1-2-2-1?

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ajbert

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
May 1, 2013
355
14
In the Colorado mountains
I smoked up a couple of racks of St. Louis style ribs a few weeks back using the 3-2-1 method and my wife absolutely loved them.  However, they were a bit too "wet" for me.  They came out very, very tender with the meat literally falling off the bones.

Me?  I kind of like to gnaw a bit on the bones to get all the meat of them.  These came out almost like pulled pork.

I have done a bit of reading and research on here and found something that more than a few recommend before placing anything in the smoke.  That would be to take whatever one is about to smoke out of the fridge about an hour or so before the smoking is to begin to allow the meat to come to ambient temp.

I took that just a step further.  The next set of ribs I smoke I put them in the smoker with the A-MAZE-N pellet smoker for about an hour with no heat.  First to bring them to ambient temp and second to get a little more smokey goodness and third to try for a bit drier ribs.

Everything I've pretty much read on here says that meat absorbs the most smokey flavor when cold up to about 140 degrees F.  I was also aware of the four hours to bring the meat from 40 degrees to 140 degrees.

Happy to say I was more than happy with my little experiment!  My wife still like the first batch better but when it came to left overs she much preferred the second batch.

Just curious if anyone else has tried the early smoking without heat before beginning the 3-2-1 or 2-2-1 method?  If not, I highly suggest it if you like more smoke flavor to your ribs and you let your ribs settle out to ambient temp before putting them in the smoker with heat.

If this has already been cover, I do apologize.  I just haven't come across anyone doing it before, though I'm sure someone, somewhere has done before.
 
I have a friend that cold mokes for 2 hours the grills
 
As long as you maintain safe temps and practices your method should be fine.

 You could also cut the 2 hrs in foil back to 1 -  1.5 hrs and go a bit longer than the 1 hr finish time.

The time in foil is what steams the ribs and makes them mushy.. The 1 hr  finish time is to firm them back up.

 Anytime you need a taste tester just holler. I'm in B.R. too.
 
Hi,

I have seen somewhere on the forum for the abbreviations but I can not find them again. Would someone please give me directions where they are at? I was looking for the 3-2-1 or 2-2-1 description for ribs.

Thank you

Charlie
 
 
As long as you maintain safe temps and practices your method should be fine.

 You could also cut the 2 hrs in foil back to 1 -  1.5 hrs and go a bit longer than the 1 hr finish time.

The time in foil is what steams the ribs and makes them mushy.. The 1 hr  finish time is to firm them back up.

 Anytime you need a taste tester just holler. I'm in B.R. too.
I used the 1-2-2-1 as an example.  Last couple of racks I cooked up was more like 1.5-2.5-1.5-1.5.  Still in the experiment phase before I try it with a really good set of ribs from my local butcher.  Told my wife I'll cook her half in the smoker and mine on the grill.  Took me a few years to get them just right on the grill and I've only gotten compliments on those.  Just trying to broaden my horizons.

I'm actually out in French Settlement.  I'd offer up the job as taste tester no problem, but you'll have to stand in line as I have quite a few folks already on the list...lol.
 
Hi,

I have seen somewhere on the forum for the abbreviations but I can not find them again. Would someone please give me directions where they are at? I was looking for the 3-2-1 or 2-2-1 description for ribs.

Thank you

Charlie
3-2-1/2-2-1 is 3/2 hours with heat/smoke at the beginning, 2 hours in foil with heat, 1 hour unfoiled/heated with sauce.  Hope that clears things up for you.
 
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