll actually be dry. you overcook ribs (and butts) way past they 'edible' point, to the point where the moisture is almost gone, then the collagen breaks down, and the ribs feel moist again. the moisture you'd see in a nice pork chop is long gone when you cook ribs until they are pulling free from the bone. the moisture you feel is actually the collagen. and if it doesn't get a chance to break down, they'll be dry and too tough. make any sense?[p]salt in your rub won't dry them out, even overnight. sugar is maybe even more hygroscopic than salt. sugar in a rub will leave you with a bowl full of syrup after sitting on ribs all night, and that still won't dry them out.[p]when you cook your ribs your typical way, how long do you normally go?

B & C,
Don't be discouraged......practice, practice and practice some more.[p]Rick

B & C,[p]I put this together from previous posts on this and another board. It explains what it is you are looking for at each stage of a rib cook. Maybe you can use it to figure out where your cook went astray.[p]
What is the 3-2-1 Method? [p]The three-two-one method refers to cooking times in hours and involves the use of foil. This technique is used for cooking pork spare ribs but can be adapted to baby backs or even beef ribs by adjusting times. Cooking temperature should be around 225* +/-. [p]The 1st Number 3 - means three hours in the smoker exposed to heat and smoke. The spices will have formed a good bark and the meat will look cooked but wonÕt be tender. [p]The 2nd Number 2 - is the time ribs are wrapped in heavy-duty foil (preferably ÔextraÕ heavy duty) and placed back into the smoker. A little apple juice, honey, barbecue sauce, or other flavors can be added to the pouch at this time if desired. The ribs will steam and braise in their own juices or added liquids during this phase and become very tender. The meat will shrink back from the bone a little. If the heat is too high you will get a product that resembles boiled ribs and the meat could shrink back as much as an inch or more. [p]The 3rd Number 1 Ð foil is removed and ribs go back into the smoker to firm up and dry out a little. During the last half hour of this phase some barbecue sauce or a glaze may be applied to the surface of the rubs for appearance and additional flavor. [p]By understanding what happens during each stage of the 3-2-1 cooking process you can adjust your results by varying the times. For firmer textured meat allow the ribs to spend less time in the foil and more time in the open heat. Likewise, for more tender meat, ranging from Òfall off the boneÓ to mushy, leave the ribs in foil longer. [p]Baby backs will take less time to cook so change the numbers to 2-2-1 or even 2-1-1 to achieve similar results on these smaller ribs. [p]http://www.barbecuebible.com/board/viewtopic.php?p=30391 [p][p]To Foil or Not to Foil? [p]That is the question! Do you have to foil ribs to cook them in a smoker? Absolutely not. Then why use foil at all? Using foil does several things, some of which you may or may not prefer. [p]Foiling can help speed the cooking process by braising & steaming which cuts down overall cooking times and fuel costs. It also helps the novice produce a more consistent product. Using foil limits the amount of time food is exposed to smoke and can be use to control taste by preventing over smoking lighter flavored meats with heavier flavored woods. Limiting exposure to smoke and heat can also be used to control surface color and keep food from becoming dark or burnt looking. [p]So if youÕd like to cook ribs and choose not to foil, just add an hour or two to the cooking time and youÕll still enjoy tender, juicy, flavorful ribs. Back to top

yanks25
Joined: 27 Sep 2006
Posts: 8
Location: Bismarck, ND
Posted: Thu Sep 28 Post subject:

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[p]Texas Rib Ranger is probably the Father of the 3-2-1 or the 2-2-1 or the number rib cook using foil. His recipe has been bastardized on many web pages out there but here is the recipe that he shared with the public about 5 years ago and how the recipe does work. [p]I've been cooking in competitions for 24 years and started using foil back then and still do. Jumpin Jim passed along one of his secrets so here comes mine. Smoke your ribs for 2-3 hours then wrap with foil. Before you put the ribs in the foil put some Brown Sugar & Honey on the foil put meat side down, then put some on the ribs then close the foil. Before closing completely put some Apple juice (about 2-3 oz.) and put back on cooker. After about an hour check Ribs if done pull them. About 30 min. before turn-in mix juice off rib with Texas Rib Rangers Spicy sauce and baste Ribs on grill to glaze them. Mix about 3 parts sauce to 1 part juice. Now you know the Rib Rangers story. Good Luck and Happy Q'n Bill [p]Several keys here and I will start with the amount of juice as more or less won't work. It must be 2-3oz as the ribs must boil in this liquid. Meat side down--you need to boil the meat and not the bone ends. Get them DONE in the foil before you remove them from the cooker. They do go back on the cooker or grill for the glaze. [p]Ribs cool down very quickly and anything you do to them outside the cooker must be done quickly. Make up your foil boats in advance and then pull the ribs and wrap and get them back on the cooker as quick as you can. [p]This recipe and method is still winning cook-off every weekend.[p][p]Sapres go 6 hours 3-2-1
Babybacks go 5 hours 2-2-1 or even 4 hours 2-1-1
If you have St Louis cut spares, treat them like full spares. (This might be what you have. They are about the size of BBs, but with a little less curvature to the bone and more meat.[p]If you really donÕt know what you have, you could take them to a grocery store and ask the butcher. If you donÕt want to do that, start cooking but watch as you go:[p]The night before:
Be sure the membrane is removed from the bone side. This will make a big difference in your finished product.
Rub with yellow mustard and plenty of spices.[p]Get the Egg set up for an indirect cook over a drip pan, 230*-240* at the grid.[p]3- (hours)
Put the ribs in, meat side up, and check them after 2 hours. The spices should have formed a good bark and the meat will look cooked but it wonÕt be tender. If they donÕt look cooked you probably do not have BBs. Leave them in for another hour.[p]2- (hours)
Prepare heavy foil boats with a little honey and brown sugar. Wrap the ribs in the foil, meat side down; pour a ? cup of apple cider on top, seal and place back in the smoker. The ribs will steam in the foil and become very tender. The meat should shrink back from the bone a little. You do NOT want the heat too high or youÕll get something that resembles boiled ribs.

1Ð (hour)
Remove the foil and put the ribs back into the smoker, meat side up, to firm up and dry out a little. If you are serving them dry, just leave the lid closed and pull at the end of the hour. If you are serving wet, baste with sauce 30 minutes before pulling. [p]More time in the open heat and less in the foil will produce firmer textured meat. Likewise, more time in the foil and less in the open heat will produce more tender, fall-off-the-bone results. Too long in the foil can result in a mushy final product. [p]

B & C,[p]Try the Car Wash Mike method, it has never failed me even from my first cook.

B & C,
sounds to me you just got some crappy ribs. where'd you get them? where they enhanced?[p]and i agree... skip the foil and do the car wash mike ribs.[p]i wouldn't rub the night before either

B & C,[p]I personally don't like foiled ribs, CW Mike's recipe makes sense to me and when you taste them you'll understand. I cooked 2 racks yesterday and wrapped one up in foil when it was done and put them immediately in the fridge and ate them today and they were better reheated than any I ever produced in foil or on a gasser.

B & C,[p]You mean these sweet babies?[p][p]