St. Louis-style ribs on the kamado

Prep

20 min

Cook

270 min

Servings

4 servings

Temperature

130 °C

Ingredients

• St. Louis-cut pork ribs (~1.2 kg each)2 tiras
• Memphis-style rub (salt, sugar, paprika, garlic, onion, cumin)3 cda
• yellow mustard2 cda
• butter50 g
• apple juice100 ml
• brown sugar4 cda
• Kansas City-style barbecue sauce150 ml
• cherry or apple wood chunks2 trozos

Method

1. 01

   Remove the membrane

   Slide a knife under the silver membrane on the back and pull it off with a paper towel. Without this the rub does not penetrate and ribs stay chewy.

2. 02

   Binder and rub

   Brush with a thin coat of mustard (no flavour, just adhesion). Dust the rub generously on both sides.

3. 03

   Smoke 3h

   Stabilise the kamado at 130°C indirect, add the wood chunks and load the ribs bone-side down. Smoke for 3 hours.

4. 04

   Wrap 1h

   Spread butter, apple juice and brown sugar on foil. Wrap the ribs inside and return to the kamado for 1 hour.

5. 05

   Glaze

   Unwrap, brush with barbecue sauce and return to the kamado uncovered for 30 minutes so the glaze sets.

6. 06

   Sear direct

   Open all vents and push to 260°C. Move the ribs over direct heat for 60-90 seconds per side to caramelise.

7. 07

   Rest and cut

   Rest 10 min. Cut between the bones. A perfect rib bends 30° without snapping — if it snaps, it is overcooked.

About this recipe

Editor's tips

• Forget the "fall off the bone" test: a perfect rib holds together, it does not drop off.
• For sweeter ribs double the brown sugar in the wrap. For more bite skip the final glaze.

Gear for this recipe

• Primo Oval XL 400

  Three rib racks fit side by side on the oval grate. On a round kamado they overlap.

  €1,799

• MEATER+ wireless WiFi thermometer

  Ribs are done when the probe slides like into butter — the 95°C target is a useful checkpoint.

  €99

• OXO Good Grips 16" tongs

  Flipping three racks without tearing them takes long tongs with grip — the OXO do not slip with sauce.

  €22

FAQ

• Is the 3-2-1 rule right or too long?+

  3-2-1 (3h smoke, 2h wrapped, 1h sauced) is the American textbook. It works, but leaves the meat very soft — some prefer more bite. A more sensible version: 4h smoke at 110°C no wrap, 30 min sauced at the end. Simpler, ribs with more texture, fewer steps.

• Remove the silver membrane from the bone side?+

  Yes, always. The membrane is impermeable to smoke and rub, so the bone-side meat ends up bland if you leave it. Slide a spoon under one corner, grab with paper towel, pull. 30 seconds of work, real flavour difference. No excuse to skip it.

• Sauce at the end or from the start?+

  At the end, the last 20-30 minutes. If you sauce from the start, the sugar in the BBQ sauce burns and turns bitter. The rub (low or no sugar) goes on from minute one — it builds flavour through the first 3 hours. Sauce is the final layer.

• How heavy is a rack for 3-4 people?+

  A St. Louis rack of 1.5-1.8 kg feeds 3-4 as a main. With generous sides, up to 5. For 6+ guests, two racks. Cooking two at once is no extra effort — same time, the kamado has the room.