St. Louis Style 3-2-1 Smoked Ribs

Name: St. Louis Style 3-2-1 Smoked Ribs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 360 min
Total time: 390 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tbsp brown sugar; 1 tbsp smoked paprika; 1 tbsp garlic powder; 1 tbsp onion powder; 1 tsp cumin; 1 tsp mustard powder; 2 tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper; 2 racks St. Louis-style spare ribs (about 5 lb total); 2 tbsp yellow mustard (binder); 1/4 cup apple juice; 4 tbsp butter; 1/4 cup honey; 1 cup BBQ sauce

390 min 4 servings medium

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St. Louis Style 3-2-1 Smoked Ribs

Perfectly tender St. Louis spare ribs using the foolproof 3-2-1 method — 3 hours smoke, 2 hours wrapped, 1 hour sauced.

Prep

20 min

Cook

360 min

Total

390 min

Servings

Difficulty

medium

The 3-2-1 method is the most reliable way to smoke fall-off-the-bone spare ribs. Three hours of smoke builds bark and flavor, two hours wrapped tenderizes the meat, and one final hour with sauce creates a sticky, caramelized glaze. St. Louis trimmed ribs are the ideal cut for this method.

Ingredients

Servings

Rub

Ribs

Instructions

Prep the ribs

Remove the membrane from the bone side of each rack by sliding a butter knife under it at one end and pulling it off with a paper towel for grip. Apply mustard as a binder and coat with the rub.

3 hours: Smoke

Set smoker to 225°F with hickory or a mix of hickory and apple wood. Place ribs meat side up on the grate. Smoke for 3 hours undisturbed, spritzing with apple juice every 45 minutes after the first hour.

Pro tip: The bark should be dark and dry to the touch after 3 hours — this is the sign to wrap.

2 hours: Wrap

Lay out two sheets of heavy-duty foil. Place butter slices, a drizzle of honey, and a splash of apple juice on the foil. Place ribs meat side down on top and wrap tightly. Return to smoker at 225°F for 2 hours.

1 hour: Sauce

Carefully unwrap the ribs (save the braising liquid for beans or sauce). Brush both sides with BBQ sauce. Return to the smoker unwrapped for 1 hour at 250°F. Apply a second coat of sauce after 30 minutes.

Check doneness

The ribs are done when the meat has pulled back from the bones about 1/4 inch, the rack bends easily when picked up with tongs (the bend test), and the sauce is tacky and set.