St. Louis Short Ribs Recipe

Written By Dylan Zink

There’s nothing quite like a perfectly cooked rack of St. Louis ribs—especially when they’re made from Heritage Berkshire pork, known for its exceptional marbling, tenderness, and rich flavor. This recipe is a simple, crowd-pleasing method that works just as well in the oven as it does on the grill or smoker. With a sweet and tangy homemade BBQ sauce and a flavorful dry rub, these ribs are a staple for any cookout, weekend dinner, or special occasion. Whether you're a seasoned pitmaster or just getting started, this guide walks you through every step to achieve ribs that fall off the bone—and keep your guests coming back for more.

Ingredients:

  • 1 rack of Heritage Berkshire St. Louis Ribs (2-3 lbs)

  • Binding Agent:

    • 2 tbsp Yellow Mustard

  • Dry Rub:

    • 2 tbsp Brown Sugar

    • 1 tbsp Salt

    • 1 tbsp Ground Black Pepper

    • 1 tbsp Garlic Powder

    • 1 tbsp Onion Powder

    • 1 tbsp Red Pepper Flakes

  • BBQ Sauce:

    • ¼ cup Water

    • 1 cup Ketchup

    • 2 tbsp Hot Sauce

    • 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

    • 1 tbsp Yellow Mustard

    • 2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

    • 2 tbsp Brown Sugar


Steps:

1. Prep the Ribs

  • If ribs are frozen, thaw completely overnight in the refrigerator or a few hours at room temperature.

  • Remove the ribs from the packaging and pat dry with paper towels.

  • Let the ribs come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking.

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)

2. (Optional) Mix Dry Rub

  • Make your own homemade dry rub in a bowl, stirring together salt, pepper, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes to taste.

3. Apply the Dry Rub

  • Rub a thin layer of yellow mustard over both sides of the ribs to act as a binding agent for your dry rub.

  • Sprinkle the dry rub evenly over both sides of the ribs, gently patting to adhere.

4. (Optional) Make your own BBQ Sauce

  • Make your very own BBQ sauce by combining ketchup, hot sauce, worcestershire sauce, mustard, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, and water in a pot and reducing over low heat.

  • Simmer until the BBQ sauce is thick, sticky, and coats the back of a spoon.

5. Wrap and Cook

  • Wrap the ribs in aluminum foil and place them inside the oven.

  • Every 20 minutes, remove the ribs and unwrap the foil, lightly brushing your BBQ sauce onto the ribs before rewrapping them and placing them back in the oven.

6. Final BBQ Glaze + Finish

  • Around the 90-minute mark, check for tenderness. A toothpick or skewer should slide in and out effortlessly, with little to no resistance. If not, baste again with BBQ sauce, wrap the ribs with aluminum foil, and place back in the oven for ten minutes before checking again.

  • Once ready, generously brush the ribs in BBQ sauce and finish with one of these three following methods for 5-10 minutes:

    • Grill (high heat): For a charred, traditional finish. Tip: Place the ribs with the bone-side down.

    • Smoker (225–250°F): Infuse the ribs with a final layer of rich, smoky flavor as the glaze sets.

    • Oven Broiler (top rack): Broil for a few minutes until the glaze starts to bubble and develop a caramelized finish.

7. Serve

  • Remove from heat, let rest for 5 minutes, then slice between bones.

  • Enjoy!

Dylan Zink