When it comes to ribs, most of the time I prefer St. Louis style ribs. I do this for two reasons: 1) I love the flavor of meat and fat that this part of the rib provides and 2) I’m originally from St. Louis, so I feel it’s my obligation as a native St. Louisan to eat them. So it’s no surprise that these are honey glazed teriyaki St. Louis style ribs!
Inspiration for the recipe
If you look at my recipe for Simple St. Louis Style Ribs, I would either finish the ribs off with BBQ sauce in the last 30-45 minutes of the cook or just serve them dry rub only. I like them both ways, but I wanted some flavor to wow me. I had been using some rub that was a little spicy and since my family are a bunch of wusses doesn’t take too well to spicy things, I wanted to tone down the zip my St. Louis style ribs had. I have come to learn that honey is a good way to lessen the heat.
But instead of making them only sweeter, I wanted to throw something else in for more savory flavor. I don’t know what made me think of mixing honey and Teriyaki, but I would like to think the BBQ gods looked down upon me and told me to do it. That or dumb luck. Either way, the honey glazed teriyaki St. Louis style ribs were born (although I do lean toward the dumb luck)!
Can I Use Baby Back Ribs Instead of Spare Ribs?
This recipe calls for St. Louis style spare ribs, but you can easily substitute baby back ribs for this recipe instead. Baby backs are going to be shorter and have more of a curved bone while spare ribs are longer and fattier.
Should I Remove the Membrane on Ribs?
Once you remove the St. Louis style ribs from the packaging, dab dry with a paper towel. You can choose to either strip the membrane off of the back or leave it on. Some people are passionate on both sides of the topic, but I prefer to remove it. Refer to my Simple St. Louis style ribs recipe for a video on how to remove the membrane in one quick pull.
Seasoning the St. Louis style ribs
With the membrane removed (or not), squeeze the bottle of spicy brown mustard until you have enough to spread over the rack.
Once this is done, apply rub generously on both sides of the rack.
Seasoning to Use for Pork Ribs
Pork ribs lend themselves well to a variety of flavors, especially a sweet and heat type of seasoning. Some folks will go sweet rub only and get a great flavor. Once the BBQ rub has been applied on both sides of the racks of ribs, leave the ribs out on the counter for 10-15 minutes. This helps the seasoning to seep into the meat as the racks start to “sweat” a little.
Now that the pork ribs have been prepared, place on the smoker at 250 degrees over indirect heat. Fruit woods, such as cherry and apple, work great with pork. Pecan is a favorite of mine and I highly suggest it.
What is the 3 2 1 Ribs Method?
The 3-2-1 ribs method is the most popular way to cook ribs. This means three hours in the grill uncovered, two hours wrapped in foil, and then one hour uncovered to finish it off. During the first three hours, spray the ribs with apple juice once to help keep the ribs from drying out during the smoking process.
Stall Temp for Ribs
For the next phase, wrap the ribs in foil. It’s best to wrap tightly to cook them hotter and faster. This also helps get the meat past “the stall”, which is when the internal temp of the meat stays around 160 degrees. This happens because the protein starts to “sweat” and cool down the it’s cooking process. Wrapping in foil helps push past and accelerate the stall.
The Last Step
After the two hours, it is time to unwrap the ribs and put them back on for one last hour of exposure to the smoke. I like the flavor apple wood gives to pork, so another hour of that sweet smell makes it better. During this last hour (about 15 minutes in), open the grill and apply the Teriyaki sauce first by sprinkling the 1/2 Tablespoon all over each rack, then get a brush and apply the honey. As you brush, the teriyaki sauce and honey both spread together. Or you can mix them in a bowl beforehand. Either way, the honey glazed teriyaki combo is happening!
Let it cook for another 30-45 minutes to let the glaze cook into the ribs. We want a sticky consistency as compared to saucy.
When are Ribs Done?
As far as temperature of the meat, there’s two different sets of temps you can finish them at. Personally, I prefer my ribs to have a clean bite through to them, meaning the bite you take makes a perfect indentation in the meat. To get this clean bite through, you will want temps between 180 and190 degrees . This is the same type of bite that competition barbecue judges look for. Using a Thermoworks digital thermometer, such as the ThermoPop featured in the image above, is perfect for quick, accurate readings.
The other way to eat ribs is to have the meat fall off the bone. The meat temps you will be looking for are between 195-205°F. You will definitely get more meat off of the bone this way.
Once the ribs have reached your desired temperature, pull them from the smoker and let them rest for about 15 minutes before you start to cut and serve. Resting the meat lets the juices build up inside and bring more flavor. After resting, proceed to slice and serve. Right before serving, give the ribs another coating of honey for the look and flavor of it.
A sign of a good smoke is the coveted smoke ring. The smoke ring is apparent when you see a consistent pink coloring around the outside edge of the meat when you cut into it. This does not affect the flavor of the meat, but it does look pretty cool.
How Long Are Pork Ribs Good For?
After the pork ribs have been cooked, they can last up to four days when sealed tightly in a plastic bag or food storage container and placed in the refrigerator. Ribs are good for up to three months when frozen.
What To Serve with Pork Ribs
Here are some dishes that go well with BBQ ribs:
Green Beans with Bacon and Onions
The Pork Ribs Recipe!
Honey Glazed Teryaki St. Louis Style Ribs
Add some unique flavor to your St. Louis style ribs (or baby backs if you wish) and add some honey and teriyaki flavors!
Ingredients
- 1 full rack of St. Louis style ribs
- 5 Tablespoons spicy brown mustard
- 4 Tablespoons rub
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 Tablespoon teriyaki sauce
Instructions
- Preheat grill/smoker to 250 degrees. While waiting, remove St. Louis style ribs from packaging, rinse and pat dry. Remove membrane from the back of the ribs (optional, but preferred)
- Apply spicy brown mustard on both sides of the ribs, getting the edges covered, too. Sprinkle on rub and pat both sides and cover the edges, as well.
- Place rack(s) on grill for three hours, spritzing occasionally with apple juice. Remove and wrap in foil. Put back on for two more hours.
- In a small bowl, combine honey and teriyaki sauce. Unwrap foil from ribs, use basting brush to apply to ribs on the grill. Cook uncovered for 30-45 minutes.
- Remove from grill, rest for 15 minutes, then slice and serve.
Notes
Spritzing is something I recommend during the cook. With these ribs, I go simple with apple juice.
Regarding smoking woods, I use apple wood for these. However, feel free to use the smoking wood of your choice.
Finishing temps for ribs vary. For a clean bite through, finish between 180-190 degrees. For fall-off-the-bone style, aim for 190-205 degrees.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 3 ribsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 400Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 500mgCarbohydrates: 13gSugar: 12gProtein: 20g
