Charcoal Grill St Louis Style Ribs
Knowing how to cook ribs in the Weber Kettle is critical to your street crew as a grill master. Many see the Weber Kettle as a starter grill. Because of it’s relative low price and it’s durability, it is a good choice for a first grill or smoker. It’s versatility and the iconic flavor it produces makes it very attractive to seasoned grill masters as well! This episode is a no-frills guide for beginners for St Louis pork ribs! We will keep it very simple, just keeping to the basics.
Things to know:
What’s the difference between St. Louis style ribs and regular ribs?
St Louis style ribs are simple trimmed down pork spare ribs, which gives them a rectangular, uniform shape which is perfect for grilling or smoking. These are NOT baby back ribs, as they are larger, richer in fat (which is flavor!) and have a larger surface area.
How do you grill with charcoal for beginners?
1. Place the appropriate amount of charcoal in a chimney and light it.
2. Determine the method of cooking you are to use, arrange the charcoal as appropriate, place the cooking grate into position and close the lid.
3. Ensure the grill vents, or dampers, are open.
4. Wait 10 to 15 minutes as the grill heats up.
5. Oil the grates, clean the grate with a grill brush if necessary and oil again.
6. Place food onto the cooking grate.
How long do you let charcoal burn before cooking?
You should let charcoal burn for about 20-30 minutes before cooking (I do this in 2 steps). This ensures the coals are hot enough, have finished producing thick smoke and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and have had time to heat your grill.
Do you leave the vent open on a charcoal grill when cooking?
This depends on what you are cooking and what method you are using. Typically the lower vent is fully open and the top adjusted as necessary, but there are exceptions.
Ingredients:
2 racks of St Louis style ribs
rub of your choice (we used Kosmo Q Killer Bee Honey Chipotle)
BBQ sauce of your choice (we used Blue’s Hog Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce)
Spritz King Culinary Basting Spray
1. Fill two 2 zone charcoal basket 3/4 full of charcoal briquettes, then transfer the briquettes to a starter chimney. Light a tumbleweed fire starter and place the chimney over it. Allow 15 minutes of the coals to be prepped.
2. Transfer the lit coals to the 2 zone baskets, pushing them to opposite sides of the kettle. Add a chunk of 2 of wood for additional flavor (we added apple and cherry).
3. Place the grill grates in the grill and the raised grate. Ensure the bottom and top vents are full open and allow the grill to warm for 10 minutes.
4. Spray your grill with a cooking spray, then place the ribs, bone side down onto the raised grill grate.
5. Allow the ribs to cook for 1 hour, rotating the lid 1/3 of the way around every 20 minutes for even cooking.
6. At the 1 hour point, remove the ribs from the grill. Moisten a large piece of butcher paper with the spray of the liquid of your choice: a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar, beer, or what we used – Spritz King Culinary Basting Spray. Spritz the ribs also, then wrap tightly in the butcher paper.
7. Place the wrapped ribs back on the raised grill grate and allow to cook for another hour.
8. If saucing, remove the ribs from the grill, then the butcher paper, apply the sauce of your choice, then place the ribs back onto the raised grill grates for 10 minutes to allow the sauce to tack up.
9. Remove the ribs from the smoker, loosely tent them with foil and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes.
10. Place the ribs bone side up on a cutting board and cut the ribs. Serve and ENJOY!
Equipment used:
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