American · United States
BBQ Ribs
American BBQ ribs (specifically St. Louis-cut pork spare ribs) represent one of the great slow-cooking traditions — rubbed with a spice blend, cooked low and slow over indirect smoke for 4-6 hours until the meat pulls cleanly from the bone but does not fall off (falling-off-the-bone ribs are over-cooked), then glazed with sauce in the final 30 minutes to set a sticky, lacquered crust. The smoke ring — a pink band beneath the surface — is the mark of authentic low-and-slow BBQ.
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I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
1.5kg
pork ribs
baby back, membrane removed
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
2 tbsp
brown sugar
packed
Your own market
2 tbsp
smoked paprika
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 tbsp
fine sea salt
Your own market
1 tbsp
Tellicherry black pepper
Your own market
1 tbsp
garlic powder
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 tbsp
onion powder
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 tsp
cayenne pepper
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
120ml
apple cider vinegar
Your own market
300ml
BBQ sauce
quality commercial brand or house-made
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
II
The Method
1
Combine brown sugar, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne in small bowl; rub evenly over both sides of ribs and between bones, pressing gently.
2
Wrap ribs tightly in butcher paper; let rest at room temperature 30 minutes (or refrigerate up to 12 hours).
3
Place ribs in smoker set to 110°C using oak or hickory wood; smoke for 4 hours until meat pulls back 5mm from bone ends and internal temp reaches 93°C.
4
Remove from smoker; brush generously with mixed apple cider vinegar and BBQ sauce; return to smoker for additional 30 minutes.
5
Remove ribs; brush with final coat of BBQ sauce; rest uncovered 10 minutes.
6
Slice between bones; serve with extra sauce on the side.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Where it lives or dies. The moment where BBQ ribs live or die is the stall — at around 155-165F internal temperature, the moisture evaporating from the surface of the ribs cools them at the same rate they are gaining heat. The temperature plateaus for 1-2 hours. Do not raise the heat. This is when the foil wrap is most useful — wrapping eliminates the evaporative cooling and powers through the stall. After wrapping, the temperature rises steadily.
Pillars V — VII
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