Competition St. Louis Ribs
3-2-1 method, but better. Bite-through, not fall-off-the-bone.
Fruit woods give that mahogany color and sweet smoke that pairs with the sugar in the glaze.
New recipe — be the first to log a cook with I cooked this above.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- St. Louis cut ribs1 rack
- Yellow mustard1 tbsp
- BBQ rub (sweet & savory)¼ cup
- Brown sugar½ cup
- Butter, sliced1 stick
- Honey¼ cup
- BBQ sauce1 cup
St. Louis cut, trimmed clean. Three hours of smoke, two wrapped with brown sugar and butter, one glazed. Done in time for the game.
Method
- 0hRemove membrane
Slide a butter knife under the silverskin on the bone side, grab with a paper towel, peel it off.
- 0.1hMustard & rub
Light mustard slather. Heavy rub. Let it sit 20 min so the rub goes tacky.
- 0.5hSmoke (3 hours)
Bone side down at 250°F. Apple wood. Don't touch them. Don't peek. Just smoke.
- 3.5hWrap (2 hours)
Foil with brown sugar, butter pats, honey. Meat side down in the foil so it bastes.
- 5.5hGlaze (1 hour)
Unwrap. Brush BBQ sauce, return to smoker. Repeat at 15 and 30 min for layered glaze.
- 6hRest & slice
Rest 10 min tented. Slice between the bones. The bite should pull clean, not fall apart.
Get what we use
Direct links to the rubs, oils, and gear used in this recipe. As an Amazon Associate The Turkey Leg earns from qualifying purchases.
- Get itHeath RilesHoney Rub
Sweet pork rub, Memphis-style. The default for ribs and pulled pork.
sweet / mild - Get itKiller HogsHot Rub
Heat-forward competition rub. Use when you want it to bite back.
🔥 hot - Get itHeath RilesHoney Chipotle Rub
Sweet up front, a slow smoky burn behind it. Good on pork, chicken, wings.
sweet + spicy