• Preheat the Pellet Smoker to 250 degrees F.

Prepping and Seasoning the Ribs:

• Pat the ribs dry with paper towels and lay on the cutting board meat side down. Use another paper towel to pinch the thin membrane attached to the bones. Peel it off and discard.
• Next using a sharp knife locate the point where the bone meets the first joint and make a horizontal cut in-between separating the rib tips from the main rack.
• Trim off the last bone on the skinny end of the rack just to square up the ribs. This is an optional step but will give you a more even final product.
• Take the rib tips and cut them into 2-3 inch pieces, toss them along with the end bone you trimmed in bbq rub. You can smoke these alongside the ribs. I use these as a test to see how tender the meat is and as a little snack.
• Once the St. Louis ribs are trimmed drizzle both sides with avocado oil. Season the bone side of the ribs with BBQ rub then flip and season the meat side. Let the rub absorb into the ribs for 15 minutes.

Cooking Instructions:

• Place the ribs (meat side up) along with the rib tips on the pellet grill and smoke for 2 hours at 250 degrees F. No peeking!
• While the ribs are smoking, prepare the “Mop” by combining water, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, and soy sauce into a spray bottle or a container if you prefer to mop it on.
• After 2 hours check the ribs to make sure the rub has created a crust on the meat. Drag your finger over the rack - if the rub stays on its time to spray. If the rub comes off, continue smoking for another hour. Spray the ribs to add moisture and flavor. Continue smoking the ribs for another 2 hour.
• After 4 hours of smoke the ribs should be ready to wrap. Lay out the large sheets of foil on a table. Place the ribs on top of the foil the top with a ½ stick of sliced butter on each rack along with a tbsp of honey for sweetness. You can also spray with a little more of the mop. Tightly wrap the ribs in the foil and place back on the smoker. Cook for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour carefully remove the ribs from the foil. The meat should be choked up exposing more of the bone. Brush on a coat of sauce on the ribs and smoke for about 20 minutes. Repeat with a second coat just before serving.
• Use a probe thermometer to gently poke into the meat of the ribs. They should feel tender and be around 200 degrees F.
• Let the ribs rest for about 10 minutes before slicing into individual bones and serving.