Pit Boss Smoked 3-2-1 Ribs
Learn step by step how to prepare perfectly smoked 3-2-1 ribs on a Pit Boss pellet grill!We cover how to prep, season, cook, and sauce your ribs using the 3-2-1 Method and why the Pit Boss pellet grill makes it so easy to cook these ribs.Whether you’ve got baby back ribs, St. Louis Cut, or a full untrimmed rack of pork spare ribs, we’ve got you covered to modify this tried and true 3 2 1 technique as needed.
Equipment
- Pit Boss Pellet Grill
- Wood Pellets (preferably a fruitwood or oak)
- Empty Spray Bottle
- Rib Rack (optional)
- Aluminum Foil
- Heat Resistant BBQ Gloves
- Basting brush
- Meat Slicing Knife
Ingredients
- 1 Rack of Spareribs St. Louis Cut
- ¼ cup BBQ Rub
- 1 cup BBQ Sauce such as Blues Hog
Spritz
- ½ cup Apple Juice
- ¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Wrapping Seasonings (Optional)
- 2 tablespoon Honey
- 3 tablespoon Salted butter
- 3 tablespoon BBQ Sauce such as Blues Hog
Instructions
Prepare the Ribs and Spritz
- Remove the membrane from the back each rack of ribs using a knife to get it started in one corner, then grabbing on with a paper towel and pulling towards the opposite corner. Cut off excess fat.1 Rack of Spareribs
- Using your favorite BBQ rub or combination of rubs, apply a generous amount of rub to the fronts and backs of each slab of ribs.¼ cup BBQ Rub
- Let the rub set on the ribs at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before putting them on the Pit Boss.
- While the rub is setting, mix the apple juice and apple cider vinegar together in a spray bottle.½ cup Apple Juice, ¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Start the Pit Boss Pellet Grill
- Remove the fire pot from the bottom of the Pit Boss and clean out any ashes left over from the last cook. Replace it and make sure it is secured in place with the clips on either side. Also, wrap the drip tray in aluminum foil to limit cleanup needed later.
- Add your chosen pellets to the hopper, start the Pit Boss pellet grill and put it on the "Smoke" setting.
- Once the Pit Boss begins to produce thick white smoke, let it run for about 5-7 minutes until the smoke turns more of a clearish blue color. This means the fire rod has fully heated up to burn the pellets more cleanly.
- Next, set the temperature to preheat the Pit Boss pellet grill to 270°F and close the lid.
- Fill an aluminum pan with water pan if you want to add extra moisture, and place it in the middle of the lower cooking grates. Place a disposable bucket liner in the grease bucket as well if you want to limit cleanup later.
- Add a pellet tube smoker to the back of the lower rack to add more smoke flavor.
Stage 1 - Smoke the Ribs
- Place the ribs on the top rack with the thickest sides to the left (usually the hotter end of the grill).
- Close the lid and let the ribs cook for about 90 minutes. You can spritz gently as necessary to keep the meat moist if it begins to look dry.
- After 90 minutes rotate the ribs if one side appears darker than the other and begin checking them about every 30 minutes.
- While they are smoking, you can prepare your foil and wrapping ingedients.
Stage 2 - Wrap the Ribs
- Lay out a long piece of heavy duty aluminum foil on top of each other on a flat surface, long enough to double wrap the rack of ribs front and back with the two pieces.
- Add salted butter, honey, and BBQ sauce on the foil.2 tablespoon Honey, 3 tablespoon Salted butter, 3 tablespoon BBQ Sauce
- Once the ribs are a nice dark amber color and especially if you begin to see any very dark burning on the bones or ends, usually around the 3 hour mark, remove them from the grill using tongs or heat resistant gloves.
- Place the ribs face down into each pile of aluminum foil and add more of the ingredients to the back (top) of the ribs if you wish.
- If you would rather not use the wrapping ingredients listed above, place the ribs in the foil face up and add a small amount of apple juice, soda, or beer to the aluminum foil to add some moisture.
- Wrap the ribs tightly in the double layer of aluminum foil and place back on the Pit Boss top rack, face DOWN if using the wrapping ingredients, and continue to cook at 270°F.
- Begin checking the ribs after about 60 minutes and every 20 minutes after that. Once you see the meat pulling away from the ends of bones and tenderizing, and the ribs have reached about 200°F in the center using an instant thermometer you can take them out of the foil.
Stage 3- Firm and Sauce the Ribs
- Carefully remove the ribs from the foil and save the juices in the foil to add to your sauce later. Place the ribs back on the Pit Boss, face UP now, and cook for about 30 more minutes at 270°F before saucing.
- While the ribs are cooking, prepare your sauce by mixing you favorite sauce(s) together with some of the juices retained from the foil. Mix in a cup or bowl and set aside.1 cup BBQ Sauce
- After the ribs have been back on the Pit Boss unwrapped for about 30 minutes and firmed back up a little, gently brush the sauce on with a basting brush.
- Close the lid and continue cooking for another 15-30 minutes to let the sauce thicken and set on the meat.
Slicing and Serving the Pit Boss 3-2-1 Spare Ribs
- Remove the ribs from the Pit Boss and let them rest for about 5 minutes.
- Turn the ribs upright on their edge so that you can more easily see the ribs running along the bottom up and down.
- Using a good meat slicing knife, cut from top to bottom between the bones in the center of the racks to serve a half rack to each person. Or you can cut them into 2-3 rib portion servings on a platter to a larger crowd.
- Include some sauce on the side for guests to add extra if they desire and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 800kcal
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