St. Louis-Style Ribs

By
Derrick Riches
Derrick Riches
Derrick Riches
Derrick Riches is a grilling and barbecue expert. He has written two cookbooks.
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Updated on 09/24/21
St. Louis-Style Ribs

The Spruce

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 5 hrs
Total: 5 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Yield: 2 slabs
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1184 Calories
89g Fat
39g Carbs
61g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 1184
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 89g 114%
Saturated Fat 26g 132%
Cholesterol 298mg 99%
Sodium 1458mg 63%
Total Carbohydrate 39g 14%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 30g
Protein 61g
Vitamin C 4mg 19%
Calcium 106mg 8%
Iron 5mg 30%
Potassium 1100mg 23%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

St. Louis ribs create a tasty barbecue meal. They're easy to cook on a smoker or charcoal grill, though you'll need to be patient. The best ribs take several hours to cook, and this recipe shows the meaty ribs off in perfect style with a homemade rub and barbecue sauce. Meatier than baby back ribs, St. Louis-style pork ribs also have a good deal of fat, which adds to their irresistible flavor.

In this recipe, you'll use a few kitchen and spice cupboard staples to create the rub and sauce. The brown sugar-based rub is seasoned with paprika, onion, garlic, and dry mustard and covers the ribs before they hit the grill. While those cook, whip up the barbecue sauce. It's super-easy, and you'll love the savory taste of ketchup, mustard, garlic, onion, and Worcestershire sauce. Brown sugar gives it a sweet touch, apple cider vinegar adds a nice tang, and a hint of cayenne offers a perfect amount of spice.

The ribs should take between four and six hours to cook, and you should use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature. Once they reach 175 F, you'll slather them in the barbecue sauce then continue cooking. Pork ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender when they reach about 190 F. Serve them with your favorite barbecue sides like potato salad and grilled sweet corn, and enjoy your backyard dinner.

Ingredients

  • 2 slabs St. Louis-style pork ribs

For the Rub:

  • 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

  • 3 tablespoons onion powder

  • 3 tablespoons paprika

  • 2 tablespoons dry mustard

  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder

  • 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt

  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

For the Sauce:

  • 2 1/4 cups ketchup

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

  • 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    St. Louis-Style Ribs and ingredients
    The Spruce 

  2. Prepare the smoker or charcoal grill. You will want to hold a temperature around 225 F for up to 4 hours (or even 6 hours, depending on temperature and the size of the ribs), so plan accordingly.

    Charcoal grill
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  3. Prepare the ribs by removing the membrane from the underside of the ribs, making sure to trim off any loose fat or meat.

    Ribs and seasonings
     The Spruce

  4. In a small bowl, combine the rib rub ingredients. Apply the rub to the front and back of the ribs.

    Rib rub seasoning
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  5. Place the ribs onto the smoker or grill. If grilling, grill indirectly.

    Ribs on a grill
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  6. While the ribs are cooking, place all of the sauce ingredients into a pan and bring to a quick boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often.

    BBQ sauce simmering
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  7. Remove from the heat and allow the sauce to cool.

    BBQ sauce in a bowl
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  8. Cook ribs until the internal temperature of the meat reaches about 175 F, then brush with barbecue sauce.

    Ribs cooking on a grill
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  9. After about 10 minutes, turn the ribs over and brush with sauce continually during the cooking process.

    Ribs cooking on a grill
    The Spruce 

  10. Once ribs are cooked through, remove from heat and carve.

    Cut up ribs with BBQ sauce
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  11. Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy.

    St. Louis-Style Ribs
    The Spruce 

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