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Achieving consistently tender, flavorful baby back ribs is a pursuit for many backyard grillers. While the 3-2-1 method (three hours unwrapped, two wrapped in foil, one sauced) is a common starting point and has been kind of the staple of the internet for some time, I’ve been starting to work with a 2-2-1 variation that delivers exceptional results. I've also seen 3-1-1. The complaint is similar, the solution a little different, in that the ribs frankly don't need 6 hours and are done in 5, and too much time in the foil makes them fall off the bone but lose their bite. Instead of reducing the time in the wrap, my approach involves a key swap: butcher paper instead of foil, along with a strategic spritz of apple juice. This subtle change, I’ve found, makes a significant difference, I think, because the paper lets the ribs breathe just a little more.

Prepping for Perfection

My process begins with preparation. First, I pat the ribs dry to get any excess liquid off from the cryopack that they came in. They can sometimes be a mess coming straight out of the back from the store.

Then I always remove the silverskin from the bone side of the ribs for optimal tenderness. If you have a hard time grabbing it, you can use another little piece of paper towel as a gripper. But once you get going pulling on it, it generally peels right off. This is important because it exposes a little bit of the meat on the back side of the ribs to rub and it also just gets rid of that membrane that just hangs out on the bone and is annoying when you're trying to eat them. Annoying to me, at least.

Next comes the rub. My go-to rub is a combination of sugar, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chili powder, cayenne and black pepper. But you can use whatever your favorite rib or pork rub might be. If you are doing more than one rack of ribs, you may want to vary it up between sweet and spicy, but I generally do the standard rub across both and look for variation in the sauce. The spice profile for the rub needs that sweet, salty, and smoky combination. Get the ribs covered completely in the rub and let them sit for at least an hour if not longer. The rub will pull some of that moisture out of the ribs and blend to create a beautiful glaze.

The Initial Smoke: Two Hours in the Vertical

My smoker setup features a dedicated rib rack, which you would think would be particularly useful when handling multiple racks, but I find at times it is a little challenging to get the ribs angled in there just right. For the initial two-hour smoke, I position the seasoned ribs meat-side up in the rack with a little effort, but if you don't have a rack you can just as easily put them on the grates. This slight vertical orientation ensures better airflow around each rack, which can help with smoke penetration, but it's really only needed when smoking several slabs simultaneously. Maintaining a consistent smoker temperature of 225-250°F (107-121°C) during this phase is key to developing a good bark and infusing the meat with smoke. I often use a blend of a wood like pecan, oak, or hickory and a sweeter wood like cherry or oak for a balanced, rich smoke profile.

The Butcher Paper Wrap: My 2-Hour Secret

Here’s where my deviation from the standard 2-2-1 comes in. After the initial two hours, it’s time to wrap. Many opt for aluminum foil, often adding a liquid like apple juice or beer to braise the ribs. I’ve shifted to using [each, unwaxed butcher paper. Butcher paper offers a slight breathability that foil doesn't, allowing some smoke to continue reaching the meat while still effectively tenderizing it. This helps avoid the "steamed" texture that foil can sometimes impart, preserving more of that smoked bark. I will put a couple of sheets down and just place the ribs on it and roll it up like a sub sandwich or a burrito, folding the ends in to create a rib "packet."

The liquid component is still important. Instead of just pouring it, I lightly spritz the butcher paper with apple juice before tightly wrapping each rack. The subtle sweetness of the apple juice complements both the sweet and spicy rubs, adding moisture and a layer of flavor as the ribs braise.

On this particular occasion, I found myself just about to go wrap, only to find I had no apple juice. A quick check confirmed no spares. A grocery store run could have happened, but it would have been my third or so of the weekend, so I texted my neighbor to see if she happened to have any juice boxes for her kids. She had one and generously shared a juice box, which is plenty to spritz both racks. Crisis avoided!

With the butcher paper secured and moistened with apple juice, the wrapped ribs go back into the smoker for another two hours at the same consistent temperature. This phase is critical for tenderizing the meat.

The Final Hour: Sauced or Naked

Finally, after these two hours wrapped, the ribs are carefully unwrapped. The aroma at this stage is always impressive. The meat should be significantly tender, but not yet falling apart completely.For the final hour, you have options. For maximum tenderness, you can continue to cook them unwrapped until they reach your desired pull-off-the-bone texture. If you prefer to glaze them, you can apply your favorite barbecue sauce and allow it to tack up and caramelize in the smoker.

After the final hour, it's important to rest the ribs for 15-20 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute, ensuring a more tender and flavorful result. Serve them with your preferred sides: coleslaw, potato salad, or ranch or baked beans and enjoy the culmination of your efforts.

2-2-1 Baby Back Ribs

Prep Time: 2 hours | Cook Time: 6 hours | Yield: 8 servings

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 slabs of baby back ribs
• 1 cup of your favorite pork rub or rib rub
• Apple juice, for spritzing
• Barbecue sauce (about 1/4 cup for basting, plus more to serve)

Instructions

1. Preheat smoker for around 225° F
2. Dry ribs with paper towel and remove silverskin membrane from back of ribs. Coat liberally with rub on both sides and let sit at room temperature while you wait on your smoker.
3. After an hour or two at room temperature, place ribs on the smoker meat side up. Smoke over a combination of pecan and apple woods, or a similar wood profile.
4. After two hours, wrap the ribs in peach butcher paper and spritz the paper (and ribs if desired) with apple juice from a spray bottle. Place back on smoker for another two hours.
5. Unwrap ribs. Sauce if desired and return to smoker for 1 hour longer, until the temperature is at least 195° F and up to around 205° F. You can test the ribs as well to make sure they have the desired texture and pull from the bone.
6. Let ribs rest for at least 30 minutes. Use a sharp knife to cut between the ribs to separate. Serve with extra sauce.

Notes

As noted, any combination of a wood like pecan, hickory, or oak with a sweeter wood like apple or cherry will work well for your ribs. Most of all, enjoy!