Curley's Famous Barbecue Sauces
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Grilling & Smoking

Hickory BBQ Ribs

3-2-1 Method

The 3-2-1 method is foolproof for fall-off-the-bone ribs. Three hours of smoke, two wrapped, one uncovered with Curley's Hickory doing its best work in that final hour.

Prep Time20 min
Cook Time6 hrs
Servings4–6
DifficultyIntermediate

How To Make It

  1. 1

    Remove membrane from back of ribs by scoring and peeling with a paper towel for grip.

  2. 2

    Coat ribs lightly with yellow mustard. Mix all dry spices with brown sugar and apply liberally to both sides. Rest 30 minutes.

  3. 3

    Set smoker to 225°F. Smoke ribs bone-side down for 3 hours.

  4. 4

    Lay out a double layer of foil. Place ribs bone-side up on foil. Add butter pats, drizzle honey, and ¼ cup Curley's Famous Hickory BBQ Sauce over ribs. Wrap tightly.

  5. 5

    Return to smoker bone-side down. Cook wrapped for 2 hours.

  6. 6

    Unwrap ribs carefully. Brush generously with Curley's Famous Hickory BBQ Sauce on both sides.

  7. 7

    Return to smoker or grill over direct heat. Cook 1 hour unwrapped, applying additional sauce every 20 minutes, until glaze is set and ribs have a beautiful lacquered finish.

  8. 8

    Rest 10 minutes. Cut between bones and serve with extra sauce.

Pro Tip

Three coats of Curley's Hickory during that final hour builds a layered glaze. Each coat dries slightly before the next goes on, creating depth rather than a flat sugary coating.