History
The St. Louis cut is a butchery style, not a recipe: pork spare ribs squared off by trimming the sternum, cartilage and flap, leaving an even rack that cooks consistently. The name reflects the city's role as a major 20th-century pork-processing centre. Local smokehouses like Pappy's and Salt + Smoke turn the cut into Memphis- and Texas-leaning ribs, and the trim is now a standard term on menus and in butcher cases across the country.
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Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1 rack St. Louis-cut pork spare ribs
- 3 tbsp dry rub: paprika, brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder
- Apple or cherry wood chunks
- Barbecue sauce to finish
Method
- Pull the membrane off the back of the ribs and coat both sides with the dry rub.
- Set up a smoker or grill for indirect heat at about 110C with apple or cherry wood.
- Smoke the ribs meat-side up for about 3 hours until a bark forms.
- Wrap in foil with a splash of liquid and cook another 1.5 to 2 hours until tender.
- Unwrap, brush with sauce and firm the glaze over direct heat for a few minutes before slicing.
Tip from the editors. Apple or cherry wood gives the mild, sweet smoke St. Louis smokehouses favour over heavier hickory.
Where to eat st. louis-style ribs
St. Louis-style ribs in St. Louis
Pappy's Smokehouse ★ 4.6
Pappy's smokes Memphis-style ribs over apple and cherry wood in Midtown and lands on national BBQ lists. The ribs are the order, and they sell out daily.
OrderDry-rubbed ribs smoked over apple and cherry wood.
TipArrive before noon at weekends; they smoke a fixed amount each day and close when it is gone. Cash and card both work.
Salt + Smoke ★ 4.4
Salt + Smoke smokes brisket over post oak for 16 hours in the Delmar Loop and pairs it with a deep bourbon list. The city's leading new-school BBQ name.
OrderPost-oak brisket with the fried pimento-cheese balls.
TipBrisket sells out, so save a spot on the waitlist or come early. The bourbon and beer list is as much the draw as the meat.
Bogart's Smokehouse ★ 4.3
Bogart's smokes its signature apricot-bruleed ribs in historic Soulard, torching the sweet glaze to order, a counter-service BBQ joint that draws long.
OrderThe apricot-bruleed ribs.
TipThe bruleed ribs are the order to try. Come at off-peak hours to skip the line.
More cities are in research. Want st. louis-style ribs covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.