Smoked St. Louis-Style Pork Ribs
East Oak
Community Creator
Community Creator
No. 004 • 2026-10-14
“If you’ve never tried Texas-style ribs with nothing but salt and pepper, you’re missing out! No fancy rubs, no BBQ sauce, just a beautiful bark, wood-fired flavor, and some good ol’ smoky ribs.”
— jstewsbbq
Prep Time:15 min (active)
Serves:2–4
Smoke Time:Approx 3 hrs + 15 min rest
Wood:Hickory wood chips
Temperature:275°F
Smoker Model:EAST OAK Pitmate™ Tabletop 20-Inch
Step-by-Step Instructions
1.
Prep the Ribs
- Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs.
- Apply a light coating of duck fat as a binder.
- Season generously with kosher salt and coarse black pepper, coating both sides evenly.
2.
Fire Up the Smoker
- Add your preferred wood chips to the smoker's chip chamber.
- Preheat the EAST OAK Pitmate™ 20-inch Tabletop Electric Smoker to 275°F.
3.
Stage 1: Build the Bark
- Place the ribs in the smoker, meat-side up.
- Smoke uncovered for approximately 2 hours, or until a flavorful bark has developed and the bones begin to pull back from the meat.
4.
Wrap for Flavor and Tenderness
- Remove the ribs from the smoker.
- Lay the ribs meat-side down on two sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
- Add 3 squares of unsalted butter and drizzle with honey.
- Wrap the ribs tightly in foil to seal in the juices.
5.
Stage 2: Finish Smoking
- Return the wrapped ribs to the smoker.
- Continue cooking at 275°F for approximately 1 hour, or until the ribs are tender.
6.
Rest, Slice & Serve
- Carefully remove the ribs from the foil.
- Return them to the smoker uncovered for a few minutes to help the bark firm up again.
- Let the ribs rest for 15 minutes.
- Slice between the bones, serve, and dig in!
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