St. Louis Ribs
Ingredients
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- 2 racks St. Louis–style pork spare ribs
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp sweet paprika
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 4 ounces wood chunks (hickory or apple)
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups ketchup
- 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp celery seed
Instructions
1. Pat the St. Louis–style pork spare ribs dry, remove the thin membrane from the bone side, and square any loose flaps so the racks are evenly shaped.
2. In a bowl, mix the dry rub: light brown sugar, sweet paprika, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, and cayenne pepper until evenly combined.
3. Coat both sides of the ribs evenly with the rub, pressing to adhere; let sit at room temperature 20–30 minutes while you heat the smoker.
4. Preheat a smoker to 250°F with clean-burning heat, and add the wood chunks (hickory or apple) to establish steady smoke.
5. Combine the apple juice and apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle to make a spritz.
6. Place the ribs bone-side down in the smoker and cook until the rub has set and the surface is deep mahogany, 2.5–3 hours, spritzing the surface lightly every 45 minutes; the bark should not smear when touched.
7. Wrap each rack tightly in heavy-duty foil, pouring about 0.25 cup of the spritz into each packet, then return to the smoker and cook until tender, 1.5–2 hours; ribs are ready when a probe slides in with little resistance, bones peek 0.25 inch, and internal temperature is 195–203°F.
8. While the ribs are wrapped, make the sauce: in a small saucepan, whisk together ketchup, distilled white vinegar, molasses, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and celery seed; bring to a simmer over medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until glossy and slightly thickened, 10–12 minutes, then remove from heat.
9. Unwrap the ribs and return them to the smoker bone-side down; brush a thin layer of the sauce over the ribs and cook until the glaze sets and is tacky, 20–30 minutes.
10. Rest the ribs 10 minutes, slice between the bones, and serve with additional sauce alongside.
St. Louis ribs are trimmed pork spare ribs cut into neat, rectangular racks with an even thickness that cooks evenly and slices cleanly. The style favors a balanced bark of spice and gentle sweetness, a pronounced but clean wood smoke, and a glossy, tangy tomato-based glaze. Done right, the meat has a tender bite with a slight tug from the bone, a crackly peppery crust, and a sauce that leans bright and slightly sweet without overwhelming the pork.
The cut gained prominence in the mid-20th century when processors in the St. Louis area popularized a tidy, squared trim of spare ribs by removing the sternum, cartilage, and rib tips. St. Louis barbecue culture is known for pork, a love of sauced ribs, and distinctive local tomato-based sauces sold for generations. Compared to dry-rub-centric Memphis ribs or heavy, sweet Kansas City glazes, St. Louis ribs typically strike a middle ground—well-seasoned, moderately sauced, and celebrated for their clean, meaty flavor and crowd-pleasing tang.