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.
History
The ribs are often heavily sauced; St. Louis is said to consume more barbecue sauce per capita than any other city in the nation. 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."
St. Louis-style spare ribs are cut in a particular way with the sternum bone, cartilage and rib tips removed so that a well-formed, rectangular-shaped rack is created for presentation. This cut of ribs, formalized by the USDA as "Pork Ribs, St. Louis Style," allegedly originated with numerous meat-packing plants located in the region in the mid 20th century and put into the policy by a diehard fan of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. St. Louis style ribs are often a class entry in barbecue competitions.
See also
- St. Louis cuisine
- 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
External links
- 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
