St. Louis Style Spareribs with Sweet and Spicy BBQ Rub and Root Beer Sauce

Method

1. For the Root Beer Spritz: Combine the root beer and lemon juice in a spray bottle. Set aside.
2. For the Sweet and Spicy BBQ Rub: Make rub by mixing all ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Reserve 1-2 tablespoons for the BBQ sauce.
3. For the Root Beer Barbecue Sauce: Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan. Sauté onion and garlic until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for about 15 minutes until the flavors have blended. Continue cooking until the sauce begins to thicken, about 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remember, the ribs will have plenty of spice rub on them, so don’t over-season the sauce. Let the sauce cool for about 10 minutes or until it is warm but no longer “boiling” hot. Serve the sauce as is, or optionally purée with an immersion or traditional blender until smooth. Let cool. The sauce can be made in advance and kept for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
4. Cut the Spareribs for St. Louis style.
5. Massage the Sweet and Spicy BBQ Rub onto both sides of the ribs 1 hour before you are ready to cook.
6. Heat the grill to 250°F using the 2–zone set up with a gas or charcoal grill. This method calls for an indirect cooking side.
7. For a Gas Grill: To set up 2-zone cooking for gas grill, the grill must have more than one burner. You must turn one burner on low to medium heat to create the hot side, and turn the other burner off completely to create the cooler side. You can sear or brown the meat using the hot side, then move the meat over to the cooler side and let the meat continue to cook until done.
8. For a Charcoal Grill: The same 2-zone setup can be done with a charcoal grill by placing the hot coals on only one half of the bottom. On the other half of the grill bottom, prepare a drip pan with heavy duty aluminum foil
9. Place the ribs, meat side up on the cool side of the grill. Add a few chunks of hickory or fruit wood to the fire. Close the lid with the vents over the cool/meat side to drive the smoke over the ribs. Cook for 1 hour, monitoring the fire carefully to maintain 250°F.
10. Spray the ribs with root beer spritz at the hour mark. Spray again after 30 minutes. Close the lid and cook for a final 30 minutes (2 hours total).
11. Tear off two sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil --double them up and wrap the ribs tightly, giving another spritz of the root beer before sealing the packet.
12. Place the packets, meat side down on the grill and cook for another 30 minutes more (the ribs should be very tender).
13. Unwrap the ribs and brush both sides with the root beer BBQ sauce. Place on the cool side of the grill and watch carefully for the next 15 minutes to set the sauce.