Smoked St. Louis Style Ribs - Southern Style

[SouthernSmoked]

Smoked St. Louis Style Ribs - Southern Style
I tried something new - I normally will purchase all my smoking meat at Sam's Warehouse but this time my wife purchased a small rack at Meijer's, $7.89. They didn't look great but that's what smoking is all about. Low and Slow!

Make sure when you purchase your ribs they come in a cryovac bag just in case you don't smoke them for a couple of days.

Remove the skirt meat from bone side.

Next step is to flip the ribs meat side up and remove the brisket (rib tips). This is where a good knife is needed. The object here is to cut the slab into a uniform width so that the ribs cook more evenly.

Next step is to trim the fat - leave some for flavor.

The last step to our St. Louis style ribs is removal of the membrane on the bone side. Removing the membrane makes for a more tender rib and also allows more flavor from smoke and rub to penetrate.

Apply a layer of mustard to the ribs.

I like to take a fork to poke and pry between the bones to tenderize the meat after I apply the mustard. This will help the rub stick to the ribs. I like to use mustard because it makes a great crust and tenderize our ribs.

Apply a rub to the ribs. I start with the bone side or back side and apply a fine coat. When using my Bradley Smoker I don't apply a heavy coat on the back.

But I will apply a liberal amount to the top side. Patting gently to ensure the rub adheres to your ribs.

Make sure to get the edges also. Then let the ribs sit in the refrigerator over night if you have the time, if not I would suggest a couple of hours minimum. I used this Rubber Maid container that comes with a lid.

I cut the ribs in half to fit inside my Bradley Smoker.

This is my Stainless Steel Bradley Smoker. I preheat my Smoker to 250 degree knowing that the temperature in my oven will drop once the door opens and the meats go in - sometimes a little higher if I'm doing several ribs at a time. I used Hickory flavor wood-chips and well smoke for around 4 to 5 hours.

Here are the two halves.
PS: Make sure to spray the racks with a non-stick spray before apply the ribs. Bone side down or meat side up, either will work...

This picture shows the best view of why I cut the ribs in half. The racks on this smoker only have 11" x 13" cooking space. These ribs were actually small enough that I didn't really need to split them but I decided I wanted to show how to make sure that a full rack of ribs would fit.
After 2 hours I will open the door and apply a mop on the ribs - and again at the 2-1/2 mark.
After about 3 hours I will pull these ribs out and boat, meat side down and cover with some of the left over mop sauce, for about one hour in the smoker.

I also cooked the brisket (rib tips) during this smoke. Check out the smoke ring.

Yumm...

I will lightly coat the ribs for the first time with some homemade bbq sauce then once plated I will drizzle a small amount over the ribs at this time.

Can you smell the Hickory Smoke on these ribs?
Let's eat!

[monty]

great pics SouthernSmoked. nice looking meal you put together there.

thanks for sharing!

[hal4uk]

Mighty fine looking meal there, SS!!

[squirtthecat]

Beautiful!   Nice writeup...

[SouthernSmoked]

Thanks guys, I really do enjoy smoking with my Bradley. I usually smoke about 3-4 times a week. My wife is tried of smoked food but who cares.

SouthernSmoked AKA SS :0)

[Tenpoint5]

Great looking ribs and a nice write up on the St Louis Style.


I have one question though. I have made a pile of ribs in my Bradley along with many many other meats. I have yet to get a smoke ring on any of them, unless chemically enhanced (Tenderquick) to get it. What did you put on yours?

[Wildcat]

Great looking ribs and a nice write up on the St Louis Style.


I have one question though. I have made a pile of ribs in my Bradley along with many many other meats. I have yet to get a smoke ring on any of them, unless chemically enhanced (Tenderquick) to get it. What did you put on yours?

I was curious about the same thing.

[3rensho]

Great looking meal!!!  Thanks for all the pix and details.

[OldHickory]

Great looking meal, good pic's and a nice write up.  Thanks for sharing.

[SouthernSmoked]

Hey Tenpoint5,

I not sure why your not getting a smoke ring, I can't remember the last time I didn't. I tried smoking some more Ribs today to see but I once again got a nice little smoke ring. When your doing ribs what is your method???

