How to Smoke St Louis Style Ribs with Spicy BBQ Sauce

One of the best things you can do for your palette (especially for St. Louis style spare ribs) is to get yourself a smoker. Once you try your hand at smoking your meat, you will never look back. The steam keeps it tender and juicy, while the wood imparts a deep flavor that sinks deep into the tissue, beyond the crust. Smoke is a powerful flavor component, and the best part about it is that not all smoke is the same.

This St. Louis style spare ribs recipe shows you how to take all flavor components and allow the ingredients to work in concert so it plays like a symphony. Sounds funny but I'm not even kidding!

Do you know how much fun you can have just experimenting with different kinds of wood chips? From subtle oak to bold mesquite, there are all kinds of flavor profiles that can change the outcome of your recipe.

You can even match up your favorite wood with a meat pairing. I’ve done baby back ribs in the smoker, too. I used mesquite just like I do in this St. Louis style ribs recipe.

Both are pork and they match up nicely with the boldness of this choice in wood. 

Smoked St. Louis Style Spare Ribs with a Spicy BBQ Sauce

As you cook these succulent and spicy St. Louis style spare ribs remember to keep the temperature low and let it cook over a long period of time. Trust the process, these ribs come out dripping from the bone.

Be prepared with an exit strategy for getting the St. Louis ribs out. They will need careful handling, but it’s so worth it when you sit down to tender juicy morsels of pure Missouri joy. Remember, patience doesn’t mean negligence.

Check on the ribs frequently to make sure the steam pot has plenty of water. Moisture is absolutely essential to the outcome of this dish.

Smoking St Louis Style Ribs Ingredients:

Rack of St. Louis Style Spare Ribs

For the BBQ Sauce

• 1 (24-ounce) bottle of ketchup
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• ¼ apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Chili Garlic Sauce
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
• 2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika

St Louis Style Ribs Rub:

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

For Smoking:

• Water
• Wood Chunks or chips, pre-soaked, or pellets (whichever your smoker uses)

Smoking St Louis Style Ribs Directions:

• Season both sides of the ribs generously with the salt, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and ground black pepper. Allow to marinate overnight in the fridge.
• Fill the steam pot in the smoker with water and stock the smoker with wood (chunks, chips, pellets…whatever your smoker is designed for)
• Smoke the ribs for about 3 hours at 225 degrees, until they reach an internal temperature of 175 degrees. Make sure to check the water level and wood every 45-60 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine all of the BBQ sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, making sure to whisk the ingredients together
• Once boiling, reduce the heat and allow the sauce to simmer for 15 minutes
• Remove from heat and allow to cool before using 
• Transfer to an airtight container (I use mason jars) if not using immediately and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. 
• After 3 hours, remove the ribs and apply BBQ sauce to both sides before wrapping in butcher paper or aluminum foil. Return to the smoker and continue to cook for 2 more hours
• When the ribs have about an hour left, unwrap and apply more BBQ sauce and return to the smoker to finish cooking, unwrapped, until they reach 195-203 degrees (about another hour).
• Carefully remove the ribs from the smoker (letting them reach a higher temperature allows the connective tissue to break down and they are fall-off-the-bone tender)
• Allow the ribs to rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.
• Enjoy!

Smoking St Louis Style Ribs

St. Louis Style Ribs are cut a little differently then the Memphis favorite, Baby Back Ribs, but both always produce super flavorful, mouthwatering fall of the bone rib meat.

The only difference between St Louis and Memphis style ribs is the location where they are cut from the rib section of the pig.

St. Louis style ribs are cut at the bottom part of the rib cage, a little closer to the belly. Baby back ribs or loin ribs, are cut higher in the rib cage, towards the back of the pig hence the name, baby back ribs.

That's how I remember anyways for the few times I am ever asked or have to think about it.

St. Louis style ribs are longer and generally meatier with more fat which always results in the final product being super tender, with potentially more flavorful ribs.

However, make no mistake, baby back ribs may be shorter but are still delicious and extremely tender.

As a result, if time is a concern, go with baby back ribs because smoking St. Louis Style Ribs can take much longer to smoke, an hour if not two.

Best Wood For Smoking

When it comes to selecting wood for smoking ribs, you should oftentimes think of fruit. After all, pork and fruit go fantastic together so be sure to keep that in mind.

In addition, the wood used for smoking will depend upon where in the US you live. For example, Texas is often known for pecan or oak while hickory is synonymous with Memphis BBQ.

Alder Wood
Cherry Wood
Apple Wood
Peach Wood
Maple Wood
Mesquite Wood

While these woods are great for smoking ribs, chicken, or pork shoulder, but don’t let this list limit you. If you are already love smoking with a wood that is not on this list than I implore you to use it when making this ribs recipe.

How Long Do St. Louis Style Ribs Take to Smoke

St. Louis style takes roughly 6 hours to smoke and about 30-45 minutes to rest, so all in all plan your day well because with prep time you’re looking at about a total of 8 hours. I know, that’s long but I promise it will be worth it.

