How to Smoke Ribs

A guide to how to smoke the most tender, juicy, and delicious rack of ribs you've ever had.

Transcript

00:00Direct heat St. Louis style ribs.

00:02Whoever told you you can only get tender ribs

00:04through low and slow cooking was lying.

00:06St. Louis ribs are just spare ribs

00:08with the rib tips cut off.

00:10It gives you a more square cut

00:12and there's less of that cartilage on top.

00:13Because I'm cooking directly over the coals,

00:15I don't use a rub with a lot of sugar

00:17and that's my preference.

00:18I don't like super sweet barbecue.

00:20You can see that I filled my coal basket about halfway

00:23and I threw in some chunks of wood.

00:25I continue to replenish the wood as the ribs cook

00:27and as you control the airflow,

00:29you can control the flames.

00:30It doesn't get too hot,

00:31but it's a little hotter than low and slow

00:33so it cooks faster.

00:34I cook the ribs naked for about an hour and a half per side

00:38and then I wrap them in foil with butter, barbecue sauce,

00:41no sugar, again, I don't like the sweet.

00:42Back over the flames for another hour with a little vent

00:45so some steam escapes.

00:46I don't want them falling apart,

00:47but they'll still be tender

00:48and you can tell with the good old toothpick test.

00:51If it goes in easily, they're done.

00:52These ribs took me about four and a half hours

00:54instead of the usual six.

00:56They're super smoky, tender, juicy, and delicious.

00:59Try this method.