Low and slow Cajun St Louis Pork Spare Ribs can be done in your oven. Don’t have an outdoor grill? No problem! Tender, juicy pull apart ribs have never been easier. They’ll taste smokey and delicious because they’re seasoned with a dry rub of spicy cajun spices and smoked paprika. After three hours at 350 degrees these bad boys are drenched with your favorite barbecue sauce then broiled to a caramelized perfection.
You can use this unique “St Louis” pork spare rib cut or a regular pork rib cut for this recipe.
What’s a “St Louis” Spare Rib Cut?
Thanks to a Costco mislabel across the country, you can pick up ribs that are precut and called “Pork St Louis Spare Rib.” Essentially it’s been dubbed across the internet as Mexican-style, Korean short ribs, sweet & sour cut, and rib tips. It’s like a regular full rack of ribs cut the wrong way to make a rib with multiple little bones. It makes you think maybe the butcher at Costco had a bad day on the job.
Not to fret! These are still delicious and you can cook them just like St Louis ribs (also known as traditional barbecue ribs) in the oven. These aren’t baby back ribs because it’s not the same cut. The best part is that you can pre-slice them smaller and make little bite ribs for a party… think Super Bowl Sunday or Memorial Day Weekend.
Ingredients
“St Louis” Pork Spare Ribs: Our interesting cut of pork ribs. When slow cooked, they are super tender ribs that fall right off the bone. Easily can be eaten with a fork and knife.
BBQ Sauce: Adds that smokey sweet BBQ deliciousness we’re so fond of! I used Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce but you can use any kind you like.
Light Brown Sugar: The sweetness of the added sugar and the molasses help tenderize and caramelize the ribs.
Cajun Seasoning: Easy to find seasoning in bulk that has a nice kick and flavor.
Smoked Paprika: Smokey flavor and deep rusty red color.
Black Pepper: Flavor enhancing super star.
Chili Powder: Deep smell of chilis and flavor enhancer.
Dried Oregano: Herbal enhancer with earthy notes.
Side Dishes
These ribs go really well with cornbread, coleslaw, baked beans, potato salad, corn, pasta salads, and green salads.
Cajun “St Louis” BBQ Pork Spare Ribs Oven Recipe
Equipment
- Aluminum foil
- Knife
- Small Bowl
Ingredients
- 5 ½ – 6 lb St Louis Pork Spare Ribs
- ¼ cup BBQ Sauce of Choice Plus extra for dipping
Cajun Spice Rub
- ¼ cup Light Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp Cajun Seasoning (optional: Add 1 tbsp more for spicier ribs)
- 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 2 tsp Chili Powder
- 2 tsp Dried Oregano
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 °F and place rack in middle. Line lipped baking sheet with aluminum foil, making sure to tilt the foil edges down tightly.
- Combine all cajun spice rub ingredients in a small bowl. Mix and set aside.
- Remove rib membranes off the back of the ribs by carefully taking a knife underneath and pulling the "skin" away. Trim off any unnecessary excess thick fat, leaving some. In the cooking process a lot of the fat melts off. You may need to pour some fat out of the tray half way through cooking.
- Place ribs on lined lipped baking sheet in a single layer. Rub spice mixture on the front, back, and sides of the ribs. Arrange ribs meat side up.
- Tightly wrap baking sheet with foil and bake for 3 hours. Cooking time may vary depending on how many pounds of meat you cook.
- Remove ribs from the oven. Remove aluminum foil top. Using a basting brush, apply the BBQ sauce In an even layer.
- Return to oven uncovered. Broil for 5-8 minutes until top of the ribs are caramelized.
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
