Ingredients Meat + Poultry Beef Beef Ribs Smoked Beef Ribs 5.0 (1) 1 Review A simple rub and low and slow smoke make these dino ribs irresistible. By Nicole Hopper Nicole Hopper Nicole Hopper is a recipe tester and developer based in Birmingham, Alabama. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on August 7, 2024 Tested by Jasmine Smith Tested by Jasmine Smith Jasmine Smith is a recipe developer and tester at Dotdash Meredith Corporation. In addition to her work in test kitchens, Jasmine is a freelance culinary producer for a variety of food festivals. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Food & Wine / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Chelesa Zimmer / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hauser Active Time: 45 mins Total Time: 8 hrs 45 mins Servings: 6 If you’re looking for a way to impress your meat loving friends, smoked beef ribs are the ultimate decadent and over the top barbecue meat. Often nicknamed dino ribs, these beef ribs have a good amount of fat, which makes them a great project for novice smokers as they are very forgiving. The long low and slow smoke time makes the meat meltingly soft and tender, so much so that it completely falls off the bone when served. We seasoned the ribs with a simple dry rub of salt, pepper, garlic, chili powder, onion, and cayenne so they get a good savory flavor with just a touch of heat. The rub also helps the ribs develop a nice bark in the smoker, and underneath the bark, you’ll find a nice pink smoke ring. How to Smoke Ribs Like a Pro Frequently Asked Questions At what temperature does beef ribs fall apart? You want to cook your ribs to at least 204°F. At this temp, they will be completely tender and offer no resistance when probed. What is peach butcher paper? Peach butcher paper, also known as pink paper, is unwaxed, uncoated, and porous butcher paper that allows for the cooked smoked meat to rest and stay warm without steaming, as is the issue with foil. Look for peach butcher paper at your local hardware store in the grilling section or order online at webstaurantstore.com. Should beef ribs be wrapped when smoking? Unlike a lot of other cuts, beef plate ribs have enough fat that they aren’t going to dry out on the smoker, so you don’t have to wrap them while they’re cooking. However, you do want to wrap them once you take them off the smoker. Let them rest, wrapped, for at least one hour. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen For the most hands-off experience, insert a probe thermometer, without touching the bone, after the first three hours of smoking so that you can continuously monitor the temperature without opening and closing the lid repeatedly. You may experience one or more periods where the internal temperature will just stop increasing, but don’t panic; this is normal. If you want to try to speed it up, you can adjust your vents to increase the temperature slightly, but do not exceed 300°F. Despite the long cooking time, there’s no need to add more wood chunks. The ribs are going to take on all the smoke flavor during those first three hours. After that point, adding more wood would not make any difference in flavor. Unlike pork ribs, you do not need to remove the membrane on the bone-side of beef plate ribs. In fact, this membrane is what helps keep the rack together while cooking. If you remove it, you risk it all falling apart. It may feel like a lot of rub when you’re sprinkling it on but the ribs can take it — they are so fatty that they need a lot of seasoning to balance. The ribs should be completely and evenly coated so that you can’t see the mustard underneath. Make ahead Mix up the spice rub and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week in advance. Ingredients 1 (5- to 6-pound) 3-bone-rack beef plate ribs 1 tablespoon yellow mustard 4 teaspoons kosher salt 4 teaspoons black pepper 2 teaspoons granulated garlic 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 3 oak wood chunks 1/4 cup beef broth 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce Peach butchers paper Directions Lightly score bone side of ribs using a sharp knife; do not remove membrane. Pat dry using paper towels. Rub ribs evenly with mustard. Stir together salt, black pepper, garlic, chili powder, onion, and cayenne in a small bowl. Sprinkle spice mixture evenly over top and sides of ribs (no need to season bone side). Set aside, and bring to room temperature, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Meanwhile, prepare charcoal fire in smoker according to manufacturer's instructions, bringing internal temperature to 250°F. Maintain temperature until smoke is burning cleanly, 15 to 20 minutes. Place oak chunks on coals, and set an empty drip pan underneath grates. Place ribs, bone side down, on grates, and close lid. Smoke, undisturbed, for 3 hours, maintaining temperature at 250°F without opening lid. Place beef broth and Worcestershire sauce in a food-grade spray bottle; shake well. Spritz top of ribs with broth mixture to prevent surface from drying out; continue smoking until a thermometer registers 204°F and thermometer probe encounters no resistance when inserted into thickest portion of ribs (it should feel like inserting the probe into a stick of softened butter), 4 to 5 more hours, spritzing with broth mixture every hour. Remove ribs from smoker, and immediately wrap in peach butchers paper. Place wrapped ribs inside a clean insulated cooler with drain stopper removed or in a cold oven with door slightly open; let rest for at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours. Slice ribs between bones. Serve on the bone; or, slice meat from the bone, and cut into smaller portions. Alternate method Fill hopper of a pellet grill with oak pellets. Prepare pellet grill for indirect smoking; set temperature to 250℉, and let preheat for 15 minutes with lid closed. Proceed with recipe as directed. Rate It Print