Beef Ribs offer a lot of the beefy goodness of a brisket, but without the hefty price tag or the availability problems here in the UK. They are also dead easy!
The main thing I discovered over the years is that they respond extremely well to the 3-2-1 method often cited for pork ribs. The 2 hour wrap is actually essential to guarantee a lovely soft melt-in-the-mouth finish that, whilst not desirable on pork ribs, is extremely welcome on these.
This cut does not respond well to higher temps and accidentally allowing the smoker to get to 300f for long is not advisable. Keep the temperature between 225-275°f and they will be fine after 6 hours. You can even do 3 hours on the smoker and the rest in the oven if you like, it’s not cheating (well, ok, maybe it is a little bit).
Take the day, crack some beers, craft some meaty goodness…
Smoked Beef Ribs
Equipment
- 1 BBQ Smoker Can be done on a Weber kettle!
- 1 Wood chunks or splits Oak is best for beef
- 1 Peach paper Or foil
- 1 Squirty spritzer
Ingredients
- 1 slab Beef short rib
- 1 dab Mustard
- 1 sprinkle Beef Rub
- 1 spritzer Cider vinegar and water (50-50)
Instructions
- Trim any excessive fat and silver skin from the outside of the ribs.
- Make a beef rub comprising of 1 tbsp kosher salt, 2 tbsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder and a pinch of cayenne pepper
- Smear a dab of mustard over them (American or English) and dust liberally with the beef rub
- Get the smoker to around 225f and put in the ribs – I like to put them on a cake rack over a roasting tin with a glass of water added to it as it stops them making a mess of the smoker!
- Smoke for 3 hours uncovered, ensure you're generating good smoke for at least 2 hours. Spritz every 30-45 minutes.
- After 3 hours wrap in peach paper or foil (see notes below). Cook for a further 2 hours wrapped
- For the last hour, unwrap and paint on some sauce, leave unwrapped and allow to caramelise.
- After the total of 6 hours (3-2-1) wrap in foil again and then a towel and keep them warm while they rest for 30 mins to an hour.