St. Louis Style Pork Ribs Recipe
These oven-baked St. Louis-style pork ribs prove you don't need any special equipment to make incredible barbecue at home. Cooked low and slow with a flavorful dry rub and finished with a sticky homemade BBQ sauce, they're tender, juicy, and packed with sweet, smoky flavor. Whether you're feeding a crowd for game day or hosting a backyard cookout, this is the recipe I turn to when I want crowd-pleasing ribs every time.
Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
- 1 Large Baking Sheet
- 1 Wire Rack
- 1 Sharp Fillet Knife
- 1 Small Mixing Bowl
- 1 Medium Saucepan
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Basting Brush
- 1 Instant-Read Thermometer
Ingredients
For the Ribs
- 2 rack St. Louis-cut pork ribs about 2.5-3 pound or 1.1-1.3 kilogram each
- ¼ cup yellow mustard
For the Dry Rub
- 2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne optional
For the Wrap Phase
- ½ cup apple juice or cider
- 4 tablespoon melted butter
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
For the BBQ Sauce
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon molasses
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛-¼ teaspoon cayenne to taste
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
For the Ribs:
- Flip the ribs bone-side up. Using a sharp fillet knife, loosen and remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. Use a paper towel to grip the membrane and pull it away cleanly.2 rack St. Louis-cut pork ribs
- In a small bowl, combine all of the dry rub ingredients and stir to mix evenly.2 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon cayenne
- Pat the ribs dry and brush each side with mustard, about one tablespoon per side.¼ cup yellow mustard
- Apply the rub evenly to all sides of the ribs, pressing lightly to adhere the dry rub to the mustard.
- Let the ribs sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes, or refrigerate overnight uncovered.
Bake the Ribs
- Preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C).
- Place the ribs meat-side up on a wire rack set over a large sheet tray.
- Bake for two and a half to three hours, or until the ribs are tender but not falling apart. The meat should have pulled back from the bones by about ½ inch (one centimeter).
- Remove the ribs from the oven and place each rack on a large sheet of aluminum foil.
- Divide the apple juice, melted butter, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar between the racks.½ cup apple juice, 4 tablespoon melted butter, 2 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Wrap the foil tightly around the ribs to seal in the steam.
- Return to the oven and cook for another one to one and a half hours.
For the BBQ sauce:
- While the ribs cook, combine all BBQ sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan.1 cup ketchup, 1 cup chicken stock, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoon molasses, 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1½ teaspoon yellow mustard, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, ⅛-¼ teaspoon cayenne, 1 bay leaf
- Cook over medium heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
- Carefully unwrap the cooked ribs and transfer them back to the baking sheet bone-side up.
- Measure ½ cup (120 milliliter) of the rib drippings and stir them into the BBQ sauce.
- Simmer the sauce over low heat for 10 minutes.
Finish and serve:
- Brush the ribs with BBQ sauce on all sides. Finishing with the meat side up.
- Increase the oven temperature to 425°F (218°C).
- Cook ribs for 10-15 minutes, until the sauce is glossy, sticky and lightly caramelized.
- Let ribs rest 10 minutes before slicing between the bones and serving.
Video
Notes
*Adjust the ingredient amounts in the recipe instructions accordingly if doubling or tripling the recipe.
- Refrigerator: Transfer cooled ribs to an airtight container, and store them in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- Freezer: Freeze cooled ribs for up to three months. Wrap individual portions or whole racks tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, then place them in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag.
- Reheating: Reheat ribs covered with foil in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 20-30 minutes if thawed or 45-60 minutes from frozen, until heated through. For the best texture, brush with a little extra barbecue sauce before reheating. Avoid microwaving when possible, as it can dry out the meat and soften the bark.
- For the best flavor, season the ribs and refrigerate them uncovered overnight before cooking.
- St. Louis-style ribs are done when they are tender with a slight bite and reach an internal temperature of 200-203°F (93-95°C).
- Refrigerator: Transfer cooled ribs to an airtight container, and store them in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- Freezer: Freeze cooled ribs for up to three months. Wrap individual portions or whole racks tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, then place them in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag.
- Reheating: Reheat ribs covered with foil in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 20-30 minutes if thawed or 45-60 minutes from frozen, until heated through. For the best texture, brush with a little extra barbecue sauce before reheating. Avoid microwaving when possible, as it can dry out the meat and soften the bark.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 846kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 63g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 29g | Trans Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 3148mg | Potassium: 814mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 1355IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 5mg