Still learning, St. Louis style ribs. Looking for criticism.
Smoked on a Weber Kettle at 250-270 degrees for 5 hours. Used hickory wood chunks. Spritz the ribs at 3 hours with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and apple juice.
I honestly just kind of winged it. Any advice or thoughts??
by Santa_Claus77
32 Comments
rocj31
Looks pretty decent. Maybe a little heavy on the bark and can’t really tell from pic 1 but couldn’t maybe got some more pullback on the bones. Next time do the same thing you did this time, but once you get your bark set/color to your liking, go ahead and wrap. Put some sauce and a bit of your spritz on the butcher paper or foil and put the ribs meat side down and wrap and throw back on the smoker meat side down to finish. This way you’ll protect the bark and finish cooking, wrapping this way with the sauce and a little spritz gives you a really nice glaze on the ribs that isn’t too thick or gloopy.
SIRTK1
My advice. If you like em, they are perfect.
ketoLifestyleRecipes
Sorry, but don’t handle food with dirty cloth gloves. It takes away from your ribs.
static-klingon
Scarecrow called, wants gloves back
460Volts
You’re looking for criticism. I’m looking for the plates and side dishes.
DugansDad
Sorry, can’t taste ‘em. If they are tasty, that’s good. Asparagus with barbecue? Really?
Lingua_Blanca
Get married?
Urban_Meanie
ThE gLoVeS tHe GlOvEs. Someone please clorox my eye balls.
xthxgrizzly
Those ribs are darker than under the bed
pacNWinMidwest
Look kind of dry how were they?
DockrManhattn
did you just get in from shoveling snow?
HashforJesus
Trim them first. They cook much more evenly when trimmed and you can save and cook the parts you cut off along with the rack. They cook much faster so you’ll have snacks waiting for you as you check on your smoker periodically. The best part is the rib meat on the bones not the meat on the cartilage so you may as well separate the two. Also the trimmed rack has exposed bone on either side making the pullback visual cue much more apparent.
I prefer hot and fast with St. Louis style. 300 for an hour to an hour and a half until your bark is set. Then wrap with butter, seasoning, and a LITTLE liquid of some kind. Let it go wrapped for another hour or so and start checking for probe tenderness. Once it’s where you want it give it a vent for a few minutes before closing up the wrap and putting it in a cooler or cambro to rest for around an hour. After the rest glaze it and throw it back on for 10-15 minutes until the glaze is set. Then give er a little rest and dig in.
Janoskovich2
What was your rub? Cooks to darken with a high sugar rub (or apple juice). Lower your temp and wrap or go with less sugar (and if you really wanna spritz, don’t use a high sugar liquid). You can also wrap after a couple to a few hours (meat tends to stop taking on smoke after approximately that time). Otherwise, you can go with a no sugar rub, cook unwrapped all the way and glaze in the last half hour or so. Temps aren’t my forté but it should feel like it’s gonna bend and break.
Once you get your cooks down, it’s all about feel.
That sounds like I’m up myself
They look good. Not fall off the bone, which is good but like they still have a bit of bite.
SouthSideCountryClub
The cook looks like it went very well!
Since you are looking for some critique, speaking as a St. Louis City resident and avid bbq’r the STL style rib has a unique shape. The key characteristic is the removal of the breastbone, sternum, and rib tips, creating a rectangular shape. DO NOT throw any of these trimmings away I save mine to put in mac and cheese, beans, or greens. They also make a great snack while waiting for the ribs to finish up!
Presence_Academic
Those are not St. Louis ribs. The cartilage heavy rib tips have not been trimmed, which is the primary difference between a full spare and a St Louis cut. For me this is all to the good as I love the tips.
AMDeez_nutz
Violating those ribs with them dirty ass gloves
dr1zzzt
It’s kind of hard to tell, but off hand it looks like you may have burnt the sugar in the rub.
Not a huge fan of the bark.
Shock_city
If you don’t remove the membrane you can put the ribs directly over a low temp bed of coals for the last hour and it will crisp up and actually be really enjoyable
LoudwigVanBathoven
You have to give us a detailed explanation of how the ribs tasted. How was the bark? Was the meat as tender as you like? From there you can say what you would like to change and then we can give tips on how to achieve those results. Cook to you and your guests liking not what looks best as a picture on reddit (which these do, btw)
LoudwigVanBathoven
Do you use the thermometer on the kettle lid or a probe?
