American · Main · Medium
St. Louis Spare Ribs
Smoked spare ribs with a sweet and tangy glaze, tender enough to bite clean off the bone. St. Louis style means sauced and proud.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
St. Louis Spare Ribs, in 5 ideas
- St. Louis cut ribs are trimmed into a neat rectangle, so they cook more evenly than full spares.
- The 3-2-1 method (3 hours smoke, 2 wrapped, 1 sauced) is the classic framework.
- The bend test tells you more than temperature. Pick up the rack with tongs, it should bend 90 degrees.
- Removing the membrane lets the smoke and rub penetrate from both sides.
- Sauce at the end only, so it glazes instead of burning.
What you need
Ingredients
- 2 racks St. Louis style spare ribs
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
How to make it
Directions
- Remove the membrane from the back of each rack. Mix the dry rub and coat both sides generously.
- Smoke at 250F for 3 hours, bone side down.
- Wrap each rack in foil with a splash of apple juice. Return to the smoker for 2 hours.
- Unwrap and brush with barbecue sauce mixed with honey.
- Smoke 30 more minutes until the sauce sets and the ribs bend easily when lifted.
- Rest 10 minutes, then slice between the bones.
Use the back of a spoon to lift the membrane from the bone, then grab it with a paper towel for grip. It comes off in one sheet once you get it started.