St. Louis Spare Ribs - Aaron Franklin Style (2024)

June 15, 2015
Keegan
21 Comments

I recently picked up a copy of Aaron Franklin’s new and only BBQ book – Franklin Barbecue a Meat Smoking Manifesto. I hadbeen looking forward to reading this, as he is a BBQ legend at this point. I was looking forward to learning his deep dark BBQ secrets to take my weekend smoke sessions to new heights. After reading his book, I would say it is worth the purchase for a good lesson on Texas BBQ. We northerners like to complicate BBQ by adding all sorts of things to rubs and sauces. Aaron sticks to the basics and extreme attention to detail and after applying some of his methods to a rack of St. Louis Spare Ribs this last weekend, I think I am a big big fan of his approach.

First, a lot of his methods are nothing new. What is new to me is only using two seasoning for a rub, and this is Salt and Pepper. Nothing else. No garlic powder, cumin, sugar, or chili powder! I was a big skeptic. I am a believer now. The salt and pepper makes a delicious bark on the meat and I did not find myself looking for more sugar or spices when wolfing down these ribs. My wife was a big fan as well.

Basic Steps for Aaron Franklin's Ribs

Heat your smoker to 275 F
Trim any excess fat off your ribs. Do not remove any membranes on the back of the ribs.
Season with 2 Parts Coarse Grind Pepper and 1 Part Coarse Sea Salt.
Smoke for 3 hours – spritzing with a mixture of 25% Apple Cider Vinegar and 75% Water every 45 minutes
Coat with BBQ Sauce and Wrap ribs meat side down. Choose your favorite BBQ sauce. Because the ribs have quite a bit of salt and pepper on them, I think a sweet sauce pairs the best. Smoke for 2 Hours.
Rest for 20-30 minutes in foil, cut and serve. Try this. You will like it…. a lot. For only having salt and pepper on them for a rub… these blew my mind.

Want more Amazing BBQ Rubs to experiment with, to take your Backyard BBQ to the Next Level? Download my favorite Everyday BBQ Rub Recipes below….

Download my Free Everyday BBQ Rub Recipe E-book

St. Louis Spare Ribs - Aaron Franklin Style (4)

St. Louis Spare Ribs - Aaron Franklin Style (7)

DIY Grill Cart $12.99 VAT Add to cart
Traeger Grill Table Plans for Pro 780 and Ironwood 885 Pellet Grills $23.95 VAT Add to cart
Traeger Grill Table Plans for 575 Pro or Ironwood 650 $23.95 VAT Add to cart
Green Egg Outdoor Kitchen for Large and XL Sizes $39.95 VAT Add to cart
Green Egg Outdoor Kitchen for Two Large Eggs $39.95 VAT Add to cart
Center Cut Green Egg Table Plans – Fits Large Kamados $24.95 VAT Add to cart
Center Cut XL Green Egg Table Plans – Fits XL Kamados $24.95 VAT Add to cart
Compact Big Green Egg Table for Large Eggs $24.95 VAT Add to cart

4 from 3 votes

St. Louis Spare Ribs - Aaron Franklin Style

This simple take on spare ribs will blow your mind with flavor

Course Dinner

Cuisine Barbecue

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 5 hours

Total Time 5 hours 30 minutes

Servings 4

Author Aaron Franklin

Ingredients

2 Racks of St. Louis cut Pork Spare Ribs find the freshest you can find... it matters!

Rub

4 T Coarse Grind Pepper - a step below cracked pepper - this part is key
2 T Coarse Sea Salt

Spritz for Ribs

1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
3/4 Cup Water

Instructions

Heat your smoker to 275 F
Trim any excess fat off your ribs. Do not remove any membranes on the back of the ribs.
Mix the rub and shake it on the ribs on both sides evenly until you have a nice texture forming. See pictures.
Smoke for 3 hours - spritzing with a mixture of 25% Apple Cider Vinegar and 75% Water every 45 minutes
Coat with a few tablespoons of BBQ Sauce on each side and Wrap the ribs meat side down. Choose your favorite BBQ sauce. Because the ribs have quite a bit of salt and pepper on them, I think a sweet sauce pairs the best. Smoke for 2 Hours.
Rest for 20-30 minutes in foil, cut and serve. Try this. You will like it.... a lot. For only having salt and pepper on them for a rub... these blew my mind.

Reverse Seared Steak on a Gas Grill: Weeknight Steak Perfection

Reverse searing a steak is one of my favorite techniques to get a perfect medium rare steak. Some people think the reverse sear process is too complicated. This reverse sear guide will prove it is

View Recipe »

Product Reviews

Kiln S-Series Pizza Oven Review

There are a lot of backyard pizza ovens available these days. Should the Kiln S-Series 16″ Pizza Oven be on your list to add to your backyard arsenal? After a few months of testing, below

View Recipe »

Product Reviews

Baking Steel or Baking Stone for Pizza Perfection?

