Hot Honey St Louis Style Ribs
The Prep
The Meat: 1 rack of St. Louis Style Pork Ribs.
The Prep: Flip the ribs bone-side up. Use a paper towel to grip the membrane at one corner and pull it off completely.
The Binder: Apply a generous layer of Southwest-style mustard (or yellow mustard) all over the ribs.
The Rub: Coat heavily with a Sweet Heat BBQ Rub (look for ingredients like brown sugar, chipotle, and smoked paprika). Let it sweat for 15 minutes.
The Smoke: Phase 1 (The Bark)
Preheat: Get your smoker steady at 225°F using fruitwood (Apple or Cherry) or Hickory.
The Cook: Place ribs bone-side down.
The Spritz: After the first hour, spray every 30 minutes with apple juice to keep the surface moist and build a deep mahogany color.
The Target: Continue smoking until the internal temperature reaches 170°F and the bark is well-set.
The Wrap: Phase 2 (The Tenderness)
Prepare the Foil: Lay out a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
The Braise: Lay down a few pats of butter and a heavy drizzle of hot honey.
The Wrap: Place the ribs meat-side down onto the butter and honey. Seal the foil tightly to create a steam-tight pouch.
The Crank: Place back on the smoker and increase the pit temperature to 275°F.
The Finish: Cook for 1 hour or until the internal temperature hits 200°F.
The Final Touch
The Rest: Remove from the smoker but do not unwrap immediately. Let them rest in the foil for 15–20 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute and the honey-butter glaze to thicken.
The Slice: Slice between the bones and drizzle any remaining juices from the foil back over the meat.
Note: At 200°F, these will be "competition tender" (clean bite off the bone). If you prefer "fall-off-the-bone," let them go until 203°F–205°F