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–+ servings
St. Louis spare ribs.

St. Louis Spare Ribs

St. Louis spare ribs are bigger and meatier than their baby back cousins. They are easy to make using the 3-2-1 method and are a real crowd pleaser. Consider making these at your next BBQ.
The dry rub recipe is my adaptation of a recipe by Steve Raichlen in his book, Barbecue Bible Sauces Rubs and Marinades, Bastes, Butters and Glazes. Steve, in turn, was given the recipe by the Kansas City Barbecue Society. I have modified it for my tastes.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Resting time 2 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine BBQ
Servings 8 servings
Calories 1851 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Smoker
  • 1 Spray Bottle

Ingredients
  

Dry Rub

  • ¾ cup brown sugar packed
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup paprika
  • ¼ cup seasoned salt like Lawry’s
  • ¼ cup smoked salt
  • ¼ cup onion powder
  • ¼ cup celery salt
  • 2 tbls black pepper freshly ground
  • 2 tbls chili powder
  • 2 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Ribs

  • 4 racks St. Louis Pork Spare Ribs
  • 2 cups apple juice
  • 2 cups water cold

Instructions
 

Dry Rub

  • Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse several times to combine. Cover and store for up to two months away from light and heat.

Ribs

  • Use a paring knife to lift and peel the tough membrane on the back of the ribs. Cut away flap of meat sometimes found on the back of the ribs.
  • Find the last little rib bone and remove it along with the thin meat attached to it. It will just burn up in the BBQ.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of the prepared rub to each side of each spare rib rack. Rub it in and place the ribs in a large non-reactive container and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for two hours.
  • Setup your smoker for indirect heat at 225˚F. Place a pan of water in the smoker. Mix the apple juice and water together and place one half of the mixture in a spray bottle and set aside. Reserve the other half. Smoke the ribs for 3 hours spraying them with the apple juice water mixture every 30 minutes.
  • After 3 hours, remove the ribs and place each rack on two large pieces of heavy duty foil. Use two pieces in case of a tear. Fold the long sides up and together then fold them to form a good seal. Seal one end of the foil pouch. Pour about 6 oz of the apple juice and water mixture into the other end and fold to seal. Place each pouch back on the smoker for two hours.
  • After 2 hours, place each pouch in a large pan, like a lasagna tray. Carefully cut a slit in the bottom of the pouch and drain the hot liquid into the pan. Be careful, there will be a lot of liquid and it will be very hot. Repeat with the other pouches. Place each rack back in the smoker and carefully brush both sides with your favorite BBQ sauce. Add additional sauce 2-3 times over the hour.
  • Serve with additional sauce.

Video

Notes

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Nutrition

Serving: 0.5rackCalories: 1851kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 101gFat: 153gSaturated Fat: 49gPolyunsaturated Fat: 26gMonounsaturated Fat: 56gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 520mgSodium: 1337mgPotassium: 1721mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 671IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 125mgIron: 7mg
Keyword bbq ribs, pork ribs, pork spare ribs, pork spareribs, spare ribs, spareribs, st louis ribs
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