Party Ribs on the Smoker
St. Louis-style ribs cut into individual "party ribs," smoked low and slow, then braised in a sweet-and-spicy hot pepper jelly BBQ sauce until tender. A perfect tailgate recipe that's ready in about 3 hours.
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
- 2 racks St. Louis-style pork ribs see notes
- ¼ cup Que That BBQ seasoning or your favorite BBQ rub
- 2 tablespoons coarse black pepper
- ½ cups hot pepper jelly
- 1 cup BBQ sauce divided, plus extra for glazing
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons jalapeño juice from a jar of pickled jalapeños
- ⅓ cups pickled jalapeños
Instructions
- Cut into party ribs: Slice the St. Louis-style rack into individual party ribs by cutting straight through between each bone, following the natural seam of the meat.
- Season: Season all sides of each rib with 'Que That BBQ Seasoning (or your favorite BBQ rub). *I like to go lighter with the seasoning on the two sides and bone side. Then season the top meat side with about 2 tablespoons coarse black pepper (total for all ribs). Let the seasoning sit for about 15 minutes while the grill heats up.
- Preheat the grill: Heat the pellet grill or smoker to 250°F with your choice of pellets or wood.
- Smoke the ribs: Place the party ribs directly on the grates, meat side up. Smoke until they reach an internal temperature of about 170°F. *This took about 90 minutes for us, but times will vary.
- Make the pan sauce: When the ribs are almost done smoking, combine ½ cup hot pepper jelly, ½ cup BBQ sauce, 4 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons jalapeño juice, and ⅓ cup pickled jalapeños in a foil pan. Stir briefly to combine.
- Braise in the sauce: Once the ribs hit 170°F, place them meat side down into the pan of sauce. Increase the smoker to 275°F and return the uncovered pan to the grill so the sauce can reduce. Continue cooking until the ribs reach an internal temp of about 195-200℉.
- Flip and glaze: Once the temp is 195-200℉, flip the ribs meat side up so they sit in the sauce. Brush another ½ cup BBQ sauce over top. Continue cooking until the ribs reach an internal temperature of about 205°F or until probe tender, and the sauce has tacked up a bit.
- Rest and serve: Pull the ribs and let them rest briefly. Spoon any remaining pan sauce over the top before serving.
Notes
- For the ribs - You can use St. Louis-style ribs or baby back ribs for this recipe. Baby backs are smaller and will cook more quickly, so adjust cooking times as needed.
- For seasoning - Ingredient amounts for the seasoning and pepper are approximate - season to taste, going lighter on the bone side to avoid over-seasoning.
- Cooking times - Cooking times are provided as a guide only and may vary based on the size of your ribs, the smoker or grill you are using, etc. Always cook to the proper internal temperature and tenderness, not a specific time. For reference, the total cook time for us was about 3 hours.
- Pan size - Use a pan with plenty of surface area so the ribs aren't stacked, which helps the sauce reduce properly.