Pork spare ribs trimmed to the classic rectangular St. Louis cut, rubbed with a sweet spice blend and smoked low and slow until they develop a caramelized bark and tender meat glazed in barbecue sauce.
Ingredients
- 2.8 kg St. Louis cut pork spare ribs
- 2 tbsp American yellow mustard
- 70 g dark brown cane sugar
- 2 tbsp ground sweet paprika
- 1 1/2 tbsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp dehydrated garlic powder
- 1 tbsp dehydrated onion powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 60 g 82% fat pasteurized unsalted butter
- 10 cl apple cider vinegar
- 15 cl pure apple juice with no added sugar
- 250 g St. Louis style barbecue sauce
Method
- Prepare the meat: place the pork ribs bone side up on a clean cutting board. Slide the blade of a paring knife under the thin, translucent white membrane located along the bones, grip it firmly using a square of paper towel to keep it from slipping, then pull with a sharp tug to remove it completely.
- Make the spice rub: in a bowl, mix the dark brown cane sugar, sweet paprika, fine sea salt, ground black pepper, dehydrated garlic powder, dehydrated onion powder, and ground cayenne pepper until the grains are evenly distributed.
- Season the ribs: spread a thin layer of American yellow mustard on each side to act as a binder. Generously sprinkle the spice blend over the entire surface and pat with the palm of your hand to help the crust adhere without rubbing.
- Prepare the cooking equipment: light your smoker or set up your barbecue for indirect low-temperature cooking, stabilized between one hundred and ten and one hundred and twenty degrees Celsius. Place hardwood chunks like hickory or applewood on the coals to produce a continuous bluish smoke.
- Start smoking: place the ribs on the grate in the indirect heat zone, meaty curved side up. Close the lid and let smoke for three hours while ensuring a consistent temperature, until the surface takes on a deep mahogany hue and the rub forms a dry crust that no longer sticks to your finger.
- Hydrate the surface: pour the apple cider vinegar and pure apple juice into a clean spray bottle. Starting at the two-hour mark, lightly spritz the ribs every forty-five minutes as soon as the edges look dry.
- Make the foil packets: unroll a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil on the work surface. Distribute small knobs of pasteurized unsalted butter, a pinch of dark brown cane sugar, and a splash of apple juice in the center of the foil, then place the ribs meat side down on this mixture. Seal the foil tightly to trap the steam without piercing the paper with the tips of the bones.
- Continue braising: return the sealed packets to the smoker grate at the same temperature for two hours. The meat is ready when the bones start to peek out by about one centimeter at the ends and the rack bends flexibly when lifted from the middle with tongs.
- Glaze the ribs: carefully open the aluminum foil, avoiding steam burns, remove the ribs, and place them directly back on the grate, curved side up. Generously coat the entire surface with the St. Louis style barbecue sauce using a brush.
- Caramelize the finish: close the smoker and cook for another thirty to forty minutes, until the sauce bubbles at the edges, darkens slightly, and becomes sticky and lacquered to the touch.
- Let rest and carve: carefully remove the ribs from the smoker and let them rest uncovered on a cutting board for ten minutes so the internal juices can stabilize. Flip the ribs bone side up to clearly see the gaps, then slide a large, sharp knife between each rib with a clean motion before serving.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 766.2 kcal
- Protein
- 51.81 g
- Carbohydrate
- 31.1 g
- Fat
- 48.12 g
- Fibre
- 2.05 g
- Calcium
- 43.8 mg
- Iron
- 1.59 mg
- Magnesium
- 19.28 mg