Baby back ribs take about 4 hours of smoking time plus 30-45 minutes of rest time.

The 3-2-1 Method

The ever-popular 3-2-1 method of smoking ribs really works great and is pretty much fool proof. You simply smoke for 3 hours, wrap in foil and smoke for 2 hours, then finally unwrap and smoke for 1 hour. It is really that simple and the smoking temperature throughout pretty much stays the same.

What Temperature Are They Done At

It’s incredibly hard to probe ribs because of the thin cut of meat and bones so close in between, however, they are done at 190° to 203°. With that being said it is better to test the doneness by eye and feel.

If you pick up the ribs in the center do, they droop down into a U-shape and slightly start to split
On the backside of the ribs is the meat pulling away from the bone.
When gently moving the ribs, the top skin should slightly crack.
Learning these tricks come with time and reps for smoking ribs. The safest way is definitely by temperature.

Membrane On or Off

Believe it or not, this part doesn’t matter. I know that this is contrary to popular belief but the membrane isn’t thick enough to stop the rub, sauce or spritzer from getting through. I actually kind of like it on because it can help seal in juices and help keep the ribs shape intact.

Should Smoked Ribs Fall Off The Bone

I’ve been cooking for a long time and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you like what you like. With that being said, properly smoked ribs should never fall off the bone. They should easily pull away from the bone when taking a bite. This procedure or texture in them can also be known as competition ribs.

If you pick up the meat and the bones fall out, you’ve cooked them way too long.

The Best Rib Rub

I definitely recommend using a dry rub when it comes to smoking ribs. Here is the rub that I used:

• sea salt
• black pepper
• garlic granules
• onion granules
• paprika

Yes, this is an incredibly simple rub but to me is the perfect savory and zesty combination for them since I like sweeter BBQ sauces and a spritzer to help balance out the overall flavor.

You can absolutely use your favorite rub for this recipe, or you can even add additional ingredients such as sugar, brown sugar, cumin, chili powder, or anything else you love and want to put in it. Get creative!

BBQ Spritzing

Spritzing is simply spraying whatever it is you’re smoking every 30-45 minutes with some sort of liquid, usually vinegar, juice, beer or water, out of a spray bottle to help keep the ribs moist as well as flavor them. Remember things like vinegar, a.k.a. acid, help breakdown to tenderize and season food. Here’s what I used.

• ⅓ apple juice
• ⅓ apple cider vinegar
• ⅓ water

This can also be enhanced with other ingredients such as pineapple juice, wine, apple cider or even beer. Avoid using BBQ sauce because there is so much sugar in it that it can cause them to burn.

Do You Need to Wrap Ribs

Ribs definitely do not need to be wrapped when smoking, however, it is recommended. Wrapping them in either butcher paper or aluminum foil helps to break down the fat and protein while tenderizing it because it is essentially steaming in the foil.

This process will help provide a ton of flavor, tenderness and definitely juiciness to your rib’s recipe. I am smoking for 3 hours unwrapped and then 3 hours wrapped for this spare ribs recipe.

What BBQ Sauce to Use

As I mentioned earlier, it’s not recommended to use Spicy BBQ Sauce while smoking because it can burn. However, it is ok to use some of the sauce and then cut it with some sort of liquid. I’m not going to add any sauce until it is time to wrap the spare ribs. Here is what I do for the sauce.

• 1 cup Spicy BBQ Sauce or your Favorite BBQ Sauce
• 1 cup of the spritzer mixture
• 1 stick of melted unsalted butter

Once this is combined, use a bit of this mixture and rub it into the ribs on both sides and put a little bit on the foil before wrapping.

How To Smoke St. Louis Style Ribs

1. Preheat your smoker using your favorite flavored wood to 240° to 250°.
2. Remove any sinew, small chunks of fat, and the skirt on the backside of the spare ribs it hasn’t already been removed by the butcher. Set aside.
3. Make your dry rub and set aside.
4. Using a small amount of either yellow or Dijon mustard spread a thin layer of it on both sides of the ribs.
5. Evenly sprinkle your rub all over the rubs ensuring to completely cover it. Season, do not cake the rub on it. It should not be a thickly coated rub.
6. Place them bone side down evenly onto the smoker. Sort of scrunch the ribs together once on the smoker to sort of compact them. This will help seal in juices similar to that of trussing.

step by step procedures for how to make St Louis style smoked ribs

7. Smoke for 1 hour and then spritz 8-10 sprays on the ribs. Repeat this process every 30 minutes for the next 90 minutes.
8. After a total of 3 hours of smoking, remove the ribs from the smoker. Pour about ½ cup of the mixed BBQ sauce all over the ribs and rub it in.
9. Add about ¼ cup of the mixed Spicy BBQ Sauce onto the center of a large sheet of the heavy-duty foil where the ribs are going to go
10. add the 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. Place the ribs back on the smoker bone side up and cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until done.
11. Remove the ribs from the smoker and let rest in the foil for 30 to 45 minutes before slicing and serving.
I like to serve the BBQ sauce on the side instead of saucing them myself before serving.