Here is the ones that I smoked today and just finished eating.

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=17217.0

[KyNola]

SS,
The reason 10.5 is questioning the smoke ring is because several several folks who have been here for years have never obtained a smoke ring with their Bradley's.  It's a chemical reaction thing.  Noticed you trimmed your ribs prior to rubbing, smoking and saucing.  Not trying to be critical but is it possible that the pink ring is the rub and sauce penetration rather than a smoke ring?

Not being critical at all.  You obviously do really nice work.  It's just that no one else with a Bradley has been able to obtain a smoke ring.
Beautiful ribs.

[Smoking Rebel]

Hey I'm new to the Bradley family but these ribs look pretty good. I left another comment on the Baby Back ribs you did today or posted today. 

Man I hoping to get a smoke ring on the meat that I smoke, the salesman never told me that I couldn't get a smoke ring when I asked. On these ribs I'm not sure about a smoke ring but the rib-tips sure do look like a smoke ring. On your Baby Backs they too look like a smoke ring but who am I. Anyway great looking ribs... 

I just received my smoker today and looking forward to trying some ribs.

I've been hitting the circuit for a few years now but back in April I was in a car wreak and won't be able to compete any longer. So I sold my Yoder Smoker "Santa Fe Trailer" that I just purchased.

Looking forward to corresponding with you all.

Thanks

[SouthernSmoked]

KyNola, true that could be - that's why I was trying to find out his method. I've got a couple of spare ribs in the frig that I was going to do for my sister tomorrow and thought I would try one his method and the other mine. Just to see!

I'm puzzled myself, I was aware of the smoke ring issue because I had talked to Brian at Bradley the other day and he informed me of this matter. I told him that I had been getting what appeared to be a nice smoke ring on the meats that I had been smoking. He suggested I join the forum and post some of these and create a conversation with other smoker out here. So don't feel that I'm responding to what you said about being critical because we all can use some constructive criticism at times.

I'm just not sure anymore about the smoke ring, you got me second guessing myself, not saying this is a bad thing but...

I know I'm glad that I did join and look forward to all interactions with everyone.

SouthernSmoked

[BuyLowSellHigh]

Development of a smoke ring using either an OBS or a DBS is indeed puzzling, unless it originated from something in the rub or pretreatment.  To get a conventional smoke ring takes burning an organic fuel (wood, charcoal, even propane) at a high enough temperature to generate nitrogen oxides that react with moisture and the myoglobin in the muscle cells.  In the OBS and DBS that shouldn't happen because the bisquette combustion temperature is way too low.  It can and does take place in the propane Bradley because of the propane burning temp.  The other way to get a smoke ring is to provide a direct source of nitrogen oxides on the meat surface.  Both nitrite and nitrate salts commonly used in meat curing will do that, and are the reason why they preserve that nice pink color in cured meats.  There are many natural sources of nitrates and nitrites in green and root vegetables, so it doesn't need to come from a curing salt – celery juice is commonly used in organic meat processing for this effect . 

If those ribs are showing what is, in effect, a smoke ring after cooking in an OBS or DBS, I would first be inclined to think it came from something in the rub.  It could just be a dying effect from the rub or a sauce, or it could be a "smoke ring" from the chemistry.  A simple experiment would be to do ribs in the Bradley with and without the rub.  If the smoke ring came from the smoke and not the rub, then both should show a similar smoke ring.  Second, do the same thing in an electric oven set to mimic the cooking temp in the Bradley.  If it comes from the rub then the rubbed ribs from the oven should show the "smoke ring".

[SouthernSmoked]

Hey BuyLowSellHigh, great ideal, I think I understand. What do you think if I did only the rib-tips without any rub in the Bradley only using "apple juice" to keep it moist? And take the other rib-tips and apply the rub and insert into the oven and cook at 250 for 4 hours treating it exactly like I would in my Bradley. The only thing missing would be the smoke. Did I understand you correctly??

Everything that you stated made complete sense. That must be why, when using my old Brinkman, the smoke ring was little more dominant. Since the heat and smoke came from one source.