PlentyAlbatross7632
Ditch the cloth gloves. They’re foul. Let it cook longer so there’s more pullback from the bones. And if the meat isn’t falling off the bone you didn’t cook it long enough.
Underweight_Hippo
You’ve got a good process for “just ribbing it” I personally do 250 and start spritzing as soon as your rib adheres and is sticky every 30-45 minutes. Trim the small parts off as other recommend. Wrap when the bone is a 1/4” out of the meat for another hour usually and do the tong test and your good. I usually wrap with butter, honey, and brown sugar bone side up. Make sure to remove the membrane before seasoning. Great job and good bark!
PuzzleheadedStuff2
225F no wrap for 6 or so til they pass the bend test is my go to. How did this rack do on the bend test? Bark/color looks pretty good.
barabusblack
Looks OK
theuautumnwind
Looks great
PsyKhiqZero
Looks great but how is the bite? Given the color though I would say it’s either over smoked or the smoke was too dirty. If you wrapped prolly could have wrapped sooner if not then less smoke.
LFKapigian
Just the cloth gloves , you’ll burn the F out of yourself when the grease soaks in, ribs look great …. Nitrile over cloth
yaboyJship
Looks like you didn’t wrap in butcher paper.
Spritz every hour, starting at zero hours. After 3rd spritz, wrap ribs in butcher paper. Cook another 2 hours. Let rest in the oven for 30 minutes, still wrapped in the butcher paper. Don’t unwrap until you’re ready to serve. Then, cut and enjoy.
Your bark will be less dramatic and the meat will be juicy and tender.
Sometimes, if I’m feeling sparky, I’ll get the grill flaming hot and flash em after they’ve rested right before I cut and serve. Remember to take the butcher paper off for this lol sometimes you’ve had two-12 beers by this point
Internal_Shoulder670
I can’t figure out what’s worse, the gloves or spraying the ribs with fruit juice??
HogwashHooligan
Finer points aside, I’d smash these spares
Ok-Butterscotch2321
Looks good… I’d house them!
I don’t necessarily do a trim of the rib-tips. Sometimes I will and I’ll still smoke them and treat like burnt ends.
Spare ribs/St. Louis are my favorite city. Better than baby back
Robert_PA-3
Lil more bark than I personally care for, but they look fine. I wouldn’t had turned em down lol Only tip I didn’t see anybody mention key to making good ribs is the 3-2-1 method between 225-275 on grill/smoker.Dont forget the pan for water to keep ribs moist. 3 hrs unwrapped, 2 wrapped, 1 unwrapped. I sear them at first 2 minutes max each side then let em cook “low and slow” away from the flame. Mustard as a binder, and Stubbs pork rub, or Texas all purpose rub.
Don’t forget to spritz w/apple juice while cooking to prevent ribs trying out.
32 Comments
Looks pretty decent. Maybe a little heavy on the bark and can’t really tell from pic 1 but couldn’t maybe got some more pullback on the bones. Next time do the same thing you did this time, but once you get your bark set/color to your liking, go ahead and wrap. Put some sauce and a bit of your spritz on the butcher paper or foil and put the ribs meat side down and wrap and throw back on the smoker meat side down to finish. This way you’ll protect the bark and finish cooking, wrapping this way with the sauce and a little spritz gives you a really nice glaze on the ribs that isn’t too thick or gloopy.
My advice. If you like em, they are perfect.
Sorry, but don’t handle food with dirty cloth gloves. It takes away from your ribs.
Scarecrow called, wants gloves back
You’re looking for criticism. I’m looking for the plates and side dishes.
Sorry, can’t taste ‘em. If they are tasty, that’s good. Asparagus with barbecue? Really?
Get married?
ThE gLoVeS tHe GlOvEs. Someone please clorox my eye balls.
Those ribs are darker than under the bed
Look kind of dry how were they?
did you just get in from shoveling snow?
Trim them first. They cook much more evenly when trimmed and you can save and cook the parts you cut off along with the rack. They cook much faster so you’ll have snacks waiting for you as you check on your smoker periodically. The best part is the rib meat on the bones not the meat on the cartilage so you may as well separate the two. Also the trimmed rack has exposed bone on either side making the pullback visual cue much more apparent.
I prefer hot and fast with St. Louis style. 300 for an hour to an hour and a half until your bark is set. Then wrap with butter, seasoning, and a LITTLE liquid of some kind. Let it go wrapped for another hour or so and start checking for probe tenderness. Once it’s where you want it give it a vent for a few minutes before closing up the wrap and putting it in a cooler or cambro to rest for around an hour. After the rest glaze it and throw it back on for 10-15 minutes until the glaze is set. Then give er a little rest and dig in.