Do I Have to Use the Same Wood for This Recipe?

This St. Louis style ribs recipe takes all flavor components into account. There is a lot going on with it from the rub to the incredible spicy barbecue sauce.

Whenever you have a recipe with this many flavors, it’s easy for it to get kind of sloppy and fall apart. On the other hand, if you can get all of the ingredients to work in concert, it plays like a symphony.

So, I strongly urge you to use the same wood we used in this recipe, as you would with any of the other ingredients.

Having said that, I know we’ve all swapped out ingredients from time to time. It generally comes down to personal taste and (honestly) convenience. If you have another kind of wood that you like to use, that is okay, too.

In most cases, I defer to your personal taste. It’s only recipes as diverse and robust as this one that gives me pause. I chose mesquite because I like how it holds its own against the other components. Especially the spicy barbecue sauce.

What will I need to complete this recipe?

This recipe has stages to it. The star of the show is the spare ribs of course. And the mesquite wood used for smoking it.

Beyond that, you will need a variety of ingredients for making your own seasoning rub and your own spicy barbecue sauce.

This barbecue sauce is the ultimate kick for delicious St. Louis style ribs, so make a bunch. It’s good for up to two weeks in the refrigerator and you can use it on anything.

Your wet ingredients will include ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, a little bit of liquid smoke, and chili garlic sauce.

You’ll also need whole grain mustard. Dry ingredients you will need for the rub are black pepper, salt, cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.

Besides the list of ingredients, there are a few supplies you would be better off to have. Not the least of which is an actual smoker.

Other supplies you should round up before you start are a saucepan, a whisk (or stir spoon), an airtight sealable container (Just in case), a large baking tray, a meat thermometer, and good tongs.

Barbecue Sauce VS Rub Only in St. Louis Style Ribs

I have made ribs with incredible rubs. I generally like spice rubs because they add flavor and crispiness to the outside of the meat without making a huge mess as barbecue sauce does.

In most circumstances, I would say a dry rub is good enough, even desirable, without the sauce. But you can’t do St. Louis Style Spare Ribs without a genuine St. Louis style barbecue sauce.

Good barbecue sauce is worth the mess and this Spicy BBQ Sauce recipe will have you stocking up on wet naps. One thing the barbecue sauce does is help contribute to the moisture in the ribs.

This is especially true if you have leftovers and you need to reheat them. Combining this spicy barbecue sauce with the incredible rub adds even more texture and more flavor to these irresistible spare ribs.

How to Prepare Spare Ribs for the Smoker

St. Louis ribs are prepared the same way as a rack of baby back ribs. They are generally larger because spare ribs are the larger portion of the ribs, minus the part that connects to the backbone.

It’s generally fattier, which is great for flavor and for moisture content. Don’t worry about the fat. Instead, concentrate on the membrane on the back of the rack.

You will want to remove that stretchy rubbery substance and make sure you season the rib rack on all sides.

To remove the membrane, simply slide a table knife in between the stretchy membrane and the rib meat. Do this near one end of the rack and work your knife through, detaching the membrane as you reach the closest end.

Once you have one side loose, use a paper towel to get a firm grip on the membrane and pull it tight as you work the knife down toward the other side.

When you apply the rub you can slather the rack all over with mustard to give it a good sticky surface to catch all the seasoning. This is optional, but I find it's a good way to give the ribs a generous coat of seasoning.

You don’t want to rub the spice into the meat, even though it is called a rub. When you are smoking, it’s important not to clog the pores, or the smoke will not permeate the meat like it is supposed to.

Storing and reheating St. Louis Ribs

If you wind up with leftovers, no worries! Just keep the rest in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to five days. Remember, unused barbecue sauce can last in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

When it’s time to reheat the ribs, let them come to room temperature while the oven preheats to 220. Add Spicy BBQ Sauce, or your favorite sauce, for moisture and wrap the ribs tightly in aluminum foil before reheating to 165.

FAQ

How do I store the Smoked Ribs?

You can store the ribs in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Can these be reheated?

Yes. We typically don’t have leftovers, but you can certainly reheat them to enjoy them the next day.

Do I have to use a specific kind of wood?

No! We love to use different kinds of wood as each variety lends its own unique flavor. We chose mesquite for this recipe because it adds a nice bold flavor.

Can you cook these ribs faster?

Low and slow is the best way to smoke meats. This really allows the flavor of the seasonings and the wood to penetrate into the meat and it becomes packed full of flavor!

Tip

Always make sure to check the steam pot and fill with water as needed. It is important to maintain a high moisture level within the smoker.

Try These St. Louis Style Spare Ribs

These delicious St. Louis style spare ribs are so tender, juicy, and full of smoky flavor. You'll never get enough of them. These St. Louis ribs are the perfect weekend barbecue treat, and everyone always loves them.

The next time you're planning on barbecuing, whether it be for your family or for an entire group of people, bust out the smoker and take these ribs for a spin. They're delicious!