Chef Tom knows the secret to making an unforgettable meal - Barbecue Smoked Beans and St. Louis Spare Ribs! With his amazing technique, your guests will experience succulent ribs and smoky beans that will leave them wanting more. Unlock this amazing flavor for yourself today!
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE
- Ribs and beans in one cook: A skillet of beans on the rack below the ribs soaks up smoke and rendered drippings the whole time, so there’s no separate side dish to manage.
- Rib tips shredded into the beans: Meat pulled from the tips and folded into the finished beans turns a trimming into smoky, chewy pieces of pork.
- Foil wrap and a hotter finish: Wrapping the ribs once they reach a mahogany color and raising the temperature to 325°F tenderizes them.
- Bean Buddy with chipotle: A jarred bean base and minced chipotles in adobo give the beans a sweet, smoky heat, with sweetness you can dial up or down.
Barbecue Smoked Beans with St. Louis Spare Ribs
Tom Jackson
Rated 4.6 stars by 5 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
8
Prep Time
1 hour
Cook Time
6 hours
Calories
801
Chef Tom shares a great technique for utilizing spare rib tips, with these Barbecue Smoked Beans and St. Louis Spare Ribs cooked on the Yoder Smokers Pellet Grill!
Ingredients
- 1 rack spare ribs
-
Chile Slinger Fatalii Mustard Sauce (substitute)
-
R Butts R Smokin’ Cherry Habanero
- 1 1/2 cups yellow onion, small dice
- 1 1/2 cups red bell pepper, small dice
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 (15 oz) cans pinto beans, drained, rinsed
- 2 (15 oz) cans great northern beans, drained, rinsed
-
1 (16 oz) jar Plowboys BBQ Bean Buddy
-
1/4 cup Chile Slinger Fatalii Mustard Sauce (substitute)
- 2 tbsp chipotles in adobo sauce, minced
- 2 cups vegetable stock
Directions
Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640 Pellet Grill to 250ºF, set up for smoking.
Trim your spare ribs St. Louis style (check out our video on how to trim St. Louis Style Ribs here). Rub a layer of Chile Slinger Fatalii Mustard Sauce (substitute) over all surfaces of the ribs, as well as the rib tips. Season with R Butts R Smokin’ Cherry Habanero. Let the rub set up until the rub appears moist on the surface of the ribs.
- Place the ribs and rib tips on the second shelf of the grill.
Prepare the remaining ingredients. Combine the remaining ingredients in a Lodge 12” Cast Iron Skillet and carefully mix well. For sweeter beans, use the full 2 cups of Plowboys BBQ Bean Buddy. For less sweetness, use 1-1.5 cups Bean Buddy.
- When the ribs have been smoking for 45-60 minutes, place the skillet on the grill grate directly below the smoking ribs. Close the lid of the grill and let the beans and ribs cook.
- When the ribs and rib tips reach a dark red mahogany color (about 3-4 hours into the cook), remove them from the grill and wrap each tightly with foil. Return the ribs and rib tips to the grill and increase the temperature to 325ºF.
Continue cooking the beans until the onions and peppers are tender and the beans have reached your desired consistency. You can always add more liquid (stock or water) to thin the beans out, if you feel they’ve reduced too far. Remove the skillet from the grill and cover with a heavy cast iron lid. Set aside and leave at room temperature.
- Continue cooking the ribs until the meat is tender, and nearly falling off the bone, about 5-6 hours total. For the rib tips, separate the meat from the cartilage. Discard the cartilage. Shred the rib tip meat and add to the beans.
- Taste the beans and adjust seasoning, as needed. Slice the ribs and serve the Barbecue Smoked Beans with Spare Ribs.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why trim the ribs St. Louis style?
Trimming off the rib tips, cartilage, and flap leaves a flat, even rack that cooks at the same rate. The trimmings are saved and smoked alongside them for the beans.
Why coat the ribs in mustard sauce and wait for the rub to look moist?
The mustard sauce works as a binder, so the Cherry Habanero rub sticks. When the rub looks moist on the surface, it has started to set and will hold through the smoke.
Why put the skillet of beans below the ribs after 45-60 minutes?
Waiting until the ribs have started smoking lets the beans catch drippings and smoke for the rest of the cook without getting over-reduced early on.
Why wrap the ribs in foil and raise the heat?
Once the ribs reach a dark red mahogany color, foil traps moisture and heat. Raising the grill to 325°F softens the meat and finishes the cook.
How do I know the ribs are done?
The meat should be tender and nearly falling off the bone after about 5-6 hours total. That is well past the 145°F USDA minimum for pork.
Why separate the rib tip meat from the cartilage?
The cartilage doesn't soften enough to eat. Shredding only the meat and adding it to the beans gives them smoky pork without hard bits.
How should I hold the beans while the ribs finish?
Keep the cooked beans at 140°F or above, such as covered on the grill, in a warm oven, or in an insulated cooler. If they will wait longer, refrigerate them within 2 hours and reheat before adding the rib tip meat.
How do I adjust the sweetness and thickness of the beans?
Use the full 2 cups of Bean Buddy for sweeter beans, or 1 to 1 1/2 cups for less sweet. If they reduce too far, thin them with more stock or water.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
2 out of 5. A 250-300°F oven can cook the ribs and beans to the same doneness, but you'd lose the smoke and bark that the recipe depends on.
Recipe Highlights
Ribs and beans together: The beans pick up smoke and drippings.
Shredded rib tips: Turn trimmings into smoky bean mix-ins.
Foil wrap at 325°F: Tenderizes the ribs after the bark sets.
Bean Buddy and chipotle: Add adjustable sweet, smoky heat.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 18.66 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 801
- Carbs
- 137 grams
- Protein
- 52 grams
- Fat
- 6 grams
- Sodium
- 105 milligrams
