Smoked Spare Ribs
Smoked spare ribs are St Louis cut ribs with the membrane removed, seasoned with a sweet and savory rub, smoked at 275°F on a Weber kettle then wrapped with honey and butter until tender.
| Cut | St Louis spare ribs, about 3.5 lb |
| Smoker temp | 275°F |
| Wood | Hickory or pecan, small chunks |
| Wrap | Honey, butter, apple juice, vinegar sauce |
| Total time | About 3 hours |
| Yield | Serves 3 |
Championship-quality ribs do not need a fancy pit. This is a rack of St Louis spares on a Weber kettle. Pull the membrane, hit it with a sweet and savory rub, run it at 275°F, then wrap it with honey and butter to finish. Clean bite, not fall off the bone.
Watch the full cook on YouTube.
Smoked Spare Ribs
Equipment
- Weber kettle
- Slow and Sear or charcoal baskets
- Boning knife
- Instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
Ribs
- 1 rack St Louis cut spare ribs, about 3.5 lb
- your favorite BBQ rub something sweet and savory with a little heat
Wrap
- honey
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- 1-2 oz apple juice
- 1 oz vinegar sauce such as Blues Hog
Instructions
Trim
- Trim the brisket bone and excess fat. Remove the membrane from the back, pulling it off in one piece across the first bone.
- Square up the rack so it fits the kettle and the bones cook even.
Season
- Apply a medium coat of your favorite BBQ rub on the back, let it set 15 minutes, flip and season the top. No binder.
- Let it set another 15 minutes so the rub rehydrates.
Smoke
- Set the Weber kettle at 275°F with small chunks of hickory or pecan, no soaking.
- Smoke about an hour, flip, and cook another 20 minutes or so until the bark sets and does not come off on your finger.
Wrap and Finish
- Lay out foil with honey, the half stick of butter, 1 to 2 oz apple juice and about 1 oz vinegar sauce. Set the ribs bone side up and wrap tight.
- Back on at 275°F for 40 minutes to an hour.
- Unwrap and let the ribs set a few minutes. Look for pullback on the bones and a clean bite, not falling off the bone. Slice and serve.
Video
Notes
Pitmaster Notes
Take the membrane off. That snappy skin on the back of a restaurant rib is the membrane nobody removed. And remember we are going for tenderness, not mush. A properly cooked rib has a little pullback on the bone and a clean bite, not a rack that falls apart when you lift it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What temperature do you smoke ribs at?
275°F on a Weber kettle. Smoke about an hour and a half, wrap with honey and butter, then another 40 minutes to an hour. The whole cook is about 3 hours.
Should you remove the membrane from ribs?
Yes. The membrane is that snappy layer on the back that never breaks down. Pull it off across the first bone in one piece for a clean, even, juicy bite.
What does it mean for ribs to be done?
Tenderness, not fall off the bone. You want a clean bite with a little pullback on the bone. If the meat falls off when you lift the rack, it is overdone.
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