Page 79 - Amazing Ribs - Book

There is a tradeoff in wrapping. It hampers bark formation. Years ago someone came up with a technique called 3-2-1. It prescribes smoke-roasting the meat for 3 hours, then wrap- ping it and putting it back in the cooker for 2 hours, then taking it out of the wrap and smoking it for 1 hour more. We are not fans.
Wrapping ribs for 2 hours is a recipe for overcooked mushy meat. At most you should wrap the rack of ribs for one hour. Try this: 3-1-1 for babybacks and 4-1-1 for spares and St. Louis cut. Then experiment to find your favorite formula.
We usually don’t bother with the crutch at home because
the improvement isn’t so great that it is worth the effort and expense of the foil. But in competition, with thousands in prize money, you need every edge you can get, so crutching
is essential. If you’ve seen it on TV and must try it, click here to learn more about the science behind the Texas crutch and how to do it properly.
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