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An overhead view of a rack of smoked St. Louis-style ribs that have been partially cut up with a bowl of homemade barbecue sauce nearby.

Smoked St. Louis-Style Ribs

Course: Entree
Cuisine: American / BBQ
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
Resting time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 658kcal
Author: Kris Longwell
These ribs are the real deal. If you can, make the pork rub and BBQ sauce from scratch. Click the links for authentic recipes. We call this the 3-2-1 technique, but, in reality, it's more of the 2:45-1:45-0:45 technique. But, you get the gist. If you don't have a smoker, you can follow this recipe on the grill (maintain a 225°F temperature) or in the oven at 225°F.
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Equipment

  • 1 Smoker
  • 5 oz wood chips hickory, pecan, mesquite, oak
  • aluminum foil heavy duty

Ingredients

  • 2 racks St. Louis-style ribs spare ribs
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 cup yellow mustard
  • 1 cup pork rub
  • 8 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar preferably dark
  • 1½ cups BBQ sauce plus extra for serving

Instructions

  • Prep your smoker with the wood chips. Place a pan of water on the lower rack.
  • Liberally salt the ribs all over with salt. Place on a smoker rack (or racks) and place in the fridge (on a baking pan or pans) for 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.
    2 racks St. Louis-style ribs, Kosher salt
  • Remove the ribs from the fridge and slather mustard all over the tops and bottoms of the ribs. Liberally sprinkle the rub all over the ribs (they should be fully coated).
    1 cup yellow mustard, 1 cup pork rub
  • Place the ribs in the smoker and turn the heat to 225°F. Smoke for 2 hours and 45 minutes.
  • Tear off two pieces of foil that are large enough to wrap up each rack of ribs. Place four pads of butter on each piece of foil. Sprinkle a half cup of the brown sugar over the butter on each rack (total of 1 cup of sugar).
    8 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 cup brown sugar
  • Carefully bring the ribs from the smoker and place them (meat side down) on top of the butter. Bring the sides of the foil up around the ribs and gently make a seal on the top and the sides. Return the ribs to the smoker for another 1 hour and 45 minutes.
  • Make the BBQ sauce at this point, if you haven't already done so.
  • Bring the ribs in foil into the kitchen and place them on a baking sheet. Carefully remove the foil and any accumulated juices and melted butter. Place the ribs, meat side up, back on the grates. Liberally brush BBQ over the tops of the ribs. Return the ribs to the smoker for another 45 minutes.
    1½ cups BBQ sauce
  • Remove the ribs and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve at once with extra BBQ sauce for passing at the table.

Video

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. 
You can substitute baby back ribs. Ask your butcher to remove the membrane on the bottom side of the ribs. Take off an additional 30 minutes of cooking for each stage.
Leftovers will keep covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a low-temperature oven (225°F) until heated through. 

Nutrition

Calories: 658kcal | Carbohydrates: 140g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 724mg | Potassium: 827mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 65g | Vitamin A: 2541IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 716mg | Iron: 23mg