2-2-1 Rib Method - When do you apply sauce (if at all)

lhousesoccer

I found a 2-2-1 recipe maybe 6 months ago and did 2 two racks of baby back ribs that my family loved.  I did them again today, but couldn't find the recipe I used last time, so I googled around and found one I thought looked similar.  They came out great, but my family thought they were dried than last time.  Meat was moist but the bark wasn't.  They seemed to think I applied BBQ sauce at some point in the cook last time.  This time I didn't.  Mustard base, dry rub both sides.  First two hours on a rib rack, with apple juice in the drip tray, then foil for 2 hours, then flat on the grate for 1 more hour.  Honestly, I think the ribs might have been better if I did 30 minutes instead of an hour in the last stage.  My temp maybe was a bit high.  I couldn't seem to get it below 250.

So my question is - does anyone put sauce on during the cook, and if so, when?

Battleborn

If I put sauce on, it is the last 30-40 minutes. 

lentsboy007

I’m far from a rib expert , but I do know that there is never need for liquid in the drip tray on the BGE. Not water nor apple juice . 

lhousesoccer

lentsboy007 said:

I’m far from a rib expert , but I do know that there is never need for liquid in the drip tray on the BGE. Not water nor apple juice . 

Thanks. I was just following the directions in the recipe I found, which was written for a BGE. 

lentsboy007

lhousesoccer said:

lentsboy007 said:

I’m far from a rib expert , but I do know that there is never need for liquid in the drip tray on the BGE. Not water nor apple juice . 

Thanks. I was just following the directions in the recipe I found, which was written for a BGE. 

Instead of putting in foil dry and putting apple juice in a drip tray, try pouring apple juice and honey in the foil with the ribs for that second two hour period. Then for the final hour cook naked and put your sauce on during last half hour . Again, I’m no rib pro , but that has worked best for me . 

fence0407

I cooked a rack of ribs today with a similar initial setup as you did with the mustard and dry rub. I had my egg at 300 degrees with one chunk of apple wood for smoke. I cooked them naked for 2 hours, then wrapped them in foil with butter and light brown sugar for 1 hour. Next, I added Sweet Baby Ray's sauce and returned to the foil for another 20 minutes. The last 10 minutes I pulled them out of the foil and added some more sauce. After 3.5 hours they were done and some of the best ribs I've made. 

Mark_B_Good

I'm close to what fence does (@fence0407 those look amazing by the way) and have never really cooked a bad rib.

I cook at 275F indirect. You don't need anything in the drip pan, that's simply for catching your drippings just so they don't burn on the plate setter. A trick is to raise your drip tray off the plate setter using little foil balls, to avoid the pan from getting hot and burning drippings anyhow (the burnt smoke that it would otherwise generate can make meat taste bitter).

 So I do naked (with dry rub) on a rack for around 3h. Then I wrap in foil, throwing in some bbq sauce, apple juice and more spices ... you can add brown sugar at this stage. Cook in foil for 1.5h to 2h, checking with toothpick to ensure it probes very easily, no resistance.

Then I take them off, still in wrapping, and let them cool for at least 15 minutes. This helps the meat tighten up, without this the ribs fall apart way too easy when you handle them.

During this time I also raise the dome temperature to around 500F, and take out the plate setter (actually sometimes I just finish on my Napoleon gas grill, to avoid wasting charcoal for the last 2 minute sear).

After that I take them out of foil and baste in bbq sauce, then go to the hot grill (500F) and sear direct, 1 minute a side. You don't want to go longer than this, or it burns the bbq sauce and dries out the meat. 

Enjoy.

Here's a post I made on one of my rib cooks.

https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1224829/ribs-insane-round-2#latest

lhousesoccer

lentsboy007 said:

lhousesoccer said:

lentsboy007 said:

I’m far from a rib expert , but I do know that there is never need for liquid in the drip tray on the BGE. Not water nor apple juice . 

Thanks. I was just following the directions in the recipe I found, which was written for a BGE. 

Instead of putting in foil dry and putting apple juice in a drip tray, try pouring apple juice and honey in the foil with the ribs for that second two hour period. Then for the final hour cook naked and put your sauce on during last half hour . Again, I’m no rib pro , but that has worked best for me . 

