St. Louis-Style Competition Ribs

Method

1. Lay each rack of spare ribs bone-side up and trim it into the neat St. Louis shape: cut off the rib tips (the flap of cartilage and meat running along one long edge) in a straight line following the natural curve of the bones, then trim the flap of meat and hard fat off the other end to leave a clean rectangle. Save the trimmed rib tips to cook separately another time.
2. Remove the membrane from the back of the trimmed racks by lifting a corner with a knife and pulling it off with a paper towel.
3. Combine the apple juice and melted butter and load it into a meat injector, then inject the mixture into the thickest parts of the meat in a grid pattern, about every 2 inches, for extra internal moisture and flavor.
4. Mix the brown sugar, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne into a rub, then coat the ribs evenly on both sides, pressing it in firmly.
5. Set your smoker to a steady 225-250F and add cherry or apple wood chunks; the trimmed, uniform shape of St. Louis ribs helps them cook more evenly than untrimmed spare ribs.
6. Smoke the ribs bone-side down for 3 hours, spritzing with apple juice every hour after the first 90 minutes to keep the surface moist.
7. Wrap the ribs in foil with the cubed butter and honey drizzled over the meat, sealing tightly, and continue cooking for 1.5 hours at the same temperature.
8. Unwrap and check for tenderness using the bend test; the rack should sag and the surface should crack slightly when lifted with tongs from one end.
9. Brush the ribs with the thinned barbecue sauce and return them to the smoker uncovered for 20-30 minutes to set the glaze into a glossy but not overly thick coating, competition-style.
10. Check internal temperature between the bones with an instant-read thermometer, targeting 195-203F for full tenderness without becoming mushy, which competition judges consider a flaw.
11. Rest for 10 minutes, then slice cleanly between each bone into individual ribs of even width, taking care with a sharp knife for a neat presentation.