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Smoked Beef Ribs

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Smoked Beef Ribs

Cuisine:American

Course:Dinner

30m prep 4h cook 4h ready

5 or 6 servings Much less troublesome than brisket, quicker to prepare, and assuredly delicious. Do not balk at the amount of back ribs called for; their long, thick bones account for most of their weight. When scaling up, be sure your smoker can accommodate the number of back rib slabs you wish to serve.

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Ingredients

Servings:
½× 1× 1½× 2× 3×
Units:
As Written US Metric
  • 10 to 12 pounds beef back ribs (about two 7-bone slabs) or 4 to 5 pounds beef short ribs, as bone-in slabs or cut into individual ribs
  • 1
    • ½ cup sweet or hot paprika
    • ¼ cup packed brown sugar
    • ¼ cup chili powder
    • ¼ cup salt
    • ¼ cup cracked black peppercorns
    • 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
    • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon ground mace
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Stir together well in a small bowl: ½ cup sweet or hot paprika; ¼ cup packed brown sugar; ¼ cup chili powder; ¼ cup salt; ¼ cup cracked black peppercorns; 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper; 2 tablespoons ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground mace
  • One small chunk of dry hickory, oak, or fruitwood such as apple or cherry
  • 1
    • 2 cups distilled white vinegar
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
    • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
    • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
    • 1 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Whisk together in a bowl until the salt dissolves: 2 cups distilled white vinegar; 2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste; 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
    2. Stir in: 1 small onion, thinly sliced; 1 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced
    3. Use the same day.
  • 1
    • 2 cups ketchup
    • ½ cup cider vinegar
    • ½ cup packed brown sugar
    • ⅓ cup yellow mustard
    • ¼ cup molasses
    • 2 tablespoons chili powder
    • 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
    • 3 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
    • ½ medium onion, minced
    • 4 garlic cloves, minced or grated on a rasp grater
    • Salt and black pepper
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Stir together in a medium bowl: 2 cups ketchup; ½ cup cider vinegar; ½ cup packed brown sugar; ⅓ cup yellow mustard; ¼ cup molasses; 2 tablespoons chili powder; 2 tablespoons sweet paprika; ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
    2. Heat in a medium saucepan over medium heat: 3 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
    3. Add and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes: ½ medium onion, minced
    4. Add and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more: 4 garlic cloves, minced or grated on a rasp grater
    5. Stir in the ketchup mixture and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Season to taste with: Salt and black pepper

Let's Prepare

Collect

Gather these ingredients - no prep needed yet.

  • 10 to 12 pounds beef back ribs (about two 7-bone slabs) or 4 to 5 pounds beef short ribs, as bone-in slabs or cut into individual ribs
  • 1 ⅓ to ½ cup Southern Barbecue Dry Rub, Coffee Spice Rub, or 1 to 2 tablespoons each salt and black pepper
  • One small chunk of dry hickory, oak, or fruitwood such as apple or cherry
  • 1 (Basic Mop or Beer Mop)
  • 1 (Kansas City Barbecue Sauce, Chipotle Barbecue Sauce, or Kentucky-Style Mutton Dip)

Let's Cook

  1. Step 1.

    Please read about Barbecuing. Pat dry: 10 to 12 pounds beef back ribs (about two 7-bone slabs) or 4 to 5 pounds beef short ribs, as bone-in slabs or cut into individual ribs

  2. Step 2.

    If using back ribs, be sure the membrane on the concave side of the ribs has been removed. To peel the membrane from the ribs, see here. If using short ribs, trim off all but a thin layer of fat from their meaty side. Rub on all sides with (using the lesser quantities for short ribs): ⅓ to ½ cup Southern Barbecue Dry Rub, Coffee Spice Rub, or 1 to 2 tablespoons each salt and black pepper

  3. Step 3.

    Place on a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, overnight and for up to 2 days. Heat a smoker or grill set up for barbecuing to 300°F (preferably with a water pan). Add to the coals: One small chunk of dry hickory, oak, or fruitwood such as apple or cherry

  4. Step 4.

    Add the ribs to the cooler side of the smoker or grill and cover so that the top vent pulls smoke across the meat. Adjust the vents to maintain the temperature (this is difficult and may take practice, or, in the worst case, a fresh load of charcoal). You may add another small chunk of hickory wood every hour for the first 4 hours. If you do not have a water pan inside to keep the smoker or grill humid, baste the meat every 2 hours with: (Basic Mop or Beer Mop)

  5. Step 5.

    Cook the ribs until they are tender and their bones wiggle, about 4 hours for back ribs, and up to 9 hours for short ribs. Do not cover the ribs in foil to shorten the cooking time. If desired, brush the ribs for the last hour of cooking with: (Kansas City Barbecue Sauce, Chipotle Barbecue Sauce, or Kentucky-Style Mutton Dip)

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