I haven’t done a post in a while, but wanted to get back to it with a quick and easy recipe for fixing delicious, monstrously large, almost fall-off-the-bone, beef ribs with the iconic bark that epitomizes central Texas BBQ. If you want to take your BBQ game to another level and impress your friends and family at the next cookout, the advice below is sure to help you out.
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Start with the Right Rib Cut
To get those legendary, Flintstone-like, ribs that look like miniature brisket-on-a-stick, you need to find beef plate ribs. There are all sort of cuts in the beef aisle at your local grocery store, but the odds are they won’t have the one you’re looking for pre-packaged. Your best bet is to call ahead to the butcher department of your grocer and ask if they will cut some for you. In most cases this will be no problem.
If your grocer is unable to do so, that means it’s time to go old school and check your local butcher shops or meat markets. Most butcher shops will keep a few plate ribs on hand in their display cases, but it’s still best to call ahead to make sure you don’t make a trip for no reason.
Trim & Season the Ribs
When it comes to trimming, go for the obvious. The silver skin and cap need to be removed, without removing much of the muscle. Don’t worry about removing the membrane from the underside of the ribs though, as you’ll want to leave that intact to keep your ribs from falling apart on the pit.
There are a lot of ways to season beef for BBQ, but in central Texas there’s only one “right” way. That means coarse ground pepper and kosher salt are all the spices you’re going to need. If you don’t have any S&P pre-mixed in a shaker for days like this, just get a small bowl and mix some up real quick. For these racks I used about 1/4 cup of kosher salt and 1/3 cup of coarse pepper.
The final piece to the seasoning puzzle is choosing a binder. Some folks use olive oil, some use mustard, but I prefer Louisiana Hot Sauce. So slather and rub down your ribs, front and back, with some hot sauce then evenly coat both sides with the S&P mixture. Easy as that.
Setting the Smoker
Luckily with beef ribs, there’s a LOT of wiggle room when it comes to temp and time required. For my Weber Smokey Mountain, which I know will fluctuate a few degrees in either direction, I shoot for around 295 degrees. Once I reach my temperature range and get the ribs on (bone side down), I’m cooking for meat temp.
After the ribs have been on for about 2 hours, spritz them with apple cider vinegar, or another liquid of your choice (beer maybe?). Do this again every half hour until they’re done. I also keep a tin can full of water in the pit, to keep a little extra moisture in the cook chamber.
It could take 4 hours (although not likely) or it could take 8, but the ribs aren’t done until they measure around 203 internally AND you’re able to easily slide your thermometer needle all the way through. You’ll know they are good and done when you’re able to probe effortlessly through the meat like you’re cutting through soft butter.
They’re Tired, Let Them Rest
When your ribs reach the right temp and consistency, carefully pull them off the pit and wrap them in butcher paper. Then place them in a warm ice chest for an hour. If you don’t have an ice chest available, you can set your oven on low in a pinch.
A Final Tip for Slicing
Depending on your smoker, cook time, and other factors, the bark on your ribs could turn out pretty enough for a photo shoot. The trouble is that not everyone has a knife big enough, or sharp enough, to cut through the bark first without causing parts of it to pull away from the meat.
We all know the camera likes to eat first, so if you want to make extra sure your first slice is good enough for the gram, turn your ribs upside down. Make your first cut from the bottom side, between the bones and you shouldn’t run into any ruined bark.
Beef Ribs Recipe
* 2 Racks of beef plate ribs (approximately 8-9 lbs.)
* 1/4 Cup kosher salt
* 1/3 Cup coarse ground pepper
* Louisiana Hot Sauce
* Apple cider vinegar
1. Heat your smoker to 290-300f.
2. Remove the cap/silver skin from your ribs but leave the member on the back intact.
3. Mix salt and pepper together in a small bowl.
4. Rub on Louisiana Hot Sauce so that ribs are completely covered on both sides.
5. Sprinkle salt and pepper mixture on all sides of ribs so they are thoroughly coated.
6. Place ribs meat side up in the smoker. After 2 hours of smoke, spritz with apple cider vinegar. Repeat this every 30 minutes until ribs are done.
7. Cook until thermometer reads around 203f internally and the thermometer probe is able to slide through like a hot knife through butter.
8. Remove ribs from pit and wrap in butcher paper. Place wrapped ribs in warm ice chest or oven on lowest setting to rest for 1 hour.
9. Slice ribs between bone. For simpler slicing, place ribs meat side down and slice from the bottom.
10. Plate and serve.
