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Chef Michael Steifman’s St. Louis Smoked Pork Ribs

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Chef Michael Steifman shares a mouth-watering recipe for smokey, savory, sweet, and tangy St. Louis Ribs. This is a delicious recipe that does involve several steps, but we think it’s well worth it. These are a guaranteed crowd pleaser (and we wouldn’t blame you if you made a couple extra ribs for a rainy day).

Everything can be prepared in advance, saving time and effort the day of your event, but we love the magic of preparing these in the morning to serve straight from the grill to the plate. Perfect for lunch or dinner, we like them paired with classic barbecue favorites of grilled corn on the cob and a fresh salad.

St. Louis Smoked Pork Ribs

by Chef Michael Steifman

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

  • 55 grams kosher salt

  • 5 grams black pepper

  • 10 grams chili powder

  • 5 grams smoked paprika

  • 2 grams coriander

  • 10 grams mustard powder

  • 3 grams cumin powder

  • 18 grams onion powder

  • 16 grams garlic powder

  • 2 grams coffee granules

  • 10 grams activated charcoal

Procedure

  1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until evenly combined.
  2. If not using immediately, place in an air tight container and store in a cool, dry, dark place until ready to use.

Ingredients

  • 7 pounds ketchup

  • 1/2 Spanish onion, minced or pureed

  • 1 pint black coffee (brewed)

  • 1 pint apple juice

  • 1 pint cider vinegar

  • 1/2 pint soy sauce

  • 1/8 cup chipotle puree

  • 1 pound dark brown sugar

  • 1 Tbsp smoked paprika

  • 1 cup Urfa Biber

Procedure

  1. Combine all ingredients, except ketchup in a pot.
  2. Bring to a boil and stir to make sure all ingredients are combined and solids dont stick to the bottom.
  3. Reduce heat to a low and simmer for 30-45 minutes until liquid is reduced by half.
  4. Add the ketchup and whisk until completely combined.
  5. Keep heat on low and let simmer very lightly for another 30 minutes.
  6. Let cool to room temp, then refrigerate.

Ingredients

  • 450g (1 Rack) St. Louis Ribs

  • 30g (2tbsp) Black Rub

  • 200g Bitchin’ BBQ Sauce

Procedure

  1. Clean ribs and remove membrane from backside
  2. Rub ribs with black rub
  3. Set smoker to 225 degrees and cook ribs for 2 hours
  4. Remove ribs from smoker, sprinkle with the brown sugar and wrap tightly in aluminum foil, then return to smoker for 1 hour.
  5. Remove ribs from smoker and remove foil
  6. Baste ribs with bbq sauce and return to smoker for 15 minutes
  7. Repeat step 6 every 15 minutes until ribs are done