# St. Louis Pork Ribs — The Deome Way

## Overview
Smoked St. Louis cut pork ribs with a sweet-savory bark, deep smoke flavor, and a sticky mustard glaze finish. Perfect for Traeger or any pellet smoker.

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## Ingredients

- 2 racks St. Louis style pork ribs (about 2.5–3 lbs each)
- Meat Church Honey Hog BBQ Rub
- Yellow or Dijon mustard (binder)
- Apple juice (for spritzing)
- Honey and unsalted butter (for wrapping)
- Carolina-style mustard BBQ sauce (store-bought, e.g. Lillie’s Q Carolina Gold)
- Royal Oak hardwood pellets
- Pecan wood pellets

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[![IMG_9513.JPG](https://wiki.deome.net/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/scaled-1680-/img-9513.JPG)](https://wiki.deome.net/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/img-9513.JPG)

## Prep

1. **Trim & Peel:** Remove ribs from packaging. Pat dry. Remove membrane from bone side. Trim excess fat and loose bits.
2. **Binder:** Coat both sides with yellow or Dijon mustard.
3. **Rub:** Apply Meat Church Honey Hog rub generously to all surfaces.
4. **Rest:** Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

[![IMG_9514.JPG](https://wiki.deome.net/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/scaled-1680-/img-9514.JPG)](https://wiki.deome.net/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/img-9514.JPG)

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## Smoking Process

1. **Preheat Smoker:** Use a 50/50 blend of Royal Oak and pecan wood pellets.
2. **Room Temp:** Unwrap ribs, let come to room temp 30–45 min before smoking.
3. **First Smoke:** Place ribs bone side down on smoker at 165°F for 3 hours. Spritz lightly with apple juice after 90 min, then hourly.
4. **Raise Temp:** After 3 hours, increase smoker to 225°F.

[![IMG_9521.JPG](https://wiki.deome.net/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/scaled-1680-/img-9521.JPG)](https://wiki.deome.net/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/img-9521.JPG)

5. **Wrap:** At the 5-hour mark (or when bark is set and color is deep), wrap each rack in heavy-duty foil or butcher paper with a drizzle of honey and a few pats of butter. Place wrapped ribs back on smoker, meat side down.
6. **Braise:** Cook wrapped for 1.5–2 hours, until internal temp is 195–203°F and probe tender.
7. **Glaze:** Unwrap and place ribs back on the smoker, bone side down. Brush with mustard BBQ sauce. Smoke unwrapped 20–30 min to set glaze and firm bark.

[![IMG_9522.jpg](https://wiki.deome.net/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/scaled-1680-/img-9522.jpg)](https://wiki.deome.net/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/img-9522.jpg)

8. **Rest:** Remove from smoker. Tent loosely with foil and rest 10–20 min before slicing.
9. **Slice & Serve:** Slice between bones and serve with your favorite sides.

[![IMG_9524.JPG](https://wiki.deome.net/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/scaled-1680-/img-9524.JPG)](https://wiki.deome.net/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/img-9524.JPG)


[![IMG_9523.JPG](https://wiki.deome.net/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/scaled-1680-/img-9523.JPG)](https://wiki.deome.net/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/img-9523.JPG)
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## Notes

- **Pellet Blend:** The Royal Oak and pecan combo gives classic smoke with sweet, nutty undertones—perfect for pork.
- **Sauce:** Glaze at the end for a sticky, competition-style finish.
- **Signs of Doneness:** Meat pulls back from bones, probe slides in with no resistance, bark is deep and sticky.
- **Serving Tip:** Rest before slicing for juicier ribs.