Today’s smoke, St. Louis Style ribs.
Because of the great information on this website and forums, I have been very successful with my first two smokes, Boston Butts and Coke Can Chicken, I decided to do some St. Louis Style Pork Spareribs. I’ve done baby backs for years on the Weber Kettle and gasser, but now have my WSM. When I mentioned St. Louis Style to The Bride, she said that they were her favorite ribs. She never told me in 12 years.
Using Chris’ excellent video on trimming Spares in the St. Louis Style, I bought four racks totaling about 16 ½ lbs and gave trimming a try. I left a little cartilage on the end of one rack but I think they came out pretty good.
16 ½ lbs of ribs.
Trimmed St. Louis Style. I noticed that it is a lot easier to accidentally start stripping both the outside membrane as well as the inside than it is with baby backs. Gotta be careful! Here is a picture with half of them rubbed with my own concoction. I rubbed them all after the picture and again after an hour in the refrigerator. The Bride likes it to stick to her teeth! I don’t like sitting them in the frig overnight after rubbing. I think it pulls out too much liquid. I just do it an hour or so before cooking.
Lit a ring of Barbecues Galore (Lazzari) hardwood lump with 25 briquettes of K. using the Minion Method, and assembled the WSM, shut the lower vents to 33% when the Grill temp hit 200 º. Put the ribs on at 210 º.
The temp. steadily climbed past 241 º even after I shut all the lower vents. It is 87 º out with no wind, but the cooker was in the full sun. I put up a sun screen and the temp dropped to 221 º in about 20 minutes. I didn’t realize that the hot sun could boost the temp by 20 º (or probably even more if I let it).
At three hours, I rotated the grill 180 º, sprayed the ribs with 50/50 cider vinegar and water and foiled two of the racks and returned them to the grill. I have heard pro an con on foiling so I decided to see for myself.
After an hour and a half in foil (4 ½ hours cooking), I removed the two racks from the foil and returned them to the grill.. The foiled ribs are on the left. Meat temp of the un-foiled was 158 and of the foiled ribs was 152. I thought it would be reversed. I sprayed them again and also put on a Bavarian Bratwurst, a Swiss Bockwurst and an Andouille Sausage, just to see what they will taste like, then closed her up.
Basted the ribs with my own sauce and cooked for another 40 minutes. They passed the tear test so they were ready to eat! The foil wrapped are in the back.
Carved up, The un-foiled . . .
. . . and the foiled.
The final verdict, outstanding! The family would like a little more sauce and a little less rub. I’ll mop the sauce several times to build it up next time.
I love my new toy! I think I’m hooked, my third smoke in 7 days. Good thing I’m retired so I have time to play with my toys! Thank you all (especially Chris) for all your wisdom and thank you for being willing to share it with us beginners.
I think I’ll do a brined chicken for Wednesday.
Because of the great information on this website and forums, I have been very successful with my first two smokes, Boston Butts and Coke Can Chicken, I decided to do some St. Louis Style Pork Spareribs. I’ve done baby backs for years on the Weber Kettle and gasser, but now have my WSM. When I mentioned St. Louis Style to The Bride, she said that they were her favorite ribs. She never told me in 12 years.
Using Chris’ excellent video on trimming Spares in the St. Louis Style, I bought four racks totaling about 16 ½ lbs and gave trimming a try. I left a little cartilage on the end of one rack but I think they came out pretty good.
16 ½ lbs of ribs.
Trimmed St. Louis Style. I noticed that it is a lot easier to accidentally start stripping both the outside membrane as well as the inside than it is with baby backs. Gotta be careful! Here is a picture with half of them rubbed with my own concoction. I rubbed them all after the picture and again after an hour in the refrigerator. The Bride likes it to stick to her teeth! I don’t like sitting them in the frig overnight after rubbing. I think it pulls out too much liquid. I just do it an hour or so before cooking.
Lit a ring of Barbecues Galore (Lazzari) hardwood lump with 25 briquettes of K. using the Minion Method, and assembled the WSM, shut the lower vents to 33% when the Grill temp hit 200 º. Put the ribs on at 210 º.
The temp. steadily climbed past 241 º even after I shut all the lower vents. It is 87 º out with no wind, but the cooker was in the full sun. I put up a sun screen and the temp dropped to 221 º in about 20 minutes. I didn’t realize that the hot sun could boost the temp by 20 º (or probably even more if I let it).
At three hours, I rotated the grill 180 º, sprayed the ribs with 50/50 cider vinegar and water and foiled two of the racks and returned them to the grill. I have heard pro an con on foiling so I decided to see for myself.
After an hour and a half in foil (4 ½ hours cooking), I removed the two racks from the foil and returned them to the grill.. The foiled ribs are on the left. Meat temp of the un-foiled was 158 and of the foiled ribs was 152. I thought it would be reversed. I sprayed them again and also put on a Bavarian Bratwurst, a Swiss Bockwurst and an Andouille Sausage, just to see what they will taste like, then closed her up.
Basted the ribs with my own sauce and cooked for another 40 minutes. They passed the tear test so they were ready to eat! The foil wrapped are in the back.
Carved up, The un-foiled . . .
. . . and the foiled.
The final verdict, outstanding! The family would like a little more sauce and a little less rub. I’ll mop the sauce several times to build it up next time.
I love my new toy! I think I’m hooked, my third smoke in 7 days. Good thing I’m retired so I have time to play with my toys! Thank you all (especially Chris) for all your wisdom and thank you for being willing to share it with us beginners.
I think I’ll do a brined chicken for Wednesday.
