I can’t decide which I like more: slowly smoked beef brisket or beef ribs. Like smoked brisket, these smoked ribs are a commitment to spending a good chunk of your day around a bbq pit, but the results are spectacular. Smoky, tender, full of flavor, and the definition of succulent, these ribs are perfect for a smaller barbecue party. Serve them on the bone for a more rustic caveman effect or slice them off the bone for a classier presentation and easier eating. Either way, these are worth the work.
I used my offset Texas-style smoker and a mixture of water and cider vinegar in the spray bottle. You can’t leave these and go run errands, so even if the actual work is minor, you still have to tend to them every 30 minutes. I hit the 165°F mark with a dark color on the outside of the ribs after about 2 hours. This can vary depending on the type of smoker and I was also running closer to 275°F. After wrapping, I moved the beef away from the heat and it took another 3 hours to get to 200°F.
This type of barbecue, like brisket, keeps its heat well. I moved the finished ribs to my turned-off oven and it sat there for another 2 hours while I finished other sides and such. It kept its heat very well.
I served these with mac and cheese and roasted Brussels sprouts.
Beef ribs can be daunting because they’re so big, especially when you get them in three-bone slabs. But the results after a low and slow cook are really unmatched. Tender, almost flaky meat that has great flavor from the spice rub and smoke.
When I got my ribs from the butcher he said “Are you braising these?” And when I said no, I was going to smoke them, he said “Even better. What time should I be over?” When your butcher says something like that, you know you’re onto something.
This recipe really couldn’t be easier. Mixing up the spice rub took all of 5 minutes and from then it’s almost set it and forget it. The only key is to keep an eye on the smoker’s temperature because you don’t want the temperature to get too high or too low from opening it to spritz the ribs.
The amount of wood you want really depends on how long you want the smoke on your meat. For beginners, that’s going to be difficult to determine. I think for this recipe, you really only need smoke on the meat for the first part—4 to 6 hours tops. Maybe just 2 to 3 hours. I had smoke going for about 4 hours and that was good. Obviously, once you wrap the meat in tinfoil, no smoke is going to hit the meat.
Will I make this again? I can’t wait to!
I used water for the spray and hickory chunks for the wood. I put about 1 1/2 pounds of wood on my charcoal. I smoked the ribs for about 5 hours before wrapping them in tinfoil and it took another 2 hours before they reached the magic 200°F level. I had five 3-bone racks of beef ribs and we served 5 people. We had grilled carrots and grilled green beans with the ribs.
