St. Louis Ribs

St. Louis ribs are the most popular smoked ribs because they are so flavorful and juicy. Learn how to smoke amazing St. Louis style ribs right at home and you will be the talk of every barbecue party. 

 Learn all about pork ribs here or come learn how to make smoked baby back ribs. 

WHAT ARE ST. LOUIS CUT RIBS?

St. Louis cut ribs may be cheaper than baby back ribs and look thinner, like they could have less meat, but don’t walk past them! These ribs are actually preferred by many BBQ masters, chefs, and home-cooks because they are so much more flavorful.

This cut of rib comes from the side and belly part of the whole rib. They are the sparerib that was trimmed down to a nice rectangular, clean shape. When they trim the spareribs, they cut away the breastbone and the cartilages. These ribs are wider than baby backs, thinner, and not as curved. Because they contain more fat, is exactly what makes them more flavorful. 

Since these ribs have larger, wider bones, and have higher amount of fat, St. Louis ribs usually take a little more time to cook. 

ST. LOUIS RIBS VS. BABY BACK RIBS

Let me break down the difference between these two common types of ribs is just a few words. Without going into a ton of details that you probably won’t want to read, I took it down to the key points:

• St. Louis ribs come from the side, while baby back ribs come from the top. 
• St. Louis ribs are larger, wider, and less curved than baby back ribs. 
• When it comes to meat, St. Louis ribs contain more fat, which makes them more flavorful. 
• Baby back ribs are more tender and leaner. 
• Baby back ribs are more expensive. 
• St. Louis ribs can take a little more time to cook. 

QUICK SMOKING NOTES

Smoker temperature for ribs: 225° is the magic number for most of your smoking needs. If smoking on charcoal or wood smoker, don’t let it go below 225° or above 250°.

Types of wood for smoking pork: apple, pecan, maple, cherry, oak, peach, and Jack Daniels blend are all good. Fruit wood is great with pork and my personal favorite. For strong smoke flavor, try hickory.

How long does it take to smoke ribs: depending on the size of each rib rack, it will take 6-8 hours.

How to tell when ribs are done: the best way to tell is the bounce test to see how easily meat cracks and how much bounce there is. (Learn more below.)

HOW TO SMOKE ST. LOUIS RIBS

Prepare the ribs:

Take the ribs out of the package and pat them dry with a paper towel. Turn the ribs over onto its back and you will see a thin white covering on the bones all along the rack. Starting at one end, use a small knife to slide right under the membrane and gently pull up, but don’t cut it. 

Grab the membrane with a paper towel and slowly but firmly pull the membrane off the entire rib. 9 times out of 10 it will come off nice and smooth with no problem.

Rub a little bit of canola oil all over the top and bottom of the rack.  Spread dry rub all over the top of the rib racks, pat and massage the seasoning all over to spread it evenly, and flip. Do the same to the bottom of the rack. 

NOTE: it’s best to give the ribs some time to marinate in the rub, so place the ribs on a large baking sheet or into a large aluminum pan. Cover it air-tight and refrigerate for as little as 2 hours or as long as 24 hours. Pull the ribs out of the refrigerator before starting the smoker so they can warm up on the counter. 

Smoking the ribs:

Set up your smoker and preheat it to 225°. I highly recommend including a water pan or water/drip pan to the lower rack of the smoker, under the ribs. Use a digital oven thermometer to track the temperature on the grill grate. Don’t rely on the thermometer built into the lid of the smoker, they are usually at least 20 degrees off.

(If using wood or charcoal smoker, maintain the temperature right around 225° but don’t let it get below 225° or over 250°).

When the smoker temperature is at 225°, place ribs on the grate and close the lid.

Smoke ribs for 6-8 hours, depending on their size. (Large, meaty racks could take a little longer and if you stack more than 2 racks in a rib holder, expect to add at least 1 more hour to total cook time.)

When ribs are done, take them off the smoker and close the smoker lid right away so you don’t loose heat. Glaze the ribs with sauce all over the top and bottom of each rack. 

Place ribs back onto the smoker for 10-15 minutes. 

Take the ribs off and let them rest for 15 minutes before cutting. You can glaze them with more sauce if you wish or serve with sauce on the side. 

How To Tell If Ribs Are Done

There are a few methods that people use to tell if their ribs are done and you can read more about different methods in my post on pork ribs. Personally, I use these three methods most often:

Bounce test: Use long metal tongs and slice it to about the middle of the rack. Pick up the rib rack and give it a gentle bounce. If the rack feels a little rubbery and the meat on top does not crack, the ribs are not ready. They will probably need 1-2 more hours. If the ribs can bend easily to almost 90 degrees and start to crack at the top pretty easy, they are done. 

Toothpick test: if you are familiar with baking, you know the toothpick test. Poke a toothpick in between the rib bones all over the rib rack to feel how easily it slides in and out. If there is little to no resistance, the ribs are done.

Temperature: even though it’s hard to test the temperature accurately, you can still test several larger meat areas of the rib rack (between the bones) and make sure that it’s at least 145° but these won’t be pulling away or falling off the bone. To take them to that kind of tenderness, get the ribs to 190°-203°. 

What to Serve With Ribs

If you’re making a few racks of ribs for a barbeque party, think of the classic barbecue sides like potato salad, pasta salad, and coleslaw. There are some options you can cook right on the smoker with ribs too, if you have enough space. Throw on some smoked baked beans or mac and cheese on the smoker to great side options. 

Fire up the grill when ribs are almost done and grill some vegetables like zucchini, green beans, or buttery potatoes. 

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