Don't Skip This Step If You Want Fall-Off-The-Bone Ribs

Two racks of BBQ rips on a wire rack next to a bowl of BBQ sauce

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Ribs are one of our favorite cuts of meat to barbecue, because they benefit so strongly from the smoky flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture that low-and-slow cooking imparts. Some barbecue experts will tell you that the best way to cook ribs for amazingly tender results is to smoke them on a grill using the 3-2-1 method, which involves smoking for a total of six hours and introducing new additions at various intervals. For more inside tips for fall-off-the-bone ribs, Chowhound spoke to Matt Abdoo, the executive chef and co-founder of Pig Beach BBQ, with locations in Boston, New York, and Florida. Abdoo says there’s one important final step you can’t skip when making tender, flavorful ribs: wrapping them in a liquid glaze and foil to finish the cooking process.

According to Abdoo, liquid wrapping for the last hour of cooking is the key. “That last hour in the foil adds sweetness, acidity, and moisture, which tenderizes the meat and gives you that perfect fall-off-the-bone texture without drying it out,” he says.

Wrapping is a powerful barbecue technique for all kinds of tougher cuts of meat, including brisket, and given the high collagen content in ribs, it can be a game changer. As for what kind of glaze to wrap with, Abdoo says, “I like a mix of apple juice, cider vinegar, brown sugar, honey, and butter — though every pitmaster has their own secret version.”

More tips for no-fuss, tender ribs

Barbecue ribs outside in foil

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In case you needed more convincing that finishing your barbecued ribs with a glaze wrap is the way to go, Matt Abdoo verifies that this method is competition-worthy. “It’s the same technique [Pig Beach uses] when competing at Memphis in May and other BBQ competitions,” he says. “Our glaze is a mix of peach nectar, honey, butter, brown sugar, apple juice, and cider vinegar — it creates that sticky, finger-licking flavor, while locking in moisture so the ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender.” Beyond concocting a killer homemade barbecue sauce or glaze, Abdoo also says that achieving the right temperature and using the best wood when cooking are essential. “We also cook low and slow at a steady 250 degrees [Fahrenheit] over cherry wood, which really enhances the texture and flavor,” he says.

But what about when you want succulent ribs and don’t have the time for a long barbecue process? Unfortunately for anyone in a rush, Abdoo says there’s no beating the low and slow method. However, he does offer a few possible alternatives. “If you’re short on time, you can pressure-cook them and finish on the grill, or cut them into single bones, season, smoke, and wrap them — they’ll be tender in about an hour,” he says. Another option, he says, is to cook over direct heat and finish them off in a foil pouch with glaze in the oven, such as in the case of these oven-baked BBQ baby back ribs. “All of these will get you reasonably tender ribs quickly, but you lose the depth of smoke flavor that comes from true low-and-slow barbecue,” he says.