Smoked St. Louis Ribs with Rubbin Racks

Ribs · Smoker · Rubbin Racks · Backyard BBQ

Smoked St. Louis ribs built for bark, tenderness, and real backyard BBQ flavor.

Rubbin Racks handles the flavor. The 3-2-1 method handles the tenderness — three hours of smoke, two hours wrapped, and one final hour back on the grate to firm the bark.

Prep Time 45 min

Cook Time 6 hours

Total Time 6 hr 45 min

Servings 10–14

Recipe Card

Smoked St. Louis Ribs with Rubbin Racks

Best for: summer cookouts, backyard BBQ, feeding a crowd, game day, and holiday weekends.

Ingredients

• 5 racks St. Louis style spare ribs
• 6 tablespoons Backyard Spice Company Rubbin Racks, divided
• 3 tablespoons Gulden’s yellow mustard
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, about 2 tablespoons per rack
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup apple juice or dark beer
• Cherry, apple, or hickory wood for smoking

Quick Instructions

1. Pull the silver skin, separate the rib tips, and halve each rack.
2. Apply mustard as a binder and season generously with Rubbin Racks.
3. Rest ribs 20–30 minutes while the smoker heats.
4. Smoke bone-side down at 225°F–250°F for 3 hours.
5. Wrap with butter, honey, and apple juice. Cook 2 hours at 250°F–275°F.
6. Unwrap and return to the grate for 1 hour at 250°F.
7. Pull at 195°F–203°F internal, rest, slice, and serve.

How To Make It

1. Break the rack down

Flip each rack bone-side up and pull the silver skin off. Slide a knife or your finger under the membrane at one end, grab it with a paper towel for grip, and peel it off.

Cut the boneless rib tips off the end of each rack. They cook faster than the rest of the slab, so cook them separately and pull them early.

Halve each rack straight down the middle. Half racks fit better on most smoker grates, get more even smoke exposure, and are easier to wrap, move, and handle.

2. Season it

Rub a thin layer of yellow mustard over all surfaces of the half racks and rib tips. It helps the seasoning stick and does not leave mustard flavor behind.

Apply Rubbin Racks generously on all sides. Do not dust it on — press it in. Let everything rest at room temperature for 20–30 minutes while the smoker heats up.

3. Load the smoker

Preheat the smoker to 225°F–250°F. Add your wood and let the smoker settle into clean, steady smoke before the meat goes on.

Place the half racks bone-side down with space between each section. Add the rib tips alongside them.

4. Smoke unwrapped for 3 hours

Close the lid and let the ribs smoke for 3 hours. Do not babysit it. Opening the smoker repeatedly costs temperature and slows the cook.

Check the rib tips at the 2 to 2.5 hour mark. They are done when caramelized, tender, and pulling apart easily.

5. Wrap for 2 hours

After the full 3-hour smoke, place each half-rack on a double layer of heavy-duty foil. Add about 1 tablespoon of butter, a drizzle of honey, and a splash of apple juice to each section.

Wrap tight and return to the smoker at 250°F–275°F for 2 hours. This is where the ribs push through tenderness.

6. Finish unwrapped for 1 hour

Carefully open the foil. Hot steam will escape. Return the racks bone-side down to the grate, unwrapped, for one final hour at 250°F.

This firms the bark back up after the steam of the wrap. Save the liquid from the foil packets for serving.

7. Pull and rest

Ribs are done when they flex and crack when lifted with tongs, the meat has pulled back from the bone tips, and a probe slides through the meat with little resistance.

Internal temperature should land around 195°F–203°F. Rest uncovered for 10–15 minutes before slicing.

Seasoning Used: Rubbin Racks

Rubbin Racks is our rib and brisket rub built for long smokes. It develops bark, holds up through the wrap, and seasons the meat without fading by hour four.

No sauce required — though nobody is stopping you.

Shop Rubbin Racks

Backyard Notes

• Do not rush the first 3 hours. That is where the bark and smoke flavor build.
• The stall is not a problem. Around 160°F–170°F, the temperature may stop moving. The foil wrap handles it.
• Rib tips cook faster. Check them early so they do not dry out.
• Mustard does not leave mustard flavor. It helps the rub stick and cooks off.
• Save the foil liquid. Drizzle it over sliced ribs or use it to reheat leftovers.
• Wood choice matters. Cherry is forgiving. Hickory gives a bolder traditional BBQ smoke.

Serving Ideas

• Pile sliced racks on butcher paper for a cookout spread.
• Serve rib tips separately as a starter while the racks rest.
• Pair with baked beans, coleslaw, and thick slices of white bread.
• Add corn on the cob and potato salad for a full summer BBQ plate.

Want The Full BBQ Setup?

Rubbin Racks is part of the Backyard Bundle — four jars built to cover the grill: Sir-Loin Swagger for beef, Rubbin Racks for ribs, Poultry Polish for chicken, and S.P.O.G as the everyday backbone.

One bundle, one cookout, no gaps.

Shop The Backyard Bundle