St. Louis–Style Spareribs

1. Soak Wood Chips

Soak your wood chips in water for about 15 minutes. This ensures they’ll smolder and produce the smoky flavor you want rather than burning too quickly.

2. Prepare Spice Rub

While the wood chips soak, start preparing the spice rub by combining the paprika, light brown sugar, salt, chili powder, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and dried thyme in a bowl.

3. Apply Spice Rub

Place your racks of St. Louis-style spareribs on a rimmed baking sheet. Take the spice rub you just made and generously sprinkle it over both sides of the ribs, pressing it in firmly.

4. Prepare Grill

Prepare the grill by setting it up for indirect heat, which means you'll want to push the coals to one side or turn off the burners on one side if using a gas grill. Once the grill is ready, add the soaked wood chips directly onto the coals or into a smoker box for gas grills.

5. Mix Apple Juice and Cider Vinegar

Mix together the apple juice and cider vinegar in a bowl. This mixture will be used to keep the ribs moist and add a subtle tangy flavor during the cooking process.

6. Cook Ribs

Place the ribs on the grill over the side without direct heat. Close the lid and let the ribs cook slowly, maintaining a temperature of around 225-250°F. Every hour or so, open the lid and lightly brush the ribs with the apple juice and cider vinegar mixture.

7. Finish and Serve

Cook the ribs for about 4-5 hours, or until the meat is tender and pulls away from the bone easily. Once done, remove the ribs from the grill and let them rest for a few minutes before serving.