The Best Cooking Method For Fall-Off-The-Bone Ribs

Cooking barbecue baby back ribs to perfection is a complicated task that can seem mystifying at first, so Chowhound found an expert to break it down with ease. Rich Parente is the chef and owner of Clock Tower Grill, which he runs with his wife, Cassie, to create delicious farm-to-table food in Brewster, New York. They operate their own Clock Tower Farm, which allows them quality control for their barbecue in every step of the process. He shared some exclusive advice with Chowhound for achieving the perfect melt-in-your-mouth tender ribs. "For fall-off-the-bone ribs, I recommend smoking them at 250 [degrees Fahrenheit] using the 3-2-1 method," Parente said.

The 3-2-1 method involves smoking the ribs for three hours uncovered, then cooking them for two hours wrapped in tin foil or parchment paper, and finally unwrapping them again for the last hour. That's six total hours of cook time, but it's worth the wait for a juicy, savory rack of ribs. Parente offered some advice for the crucial final hour of the process: "The last hour is when you can lacquer on more barbecue sauce or spray it with cider vinegar to add extra flavor and more texture to the outside."

You may not have a smoker at home, but that shouldn't stop you from making some tasty barbecue. You can use an outdoor grill or even the oven to make baby back ribs. Using the oven-cooking method will require higher heat of around 350 degrees Fahrenheit and different timing depending on the thickness of the rib meat, so the 3-2-1 trick might not be as reliable in this case. No matter the heat source, the preparation should be the same by removing the silver skin membrane and seasoning the meat with a spice rub.

What makes the 3-2-1 method so effective is allowing the meat to absorb the smokiness from the grill or smoker for the first three hours while it heats bone-side down. Once it's in the foil for the next two hours, flip the meat and cover with foil so that it can tenderize in its juices. The foil locks in moisture so it doesn't dry out. During the last hour, when the foil is removed, flip the ribs back to being bone-side down so that the rack can develop a crispy outer shell and marinate in the barbecue sauce. When the ribs are done cooking with the 3-2-1, they should be moist, saucy, and pulled apart with ease.