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Smoked St. Louis Style Ribs Recipe

Nothing is better than a delicious rack of smoked St. Louis-style spare ribs, cooked slow and low for the ultimate BBQ flavor.

Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
6 hrs
Additional Time
45 mins
Total Time
7 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 8
Calories: 64542 kcal
Course: Main Course , Lunch
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the Rub:
  • 2 tablespoons coarse salt
  • 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon garlic granules
  • 1 tablespoon onion granules
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
For the Spritzer and Sauce:
  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup your favorite BBQ sauce
  • 1 stick melted unsalted butter
For the Ribs:
  • 2 3 to 3 ½ pound spare ribs trimmed
  • 4 tablespoons yellow or dijon mustard

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the smoker to 240° to 250°.
  2. Rub: Combine all of the ingredients and set aside.
  3. Spritzer: Add the apple juice, cider, and water to a spray bottle and shake. Set aside.
  4. Sauce: In a small saucepot, add the BBQ sauce, butter, and 1 cup of the spitzer mix. Keep warm.
  5. Rub the mustard all over both sides of the ribs creating a thin layer.
  6. Next, generously season the ribs on both sides with the rub. See Notes.
  7. Add the ribs to the smoker and cook for 1 hour. Spray the ribs with 8-10 sprays of the spritzer.
  8. Repeat this process for the next 90 minutes then cook for 30 more minutes.
  9. After 3 hours total of smoking time, remove the ribs.
  10. Pour about ½ cup of the mixed sauce over the ribs and rub it in on all sides.
  11. 1Add about ¼ cup of the mixed BBQ sauce onto the center of a large sheet of heavy-duty foil or peach paper where the ribs are going to go and place ribs bone side up to the top of the sauce on the foil and wrap them extremely tight by folding over and covering up the ribs.
  12. 1Place the ribs back on the smoker bone side up and cook for 3 hours or until they are done. See Notes.
  13. 1Remove the ribs from the smoker and let rest in the foil for 30-45 minutes before slicing and serving.
  14. 1Serve ribs with BBQ sauce on the side.

Notes

  • Make-Ahead: These ribs are meant to be eaten after cooking. However, you can keep them warm in a pan covered with foil in the oven at low temperatures (<200°) for up to 1 hour before serving.
  • How to Store: Cover and keep the ribs in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. These will freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator for 1 day or until thawed.
  • How to Reheat: Add the desired number of ribs to a pan and cover with foil. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes and then uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes or until hot.
  • I like to serve the BBQ sauce on the side instead of saucing it myself before serving.
  • Any BBQ sauce can be used on these ribs.
  • My favorite wood is alder, cherry, apple, peach, mesquite, oak, or pecan.
  • Ribs do not need to be wrapped when smoking, however, it is recommended.  Wrapping them in either peach paper or aluminum foil helps to break down the fat and protein while tenderizing it because it is essentially steaming in the foil.
  • Spritzing is simply spraying whatever you're smoking every 30-45 minutes with some liquid, usually equal parts vinegar, juice, beer, or water, out of a spray bottle to help keep the ribs moist and flavor them.
  • Properly smoked ribs should never fall off the bone.  They should easily pull away from the bone when taking a bite.
  • Contrary to popular belief, the membrane isn’t thick enough to prevent the rub, sauce, or spritzer from getting through, so it can be left off.
  • It’s incredibly hard to probe ribs because the thin cut of meat and bones are so close together. However, they are done at 190° to 203°. It's better to test the doneness by eye and feel.
  • St. Louis-style takes roughly 6 hours to smoke and 30-45 minutes to rest, so plan your day well. With prep time, you’re looking at about 8 hours.
  • If you don't have a smoker, you can follow these procedures in the oven at the same temperature. However, you will not get smokey flavors.
  • You can absolutely smoke these ribs on a standard charcoal grill, and if you like to grill and smoke, you should consider pellet grills or even a stone-style grill.
  • Seasoning Note: Season, do not cake the rub on it. It should not be a thickly coated rub.
  • Remember to scrunch the ribs together once on the smoker to sort of compact them. This will help seal in juices similar to that of trussing.
  • Here is how you know your ribs are done: If you pick them up in the center, they droop down into a U shape and slightly start to split. The meat pulls away from the bone on the back of the ribs. When gently moving the ribs, the top skin should slightly crack.

Nutrition Information

Serving 8g Calories 645.42kcal (32%) Carbohydrates 8.31g (3%) Protein 34.84g (70%) Fat 51.76g (80%) Saturated Fat 16.54g (83%) Cholesterol 174.7mg (58%) Sodium 2102.82mg (88%) Potassium 653.01mg (19%) Fiber 1.54g (6%) Sugar 4.08g (8%) Vitamin A 890.17IU (18%) Vitamin C 0.32mg (0%) Calcium 54.06mg (5%) Iron 2.76mg (15%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 64542

% Daily Value*

Serving 8g
Calories 645.42kcal 32%
Carbohydrates 8.31g 3%
Protein 34.84g 70%
Fat 51.76g 80%
Saturated Fat 16.54g 83%
Cholesterol 174.7mg 58%
Sodium 2102.82mg 88%
Potassium 653.01mg 14%
Fiber 1.54g 6%
Sugar 4.08g 8%
Vitamin A 890.17IU 18%
Vitamin C 0.32mg 0%
Calcium 54.06mg 5%
Iron 2.76mg 15%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.