Slow-Smoked St. Louis Style Pork Ribs with Dry Rub Bark

By AislePrompt Editorial · ·

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are developed and reviewed.

Tender St. Louis style pork ribs smoked low and slow with a signature dry rub that forms a flavorful bark, capturing the essence of classic St. Louis barbecue. This American-inspired barbecue recipe, ready in about 375 minutes, pairs St. Louis style pork ribs, paprika, brown sugar for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 450 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 45 min Cook: 330 min Serves 6 American cuisine 450 cal/serving
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Ingredients

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Instructions

  1. Step 1: In a bowl, combine 3 tbsp paprika, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp kosher salt, 1 tbsp black pepper, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, and 1 tbsp smoked paprika to create the dry rub.
  2. Step 2: Remove the silver skin membrane from the back of 2 racks of St. Louis style pork ribs (about 4 lbs total) and pat dry with paper towels.
  3. Step 3: Generously apply the dry rub all over both sides of the ribs, pressing firmly to ensure it adheres. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  4. Step 4: Prepare your smoker and preheat to 225°F using 2 cups of soaked apple wood chips for a mild sweet smoke.
  5. Step 5: Place the ribs bone-side down on the smoker grate and smoke for 3 hours, maintaining 225°F and replenishing wood chips as needed.
  6. Step 6: After 3 hours, wrap the ribs tightly in foil and continue smoking for 2 more hours to tenderize.
  7. Step 7: Unwrap the ribs and smoke for an additional 30 minutes to firm up the bark.
  8. Step 8: Remove ribs from smoker and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing between the bones and serving.

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