St. Louis Pork Ribs on a Gas Grill

When it comes to BBQ, the first thing everyone wants to learn is how to smoke the ideal rack of ribs.

That was my experience. The only problem was that I didn’t possess a smoker.

If you’re in the same boat as me, I have some excellent news for you! It is feasible to smoke ribs on a gas barbecue and get excellent results.

I’ll teach you how to accomplish it using wood chips and a homemade foil pouch.

As you are undoubtedly aware, selecting the appropriate kind of wood is critical to having the perfect taste on your barbecue. If you’ve ever tried preparing ribs in the oven, you know that nothing beats the taste that wood can provide.

Western Premium BBQ Products has sponsored this dish.

St. Louis Ribs

I used a rack of St. Louis ribs for this recipe. If you’re unfamiliar with this cut, it’s just a rack of spare ribs trimmed into a more uniform shape. Simply cut along the breastbone and flap to do this.

As a consequence, the results are consistent, which is why this cut is so popular on the competitive barbecue circuit.

You may use baby back or spare ribs for this recipe, but the timings will need to be adjusted somewhat since baby backs cook quicker and a complete spare rib may take longer.

Choosing the right wood

Choosing the proper kind of wood is critical to achieving the desired taste for your barbecue. Furthermore, not all wood items are made equal.

Western Premium BBQ Products has been producing wood chips for over 25 years. We’ve discovered that their product is consistent, and that the low moisture percentage of their wood gives good smoking for a variety of recipes.

Their wood products are also all-natural, resulting in a very low 2% residual ash and adding superb taste and texture to many barbecue recipes. Furthermore, there are ten various types of wood chips to pick from, providing you with limitless alternatives and possibilities!

Wood is very significant in barbecue. Along with rubs or spices, the smoke produced by wood provides another layer of flavor and is the true star of any excellent barbeque dinner.

How wood flavors meat

There are several varieties of smoke wood, each with its own distinct taste when smoked.

• For delicate meats such as fish, poultry, and vegetables, I use gentler woods such as alder, apple, maple, or cherry.
• Hickory, along with pecan, is an excellent choice for heavier meats such as beef and hog.
• Try post oak if you want a balanced taste of smoky and mild. And for a huge, powerful taste, try mesquite.

I used hickory wood chips for this dish because they offer a richer taste to pork ribs without overwhelming them.

It has a savory and robust taste that is nearly as rich as bacon. It’s a favorite option among barbecue fans, and it’s ideal for smoking on a gas grill.

How to prepare wood chips for the gas grill 

There are many methods to smoke using wood chips on a gas barbecue. Some ways need a smoker box or tube, so don’t panic if you don’t have either.

You may build a foil packet by placing a few handfuls of wood chips in the center of some aluminum foil. I prefer to use heavy-duty foil to assist prevent holes from being accidently poked into it.

Fold one side over and seal the edges by folding the foil once or twice.

Then, using a toothpick, make many holes in the centre of the bag to allow the smoke to escape.

On medium-high heat, place the foil package immediately on the grates.

After around 15-20 minutes, the wood chips in the foil will begin to smoke, and you can begin cooking.

The foil packets will smoke for around 30-40 minutes, so I prefer to have 2-3 foil packets ready so that I can simply change them as the smoke from the foil begins to disperse, adding a nice flavor to the barbeque.

Setting up your gas grill for smoking

The secret to smoking on a gas barbecue is to configure it for two-zone cooking. That indicates the side with the foil packet is hot, while the side with the ribs is colder and the burner is turned off.

This will prevent the ribs from burning and will enable you to cook them low and slow, allowing more smoke to flavor the meat.

Were not making grilled ribs here!

How to smoke St. Louis Ribs on the Gas Grill

Place the foil package with wood chips onto the grill grate and shut the lid.

It will take around 15-20 minutes for the foil package to begin smoking, so prepare your ribs in the meanwhile.

1. Trim your ribs and remove the membrane

To prepare the ribs, I square them up and cut away any superfluous fat.

If the rack of ribs is too long and won’t fit on the grill, cut it down to fit. You may also remove the membrane off the back to enable extra barbecue rub to permeate and add flavor.

2. Season your ribs

If your ribs seem dry, massage a little mustard or oil over them to help the rub adhere better to the meat.

Usually, the ribs are moist enough that I don’t have that issue, therefore I omit the binder.

I season the backside first, then flip and season the top side, making sure that every inch of the flesh is well covered.

I used 10-42 barbeque’s all-purpose barbeque rub on these ribs. It has a beautiful hue and pairs nicely with pig ribs. It’s not excessively salty, so you can use a lot of it without fear of it being overbearing.

You may use any rub you have on hand, or you can build our ultimate pork ribs rub.

3. Get the ribs on the grill

When smoke begins to emerge from the foil packet, reduce the heat to medium and set the ribs on the grill over the grates with the burner turned off.

If you have a bigger gas grill, position them as far away from the heat source as possible; this will enable the ribs to smoke for much longer before they are fully cooked.

I smoked them on my Char-Broil two-burner gas grill, so the ribs were quite close together.

The temperature of a gas grill varies, and many of them become rather hot. You want to aim for a temperature of approximately 250 degrees, but 300 is OK as well; they will simply cook quicker.

Because the built-in dome thermometer on your grill isn’t very precise, utilize a probe-style thermometer for the best results.

If you find your ribs drying out, spray them with water, apple juice, or a combination of the two to keep them wet.

Don’t forget to add more foil packets loaded with wood chips after they’ve stopped smoking.

4. Wrap the ribs

After approximately two hours, or when the ribs’ internal temperature reaches 165-175 degrees, cover them in foil.

If you can scratch the surface of the rib with your finger without any of the rub coming off, your ribs are ready to wrap.

When you’re ready to wrap, take two pieces of foil and overlap half of them. Add a couple pats of butter, a generous drizzle of honey, and some brown sugar.

Then, with the meat side down, cover the ribs snugly in foil and return them to the grill in the same manner.

After 45 minutes to an hour, remove the foil and inspect the ribs. If you see the bones pushing back, it’s a positive indicator that you’re ready to go on to the next phase.

5. Final cook

To finish, flip the ribs over so the meat side is up and wrap them in foil. I build a tiny boat out of the foil edges so the liquid doesn’t splash all over the grill.

Allow the ribs to rest for approximately 20 minutes before serving. This will enable some of the extra moisture from the top of the ribs to dry, preventing a soggy bark.

After 20 minutes, season your ribs with your preferred barbecue sauce. I brushed on two applications of Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce and finished them on the grill for another 30-40 minutes.

When the ribs are done, the interior temperature should be approximately 190-200F. If you want fall-off-the-bone ribs, raise the temperature to 205°F.

Allow the ribs to rest for a few minutes after you remove them from the grill before cutting into them.

All that remains is to dive into some smoky, tasty, and tender ribs directly from your gas barbecue!