Smoked Beef Short Ribs
Mains · Serves 4 · Prep 15 min · Cook 9 hr · Total 9 hr 15 min
A rack of beef plate ribs is basically brisket on a bone, with more marbling. Season with salt and pepper and give it a long oak smoke until the meat is spoon-tender. It makes a showstopper for a small crowd.
Ingredients
- 1 rack beef plate short ribs, 3 bones (4 to 5 lb)
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard or hot sauce, as a binder
- 2 tbsp coarse kosher salt
- 2 tbsp coarse-ground black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, for spritzing
- 1/2 cup water, for spritzing
- post oak or hickory wood
Steps
- Trim the thick fat and the tough silverskin off the top of the rack, leaving the meat exposed. Rub on a thin coat of mustard.
- Mix the salt, pepper and garlic powder and season the ribs heavily on the top and sides. Heat the smoker to 275°F with oak or hickory.
- Smoke the ribs bone side down for 3 hours without opening the lid. After that, spritz with the vinegar and water mixed together every hour, whenever the surface looks dry.
- Keep smoking until the meat reads 203 to 205°F between the bones and a probe slides in like soft butter, 8 to 9 hours total. If the bark is dark and set but the meat isn't there yet, wrap the rack in butcher paper to finish.
- Rest the ribs, loosely wrapped, for 1 hour. Slice between the bones and serve each rib whole or sliced against the grain.