Smoking Ribs with a Water Barrier

This little trick works well in traditional rib smokers but especially well in charcoal grills since charcoal grills lack the firebox that cuts the spare ribs off from the heat. Since the meat is so much closer to the fire when using charcoal grills, this is a bit more important. What you want to do first is to create a water pouch that will allow you to keep the smoking pork ribs from getting scorched while at the same time providing moisture to the rib smoking chamber.

Start with 4 large sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil. It is better to have too much foil than too little because you can always fold over the excess or cut it off. Put two of the sheets together and crease the edges all the way around the perimeter. Do the same to the other two sheets. Now, you should be left with 2 double ply pieces of aluminum foil. Stack them together and roll 3 of the sides up about 1". Use a very tight roll because you don't want the water to escape. Basically, you are trying to make a "pocket" here, leaving one side open so that it can be filled with water. Ideally, you should try to make the water pocket about the same size as the width of the inside of whatever grill you are using. This water pocket barrier will be the divide between the smoking ribs and the fire. It does not have to be perfect.

Finally, fill it with water and seal up the final side. Try to keep the water packet flat, like a wall. Don't worry if it leaks a bit -- not a bid deal since that will only add more moisture to the smoking chamber. You can even do what I do - tear a small opening in the top corner of the pouch, which allows steam to escape and constantly baste your smoking ribs, while at the same time it allows for you to refill the water pouch when needed. Now, you should try to situate the water barrier in your charcoal grill (before starting the fire!) so that the fire will be on one side and the meat on the other. If you use a normal ribs smoker, then place the water pouch on the rib side of the smoker. Since most ribs smoker lids are rounded like barrels then it is a bit difficult to cut off all of the heat as some will no doubt escape over the top of this water barrier. But, it still can cut the overall heat down significantly, even for regular smoker grills. You can attach it to the sides of the grill to get it to stand upright or you can prop it up with a couple opened beer cans or bricks. Baste the smoked ribs throughout the process as well.

During the rib smoking process, be sure to check that the pouch is full of water. I have tried to add spices to the water but have never noticed the difference in taste. Nonetheless, this little water pouch trick is pretty easy and cheap to do and also has the added benefit of keeping your smoked ribs nice and tender because they won't be fried by furious exposure to the heat. Oh yes, the added moisture is just another little extra.

BBQ Ribs | 3-2-1 Method is Flawed

Grilling bbq ribs is not only a fun experience but also a tasty treat. However, most of you guys have been conned by the supposed bbq rib experts into believing that this 3-2-1 method is the end all of smoked ribs cooking. To be honest, I have been using a similar method for years and years now, long before the 3-2-1 became so widespread. I say "similar" because my way of smoking ribs is much better; the 3-2-1 bbq ribs is flawed and here is why.

First, let me explain real quick what this 3-2-1 bbq ribs method is. The numbers simply refer to hours: 3 hours then 2 hours then 1 hour. The bbq ribs formula reads like this: 3 hours in the smoker, 2 hours in foil, then 1 last hour back into the smoker.

The glaring problems with this method is that it does not take into account the size of the smoker, or the amount of bbq ribs, or the distance the meat will be from the heat source, or whether or not there will be other foods in the smoker absorbing smoke. These things may sound like small concerns, but serious bbq rib smokers will tell you that they are not small concerns at all. An hour variation here and there on the smoking or the tenderizing phase could be HUGE and can mean the difference between 'honorable mention' and $7,500.00 first prize.

Even if you are not a bbq ribs competition monkey like me, it is worth noting that the times prescribed in the 3-2-1 method are all wrong. If you use a full competition smoker, for example, then 3 hours of smoking is simply not enough unless you are grilling only one rack of ribs. Remember, this is bbq SMOKED ribs that we are talking about here... not "slightly puffed on" ribs. Three hours won't cut it; you'll want to go more like 5 to 8 hours of good constant smoke exposure. Get those bbq ribs as far away from that heat as possible in order to allow that smoke to penetrate the meat slowly and consistantly, although you will want to make sure that your temps are 250 or above in order to maintain food safety.

Again, the 3-2-1 method is flawed on the first number. It is also flawed on the second: two hours in the foil. Read my other posts if you are lost on this step of smoking ribs. What the foil stage accomplishes is the tenderizing of the meat. By double wrapping the racks of bbq ribs in good quality foil you can essentially trap the steam inside the foil pocket and slowly tenderize the meat. You do not have to baste during this stage, as many proclaim, because the water steam vapor trapped inside the foil keeps the ribs constantly basted. As matter of fact, you will do more damage by opening the pouch to baste them because it will take quite a while for the ribs pouches to build back up the necessary steam to start the tenderizing again. This second stage is vital if you like your ribs tender. Do not skimp on this by tenderizing for only two hours. Oh, and by the way, it does not matter if you use the grill, smoker, oven or slow cooker for this part of the bbq smoked ribs formula. Why? Because since the ribs are double wrapped in foil, very little if any of the smoke is getting to the meat anyway. Do let people tell you that this part has to be done on the grill. Makes no difference in taste. I often will smoke the bbq ribs for about 5 to 9 hours and then wrap in foil and let set overnight to allow the smoke to cure into the meat. I will then slow-cook in either a slow cooker or the oven for about another 5 to 7 hours. I like to do this at a very low temperature, usually around 225*.

The third number in the 3-2-1 smoked ribs method is also wrong. No good reason for this stage at all unless you just want to color up your ribs for plating or presentation effects. Otherwise, you should have already attained the desired texture color prior to the tenderizing. Again, keep in mind that it all depends on the amount of bbq ribs that you are preparing and the size of your rib smoker and the distance that the meat is from the heat source. Other than the 3, the 2, and the 1 in the 3-2-1 method, the rest is good for bbq ribs.