A thick, generous slab of boneless rib meat, glazed with barbecue sauce and topped with a fresh apple and fennel slaw on a soft white bun. The golden arches don’t stand a chance against this one.
I’m not shy about sharing my opinions. One hot-button topic I’ve debated is the rib sandwich. I’ve been part of a few lively online arguments about placing smoked pork ribs on bread. Here’s my take:
- The classic “rib sandwich” you sometimes see in older Texas BBQ spots is a sandwich in name only: a section of unsliced ribs served with white bread. No garnish, no slaw, no cohesive binding ingredient—maybe a little BBQ sauce. As Daniel Vaughn, BBQ editor at Texas Monthly, put it: “note to barbecue sandwich-makers across the state: rib sandwiches where three or four pork ribs with the bone still in them are stacked between two slices of bread does NOT qualify as an edible sandwich for obvious reasons.”
- Texas has so many treasured barbecue traditions that we don’t need to cling to a menu item that was born out of laziness and never made sense.
- Likewise, the modern trend of piling bone-in ribs onto multi-protein sandwiches should fade away. Those creations exist mostly to attract internet attention; they often look almost grotesque. We can’t look away, but that doesn’t mean they’re good ideas.
In a culture where warnings tell us that coffee may be hot, I’m surprised any BBQ joint would serve sandwiches that might realistically come with a liability waiver.
That said, a boneless rib sandwich can absolutely work—and it can be even more photogenic than a gratuitous bone-in shot. With the Fourth of July coming up, I decided it was a perfect time to share a standout smoked-rib recipe that celebrates great barbecue: a shiny, saucy rack of pork ribs transformed into a practical, delicious sandwich.
I set out to make a rib sandwich that’s sensible and feasible while still feeling grand. It uses quality ingredients and simple technique to deliver maximum flavor.
Most importantly, this is a rib sandwich that has the bones removed. Presenting: the Ribwich with Fennel Apple Slaw.
Recipe note: I tested both baby back and St. Louis–style ribs. The St. Louis cut, with its shape and ease of bone removal and minimal cartilage, worked best for sandwich-making.
The Texas Boneless Pork Rib Sandwich
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- Author: Jess Pryles
Ingredients
Scale
1 rack St. Louis–cut pork ribs
1/4 cup Hardcore Carnivore Red seasoning
4 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup BBQ sauce
4 soft hamburger buns
3 cups fennel and apple coleslaw
Instructions
- Heat a smoker to 225°F. Fruit woods like apple or cherry are excellent with pork ribs.
- Prepare the ribs: turn them meat-side down and loosen a corner of the membrane with a butter knife. Grip the corner with a paper towel and pull the membrane off, then discard. Trim any excess fat or loose meat.
- Season the ribs. Sprinkle some seasoning on the bone side, then flip and season the meat side. Let the rack rest 10–15 minutes so a crust forms and the seasoning adheres. Place the rack meat-side up in the smoker.
- After three hours of smoking, prepare two large sheets of foil, one on top of the other. Place the ribs on the double-layered foil, add the butter and brown sugar on top of the meat, then wrap tightly. Return to the smoker for another 2.5 hours. (This extended braise helps the bones pull clean.)
- Carefully unwrap the ribs and discard the foil. Brush the meat with BBQ sauce and return to the smoker for 10 minutes to set the sauce.
- Remove the ribs and cut the rack into four sections. Carefully remove the bones from each section, watching for bone fragments where the rack was cut. Trim any tougher cartilage.
- Assemble the sandwiches: place a slab of boneless rib on the bottom bun, top with a handful of apple-fennel slaw, drizzle extra sauce if you like, and finish with the top bun. Serve immediately.
Notes
One St. Louis rack makes roughly four small sandwiches or three generous portions. If you’re unsure, cook an extra rack and grab a few more buns.