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St. Louis–style barbecue refers to spare ribs associated with the St. Louis area. These are usually grilled rather than slow-cooked over indirect heat with smoke which is typically associated with the term "barbecue" in the United States. Although St. Louis–style barbecue takes inspiration from other styles of barbecue it still retains its own distinct style.

Characteristics

St. Louis–style barbecue is characterized by its process of grilling and then saucing the meat. The cooking time for St. Louis–style barbecue is faster than other styles because it does not require smoking the meat for hours or applying a dry rub. St. Louis barbecue sauce is tomato-based, sweet, and vinegary. St. Louis–style barbecue sauce is described by author Steven Raichlen as a "very sweet, slightly acidic, sticky, tomato-based barbecue sauce usually made without liquid smoke." Butchers after World War 2 employed this cut because it eliminated much of the fat and gristle and they could charge a premium for it. This cutting technique eventually gained popularity as local meatpackers realized they could advertise the cut as St. Louis–style ribs and differentiate themselves from competitors.

See also

  • Cuisine of St. Louis
  • Kansas City–style barbecue
  • List of regional dishes of the United States
  • Maull's barbecue sauce
  • Sandwiches That You Will Like
  • List of pork dishes

References

Sources

  • St. Louis Style Ribs vs. Baby Back Ribs
  • The geography of American barbecue
  • How to Trim Pork Spareribs Into a St. Louis-Style Cut
  • BBQ Anatomy 101: Pork Ribs
  • St. Louis BBQ Society