3: Flavor Infusion

• For the first step of the 3-2-1 method, set your smoker or grill to smoke and prepare your ribs with an optional liquid rub -- mustard, Worcestershire sauce and apple juice make for perennial choices -- and then a dry rub. Classic dry rub ingredients include chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt and pepper. Smoke the ribs for three hours at around 220 degrees Fahrenheit, with the meaty side facing up. You can use the hardwood of your choice to smoke your ribs, including apple, hickory, mesquite or pecan. This initial slow cooking allows the smoke to permeate the meat, making for an incredibly rich flavor.

2: Foil and Braise

• Once your ribs have taken in the smoke for three hours, remove them from the smoker or grill. Leave the heat on and quickly wrap the ribs in foil. Before you tightly seal the edges of the foil, apply phase two of your flavoring. Focus on liquid seasonings here, such as honey, a bit more apple juice, wine, beer, apple cider vinegar and brown sugar, which will melt over the meat. The goal is to create a braising liquid. The wrap and the liquid help speed cooking times while preventing the meat from drying out. Wrap the foil over the top of the ribs and toss the wrapped meat back on the grill or smoker for -- you guessed it -- two hours. This part of the 3-2-1 process lets the meat thoroughly absorb the braising liquid, bolstering its tenderness.

1: Sauce It Up

• After five total hours of slow smoking, carefully remove your ribs from the cooking surface with heavy-duty tongs. Unwrap the foil, avoiding the release of hot steam, and brush on the barbecue sauce of your choice. Return the ribs to the grill or smoker for about one hour, or until the sauce adheres to the meat, creating that desirable sticky-sweet texture. Sometimes, 30 minutes does the trick here.

Beyond the Basics

• Use a meat thermometer to test your ribs before serving -- they should take on an internal temperature of about 165 to 170 F. Feel free to tweak the 3-2-1 method to suit your personal tastes and preferences; to make meat that sticks closer to bone, for example, increase the three-hour smoking time and decrease the two-hour braising time. On the other side of the spectrum, you can double-wrap the ribs in foil for additional tenderness.