Tender, smoky baby back ribs prepared using the classic 3-2-1 method—three hours of smoke, two hours wrapped with brown sugar, honey and apple juice, then finished directly on the grill with barbecue sauce. Apple pellets add a mild, slightly sweet smoke that pairs especially well with pork.
Servings: About 4–6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: About 5½–6 hours
Ingredients:
- 2 racks baby back pork ribs
- ⅓ cup yellow mustard
- ½ cup apple juice, divided
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Pork Butt Rub, as needed
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 cup barbecue sauce, preferably Traeger 'Que Sauce
- Apple wood pellets, for smoking
Instructions:
- Remove the membrane from the bone side of each rack. Work the tip of a butter knife underneath the membrane over one of the middle bones. Once loosened, grasp it firmly with a paper towel and pull it away from the ribs.
- In a small bowl, combine the yellow mustard, ¼ cup apple juice and Worcestershire sauce.
- Rub the mustard mixture evenly over both sides of the ribs. Season generously with Pork Butt Rub or your preferred pork barbecue rub.
- Set the Traeger to 180°F and preheat according to the manufacturer's instructions. Apple pellets work especially well for these ribs.
- Place the ribs directly on the grill grate meat-side up. Smoke at 180°F for 3 hours.
- Transfer the ribs to a rimmed baking sheet and increase the grill temperature to 225°F.
- Tear off four long sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place one rack of ribs on a sheet of foil and pull up the sides slightly to contain the liquid.
- Sprinkle the rack with half of the brown sugar, drizzle with half of the honey, and pour over half of the remaining ¼ cup apple juice. For especially tender ribs, add a little additional apple juice.
- Cover with a second sheet of foil and tightly crimp the edges to create a sealed packet. Repeat with the second rack.
- Return the foil-wrapped ribs to the grill and cook at 225°F for 2 hours.
- Carefully open the foil packets—the escaping steam will be very hot. Remove the ribs and discard the foil and cooking liquid.
- Brush both sides of the ribs generously with barbecue sauce.
- Place the ribs directly on the grill grate and cook for another 30–60 minutes, until the sauce has tightened and become slightly sticky.
- Remove the ribs from the grill and let them rest for a few minutes before slicing between the bones and serving.
Tip: The traditional 3-2-1 method can produce very tender baby backs. If you prefer ribs with a little more bite rather than nearly fall-off-the-bone, shorten the wrapped portion to about 1½ hours and begin checking for tenderness.
Source: Traeger-inspired recipe / Family Recipe