For us home cooks, making amazing pizza can feel like one long experiment that will never be solved. The secret weapon behind many professional pizza kitchens is a super hot baking surface, often in a

View Recipe »

Product Reviews

Wireless Meat Probe Throwdown: Meater vs Typhur vs Thermopro!

Which wireless meat probe should you use in your backyard? Let me show you which one is the best choice…

View Recipe »

Ron

September 7, 2015
You say “wrap” but wrap in what? Foil or paper

Reply
1. Keegan
  
  September 22, 2015
  For the ribs I have always used foil to wrap them. I think it would be worth trying the butcher paper though. Let me know if you try the paper and how it works for you. You just never know what will be the trick until you try it.
  
  Reply
Josh

October 10, 2015
Aaron Franklin prefers wrapping everything in butcher paper.

Reply
1. Keegan
  See Also
  Smoked Brisket - Perfect Every Time
  
  October 10, 2015
  If you buy his book, he uses both butcher and foil. He prefers foil for his ribs, but I would like to try the butcher paper sometime.
  
  Reply
John

July 5, 2016
Quick note: he only wraps brisket and beef ribs (just for the rest) in butcher paper. Everything else is foil. Also, he adds garlic and onion powder and Hingarian (sweet) to his rib rub. It’s not just salt and pepper.

Reply
1. Keegan
  
  July 6, 2016
  Yeah, I think there are some conflicting sources out there? I have heard a lot of different methods. For this post, I am directly referring to what he teaches in his book. Many ways to get it done, that’s for sure.
  
  Reply
  1. Joe S
    
    July 23, 2017
    In his book, he lists a number of additional options and uses these for private BBQs with friends/family. Makes sense as spices are expensive and could hurt his profits. I like a little chili, garlic, and paprika.
    
    Reply
Ken

July 24, 2016
What kind of wood?

Reply
1. Keegan
  
  July 25, 2016
  I prefer a mix of Oak & Fruit wood – either cherry or apple. Aaron Franklin uses all Oak for his smoking.
  
  Reply
steve

July 1, 2017
Really?? Leave the membrane on? Also known as the flavor blocker. Everyone has there own style but I feel this is bad information.

Reply
1. Keegan
  
  July 3, 2017
  That is the way Aaron Franklin rolls. I actually do not mind leaving the membrane on. I feel it helps keep moisture in the ribs. Obviously, you can choose your own path there.
  
  Reply
  1. Joe S
    
    July 23, 2017
    Aaron Franklin cooks 60 racks a day. No time for his crew to remove membrane from all 60.
    
    Reply
  2. Jode
    
    January 6, 2018
    on his PBS show he removes the membrane and does add the garlic, onion powder, chili and paprika
    
    Reply
    1. Keegan
      
      January 6, 2018
      Yeah, the book is just in reference to his restaurant operations… I think he is like all of us BBQ lovers and changes it up here and there
      
      Reply
  3. Bob
    
    April 13, 2022
    Keegan, I so agree! I own a small town BBQ joint in Northern Az…We also, as Aaron, leave the membrane on…you are correct…keeps the moisture in…meat is exposed, rubbed and smoked…
    ZERO issues with “blocking the flavor”
    Our customer love our ribs…we sell out every time! 30 racks….in 2 hours!
    
    Reply
Scott Borsick

May 16, 2019

Suggestions for baby backs please?
Thanks

Reply
1. Keegan
  
  May 16, 2019
  If you are using this method, I would suggest less time in the foil. Really just depends on how meaty your ribs are. You can up the cooking time for larger cuts or back it off for smaller cuts. Usually less time for baby backs, but really depends how big they are. If you have a more specific question, let me know…
  
  Reply
Dan Knezevich

May 7, 2022

Incredible recipe! Best spareribs I’ve ever had! Can’t wait to follow more of Aaron’s recipes!!

Reply
Dan Knezevich

May 7, 2022
Wrapped in foil! Great recipe! Nearly bulletproof! Thanks Aaron!

Reply
Tina G.

October 14, 2022

Unsure what went wrong, but these ended up being extremely overcooked. I followed the recipe exactly and know my smoker is true to temperature. The flavor was good, though.

Reply
1. Keegan
  
  October 14, 2022
  Only thoughts would be… were the ribs thick and meaty? Then, different smokers definitely perform differently even at “set temperatures”. If you were do do it again, I would cut the time in foil in half and see if that does a better job for you. – Keegan
  
  Reply