Will def. try that next round!

lhousesoccer

These are some of the shots I took during prep. I wish I had taken one after I pulled them off after the last part.  But the crust was a bit crustier than I wanted.  But I stayed bang on the timing of the 2-2-1.  I like some of the suggested here for sure like from Lent, Mark and Fence.  Always room to learn with the BGE!

PigBeanUs

I always found one hour in foil was more than enough. 

Then an hour minimum for the ribs to firm up after, maybe two hours, especially if you like the sauce to darken and get sticky (lose a lot of its water)

haven’t done them 2-1-1 in a long time though. Now usually just straight through at 250, sometimes even 350

salt/pepper/garlic powder etc (kids prefer savory ribs now)

lkapigian

I'm in the Sauce on the Table camp...offer up a few different kinds.... ribs just SPG naked 

EzraBrooks

As you are experimenting with what you like, I would suggest attempting 3-0:45-1.  I have dialed that in as my preferred method for ribs.  Sauce in last 30 minutes - I brush on sauce, let it set for 15 minutes, brush on another layer of sauce, then let set for the final 15 minutes.

Teefus

I brush a little on as a glaze about 30 minutes prior to pulling. Sauce is on the table if you’d rather taste that than meat. 

nolaegghead

Does 2 hours in foil actually work without turning your ribs into pulled pork?

4TheGrillOfIt

I like 2-1-30 @275 and can always leave them on longer if needed.  If I’m saucing I do it in last 15–just long enough to set.

Money_Hillbilly

@ihousesoccer I never smoke ribs according to time.  I smoke at 250-260 until rub sets and doesn’t rub off when you scratch it, usually 2 hours or so for St. Louis ribs.  I then wrap in foil with honey or agave, brown sugar, and parkay.  I check for doneness with a toothpick or a thermopop probe at about 45 minutes. Usually they are tender between 45 minutes to an hour and fifteen minutes.  Carefully remove foil and place back on grill, glaze with sauce.  (Save the pig liquor from the foil to add to pulled pork.)  I only leave on long enough to firm up the glaze.  The whole process is usually 3-3 1/2 hours.  Perfect every time competition ribs.  If you like them fall off the bone leave them in the foil longer.  Technically fall off the bone ribs are way over cooked but many people think that’s how they are supposed to be.

Money_Hillbilly

@Ihousesoccer. This is how they come out.

Mark_B_Good

lhousesoccer said:

These are some of the shots I took during prep. I wish I had taken one after I pulled them off after the last part.  But the crust was a bit crustier than I wanted.  But I stayed bang on the timing of the 2-2-1.  I like some of the suggested here for sure like from Lent, Mark and Fence.  Always room to learn with the BGE!

Those don't look bad at all.  Anyhow, your crust may have been crustier than you wanted because you used mustard on them ... and from the beginning. I save mustard for specific cooks where I want a nice crusty bark.

Suggestions would be only dry season them (salt, pepper, etc. or find a nice rub you like, I sometimes take the easy way out and use Keg seasoning) ... pat the ribs dry as much as possible before seasoning, a lot more sticks.  Then cook 2.5h indirect, before going to the foil wrap ... that is the first time it sees any sauces in my method.

Mark_B_Good

Money_Hillbilly said:

@Ihousesoccer. This is how they come out.

That looks amazing! So seems to be a 2-1-0.5 cook?

PoppasGrill

All of these sound like great adaptations based on preferences, I’ve tried a few different ways and the family likes 2.5-1.5- to the table with just a dry rub. I’ve experimented with several store bought rubs, but keep going back to garlic, Cheyenne pepper, salt, cracked pepper , paprika,and onion powder.
With a little bit of tug to get it off the bone.
like Teefus said,” sauce is on the table..”

Mark_B_Good

I sauce them when I wrap them ... then 30 min in the last stage, and I'm glazing them with sauce every 10 min during that stage.

I use the 2.5, 1.5, 0.5 method. Let the ribs sit for 10 minutes before serving, so the meat tightens up a bit, and doesn't fall off the bone too easily. Works every time.