When smoking a rack of St Louis Style Ribs you need to take it Low-and-Slow … and NEVER, EVER even think about boiling them first!!! For me, ribs are a labor of love. Note the nice smoke ring and balance of this meal fit for a King and Queen or You and your Spouse.
I find that one rack is plenty for the two of us. Found some nice St Louis Ribs at Cash & Carry for $2.89/lb. Ribs came in a pack of 3, each rack weighing about 3 lbs and provided us with 3 meals.
Removed the membrane on the back of the ribs and trimmed excess fat. Lightly rubbed Annie’s Roasted Garlic EVOO and dusted with Fagundes Seasoning. Preheated the MAK 2 Star Wood Pellet BBQ Smoker-Grill to 180ºF using Hazelnut Blend BBQ Pellets and smoked the St Louis Ribs for ½ hour before increasing the temperature to 250ºF.
A general rule of thumb is that St Louis Ribs will take around 5 hours at 250ºF and 5-6 hours at 225ºF. The ribs are done at 165°F internal temp, but will still be tough. You need to take the meat to 180 to 190°F . As you gain experience smoking/cooking ribs you’ll get proficient with the “bend test” … pick up the slab with a pair of tongs and bounce them slightly. If they are ready, the slab will bow until the meat starts to crack on the surface. The meat should be retracted and exposed from the edge of the rib bones by about 1/2 inch or so as shown in the photos below.
Cuban Black Beans Recipe:
- 16 oz Dry Black Beans – Soaked/rinsed
- 10 cups water
- 3 Tbsp Knorr Tomato Bouillon with Chicken Flavor
- 3 tsp Crushed Garlic
- 1 Red Onion – Large
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 5-6 Celery Stalks
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- ½ tsp Cayenne Ground Pepper
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 4 tsp Chili Powder
Bring to boil, simmer with lid cracked for approximately 2 hours till beans are tender
Leave a Reply