Bourbon Apple Butter Ribs
Apple butter brings concentrated apple flavor to ribs, with enough body to cling to the pork and hold the seasoning against the surface. Paired with Revolution Barbecue Huckleberry Cowboy Rub, it gives these St. Louis–style ribs a sweet, seasoned exterior that works with the richness of the meat. Apple or cherry wood adds fruitwood smoke while letting the pork remain the center of the meal.
The apple-bourbon sauce adds another layer of apple flavor, with apple butter providing body and brown sugar lending sweetness. Apple cider vinegar brings a noticeable tang that cuts through the richness of the pork, while bourbon gives the sauce more depth. The result is a sauce that coats the ribs and still works well for dipping.
There is plenty of sweet flavor here, so the goal is to keep the pork, seasoning, and smoke easy to taste. Thin applications of sauce let the texture of the ribs show through. You should still get tender meat and a seasoned surface beneath that sticky finish.
Extra sauce at the table lets everyone decide how much they want. A lightly sauced rib can stand on its own, while a little dip brings more apple flavor and tang to the next bite.
Smoked St. Louis–Style Ribs With Apple-Bourbon Sauce
Glenn Connaughton
6
25 minutes
5 hours 10 minutes
1950
American
Main Dish
The texture of these ribs matters as much as the apple flavor. The meat should be tender between the bones, with a seasoned exterior and a thin coating of sauce that clings when you pick up a rib. Revolution Barbecue Huckleberry Cowboy Rub seasons both the pork and the sauce, keeping that barbecue flavor present beneath the sweetness.
This recipe uses the 2-2-1 method, which consists of a two-hour unwrapped stage, two hours wrapped, and a final hour uncovered. Each stage has a purpose. Exposure to the smoke develops the exterior, while the foil holds moisture around the ribs as they tenderize. Returning the racks to the smoker without foil gives the surface time to set and the sauce time to become tacky.
Keep the spritz light. You want to moisten the surface without washing off the apple butter and seasoning. The same restraint matters when brushing on the sauce. Apple butter gives it body, so thin applications are especially important for avoiding a heavy coating.
The clock provides a useful schedule, but tenderness is the final check. A probe should slide between the bones with little resistance. Handle the racks carefully when unwrapping, and give them their short rest before slicing so they are easier to portion and serve.
Ingredients
For the Ribs
- 3 racks St. Louis–style pork ribs, approximately 10.90 pounds total
- 3/4 cup apple butter, divided
- 3 tablespoons Revolution Barbecue Huckleberry Cowboy Rub, divided
For the Spritz and Wrapping Liquid
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1/4 cup bourbon
For the Foil Packets
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, divided into 3 portions of 2 tablespoons each
For the Apple-Bourbon Sauce
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup apple butter
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Revolution Barbecue Huckleberry Cowboy Rub
Directions
- Preheat the Smoker: Preheat the smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit using apple or cherry wood. Maintain this temperature throughout the cook.
- Remove the Membranes: Place the ribs bone side up. Slide a butter knife beneath the membrane covering the bones and lift an edge. Grip the membrane with a paper towel and pull it away. Remove any remaining pieces from all 3 racks.
- Coat and Season the Ribs: Spread 1/4 cup apple butter over both sides of each rack, using 3/4 cup total. Season each rack with 1 tablespoon Revolution Barbecue Huckleberry Cowboy Rub, distributing that amount over both sides. Place the seasoned ribs straight onto the smoker, meat side up.
- Prepare the Spritz: Combine 1 cup apple juice and 1/4 cup bourbon. Reserve 3/4 cup of the mixture in a separate container for wrapping. Pour the remaining 1/2 cup into the compression sprayer.
- Smoke Unwrapped: Smoke the ribs meat side up for 2 hours, lightly spritzing every 20 minutes. Apply a fine mist to moisten the surface without washing away the seasoning. Use the spritz sparingly so it lasts through this stage. Work quickly and close the smoker promptly to limit heat loss.
- Prepare the Foil Packets: Near the end of the first 2 hours, arrange 6 long sheets of heavy-duty foil, preferably 18 inches wide, into 3 double-layer wrappers, using 2 sheets per rack. Each wrapper should be large enough to enclose and tightly seal a rack. Cut each 2-tablespoon portion of salted butter into 4 pieces. Arrange 4 pieces along the center of each wrapper where the meaty side of the rack will rest.
- Wrap the Ribs: Place each rack meat side down on the butter. Fold the foil around the ribs, leaving one end open. Pour 1/4 cup of the reserved spritz into each packet. Fold and tightly seal the remaining opening, keeping the liquid inside.
- Smoke the Wrapped Ribs: Return the foil packets to the smoker with the ribs meat side down. Smoke for 2 hours at 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare the Sauce: About 20 minutes before the wrapped stage ends, combine the apple juice, bourbon, brown sugar, apple butter, apple cider vinegar, and Revolution Barbecue Huckleberry Cowboy Rub in a saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, whisking until the apple butter is smoothly incorporated and the brown sugar dissolves. Gently simmer uncovered, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom to prevent scorching. Reduce by about 1/4, aiming for a thick but brushable barbecue sauce. The apple butter already provides body, so stop reducing if the sauce reaches that consistency sooner.
- Reserve the Dipping Sauce: Transfer half the sauce to a separate container for serving. Keep the remaining half available for brushing onto the ribs.
- Unwrap and Sauce the Ribs: After 2 hours wrapped, carefully open the foil packets, watching for escaping steam and hot liquid. Support the racks as you remove them from the foil. Place them back on the smoker meat side up. Brush with a thin, even layer of sauce, close the smoker, and smoke for 20 minutes.
- Apply the Second Coat: Lightly brush the ribs with a second thin coat of sauce. Avoid thick puddles or heavy patches. Close the smoker and cook for another 40 minutes, completing the final hour uncovered.
- Check the Tenderness: Check the meat between the bones with a probe or toothpick. It should slide in with little resistance, and the sauce should have set into a tacky coating. If the meat is still firm, continue cooking until tender.
- Rest and Serve: Transfer the ribs to a baking tray and rest for 10 minutes. Slice between the bones and serve 1/2 rack per person. Gently rewarm and stir the reserved apple-bourbon sauce as needed, then serve alongside the ribs for dipping.