What was your rub? Cooks to darken with a high sugar rub (or apple juice).
Lower your temp and wrap or go with less sugar (and if you really wanna spritz, don’t use a high sugar liquid).
You can also wrap after a couple to a few hours (meat tends to stop taking on smoke after approximately that time).
Otherwise, you can go with a no sugar rub, cook unwrapped all the way and glaze in the last half hour or so.
Temps aren’t my forté but it should feel like it’s gonna bend and break.
Once you get your cooks down, it’s all about feel.
That sounds like I’m up myself
They look good. Not fall off the bone, which is good but like they still have a bit of bite.
The cook looks like it went very well!
Since you are looking for some critique, speaking as a St. Louis City resident and avid bbq’r the STL style rib has a unique shape. The key characteristic is the removal of the breastbone, sternum, and rib tips, creating a rectangular shape. DO NOT throw any of these trimmings away I save mine to put in mac and cheese, beans, or greens. They also make a great snack while waiting for the ribs to finish up!
Those are not St. Louis ribs. The cartilage heavy rib tips have not been trimmed, which is the primary difference between a full spare and a St Louis cut. For me this is all to the good as I love the tips.
Violating those ribs with them dirty ass gloves
It’s kind of hard to tell, but off hand it looks like you may have burnt the sugar in the rub.
Not a huge fan of the bark.
If you don’t remove the membrane you can put the ribs directly over a low temp bed of coals for the last hour and it will crisp up and actually be really enjoyable
You have to give us a detailed explanation of how the ribs tasted. How was the bark? Was the meat as tender as you like? From there you can say what you would like to change and then we can give tips on how to achieve those results. Cook to you and your guests liking not what looks best as a picture on reddit (which these do, btw)
Do you use the thermometer on the kettle lid or a probe?
Ditch the cloth gloves. They’re foul. Let it cook longer so there’s more pullback from the bones. And if the meat isn’t falling off the bone you didn’t cook it long enough.
You’ve got a good process for “just ribbing it” I personally do 250 and start spritzing as soon as your rib adheres and is sticky every 30-45 minutes. Trim the small parts off as other recommend. Wrap when the bone is a 1/4” out of the meat for another hour usually and do the tong test and your good. I usually wrap with butter, honey, and brown sugar bone side up. Make sure to remove the membrane before seasoning. Great job and good bark!
225F no wrap for 6 or so til they pass the bend test is my go to. How did this rack do on the bend test? Bark/color looks pretty good.
Looks OK
Looks great
Looks great but how is the bite? Given the color though I would say it’s either over smoked or the smoke was too dirty. If you wrapped prolly could have wrapped sooner if not then less smoke.
Just the cloth gloves , you’ll burn the F out of yourself when the grease soaks in, ribs look great …. Nitrile over cloth
Looks like you didn’t wrap in butcher paper.
Spritz every hour, starting at zero hours. After 3rd spritz, wrap ribs in butcher paper. Cook another 2 hours. Let rest in the oven for 30 minutes, still wrapped in the butcher paper. Don’t unwrap until you’re ready to serve. Then, cut and enjoy.
Your bark will be less dramatic and the meat will be juicy and tender.
Sometimes, if I’m feeling sparky, I’ll get the grill flaming hot and flash em after they’ve rested right before I cut and serve. Remember to take the butcher paper off for this lol sometimes you’ve had two-12 beers by this point
I can’t figure out what’s worse, the gloves or spraying the ribs with fruit juice??
Finer points aside, I’d smash these spares
Looks good… I’d house them!
I don’t necessarily do a trim of the rib-tips. Sometimes I will and I’ll still smoke them and treat like burnt ends.
Spare ribs/St. Louis are my favorite city. Better than baby back
Lil more bark than I personally care for, but they look fine. I wouldn’t had turned em down lol Only tip I didn’t see anybody mention key to making good ribs is the 3-2-1 method between 225-275 on grill/smoker.Dont forget the pan for water to keep ribs moist. 3 hrs unwrapped, 2 wrapped, 1 unwrapped. I sear them at first 2 minutes max each side then let em cook “low and slow” away from the flame. Mustard as a binder, and Stubbs pork rub, or Texas all purpose rub.
Don’t forget to spritz w/apple juice while cooking to prevent ribs trying out.
Hope the tips help