La Luna BBQ: The 3-2-R Method, Rib Recipe

This my standard method for smoking Ribs! I borrowed the basic idea of the method from competition teams I've observed, as well as alterations of other common methods.

3-2-R = 3 hours on smoke, 2 hours wrapped, R=Rest for 30 minutes. The ribs will be tender and juicy, pull from the bone with minimal effort, but NOT fall off the bone under their own weight.

For this cook I use St. Louis style Spares. I trimmed them up nice and square, and removed the membrane and any junky pieces of meat and fat hanging off. I timed them up more-or-less competition style, you don't need to do this much squaring if you don't want.

Rub the ribs down with your favorite rub with the addition of some fresh ground Colombian coffee. I just spritz them with some apple or other juice before applying the rub, this is much easier than rubbing with messy mustard, you don't need mustard, I promise.

Throw them onto the smoker for 3 hours at 230, spraying with a half/half mixture of Apple, and Pineapple juice every 30 minutes. *This will help achieve a nice caramelized bark, and impart more smoke flavor. As a bonus it can help produce a stronger smoke ring.

(In this case I was smoking a packer brisket at the same time)

The 3 hours is flexible plus or minus 20 minutes. What you want more than the time is a nice auburn caramel color and a well set bark. You should be able to grab it with a gloved hand and have nothing transfer beside just oils (no rub transfer). There should also be minimal bone exposure at this point. If they are poking out a bunch, you'll want to cut the wrap time down significantly.

Lay out a double layer of heavy duty foil, and begin by adding some Parkay (squeeze butter), a few spoonful's of Turbinado Sugar (aka raw sugar), Tiger Sauce (a sweet spicy sauce), a sprinkle of the rub (including some coffee grounds), and some Texas Bird Bath ("Texas Pepper Jelly" brand, which is essentially just peach and mango preserves with sugar. Despite its name, it is actually for ribs)

Place the ribs in meat side down, then apply the same mix to the bone side liberally. Wrap the ribs up nice and tight and on to the smoker for 2 hours at 230-240. Be sure to wrap with folds/openings in an upward direction to avoid leaks, and fold (don't roll) everything together so you can check without ripping the foil.

Begin checking the ribs about 20 minutes before the 2 hour mark. I still don't do my ribs by temp, I've done it both ways, but the timing here works perfect for me if you're picking consistently sized ribs, and have good temperature control. Basically what you are looking for is for the bones to be partially exposed (some racks will push out more than others), and perform a "twist test" on a couple of the bones, where it feels like you could twist it out with a bit of force, but wont just pull right out under the weight of the surrounding ribs.

Once you are happy with the bone pull/twist test, pull the ribs out of the cooker (wrapped back up in the foil), and let them rest out on the counter for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the wrapping and strain the juices from the foil into a container (set aside for later). Set the ribs bone side down onto a your cutting board and let them rest another 3-5 minutes to set up the sauces on the top.

Please note: If you are trying to store them a couple hours now for a party, do not rest them, just open the foil (save the sauce and discard the foil), wrap them in plastic wrap, wrap up in old towels/blankets and into a cooler for up to 2-3 hours. (be sure to still save the drippings for the next steps. You may need to refrigerate the drippings for food safety)

Once you're ready to serve, drizzle some of the reserved foil sauce onto the top, and place the ribs meat side down (easier to get a good even cut) and slice. No sauce is needed for these ribs, even for sauce lovers. The drippings from the foil will be all you need to moisten them up. You may wish to dip or brush each rib into the sauce, or just serve it on the side. Keep in mind that the basic ingredients of the rub, and sauces you've added are essentially a BBQ sauce already.