Smoked Beef Short Ribs (4 bone)

Brisket is often hailed as the pinnacle of barbecue, and rightly so. Enthusiasts journey from near and far to savor the renowned smoked brisket of Texas BBQ. While I share this admiration, there's another worthy rival for the barbecue crown: beef short ribs. If you haven't experienced them yet, you should definitely seek them out and smoke them for yourself and your loved ones. Keep in mind that they might be difficult to find, so I suggest contacting your local butcher to see if they have them. If you decide to try them, I assure you won't be let down!

Today we are looking at how to smoke beef ribs. A quick note on beef ribs - in this video we’re smoking beef ribs with 4 bones, as opposed to the ones you might have seen which have 3 bones. The difference is that the 4 bone ribs are cut from the chuck side of the cow and the 3 bone ribs are cut from the plate section of the cow. The 3 bone sections are typically meatier and also the ones you typically will find at BBQ restaurants. We’ll be doing a video of those in the future, but today we’re taking a stab at the chuck side ribs.

Ingredients:

1 rack of beef short ribs
16 mesh black pepper
Killer Hogs TX Brisket rub
Any additional rubs you want to use

Place your beef ribs with the fat side facing up. Trim away as much fat as possible without cutting into the meat. This is important because much of the fat, especially the hard fat, won't render down and can prevent the ribs from developing a good bark. And believe me, you want that bark! You don't need to remove every bit of fat, but getting rid of most of it, particularly the hard pieces, will suffice.
Season the meat side generously with 16 mesh black pepper. The black pepper really captures the smoke and greatly contributes to forming bark, so I like to start with it. Then, add Killer Hogs TX Brisket rub, which is essentially salt, pepper, and a mix of other spices. I also sprinkle a light layer of Blues Hog BBQ Rub, mainly for a hint of paprika and its blend. This is all about personal preference and experimentation. I recommend using whatever rubs you enjoy and having fun with it.
Once you achieve the coverage you desire, pat the seasoning in, then flip the ribs over to season the bottom and sides. As for the silver skin on the bottom of the ribs, I usually leave it on as it helps keep the bones in place during cooking. For pork ribs, like baby back or St Louis style, I remove the silver skin before seasoning.
After seasoning, let it adhere for at least 20-30 minutes, then preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. You can always season much earlier to allow the seasoning to settle, but at a minimum, give yourself half an hour.
After placing the ribs in the smoker for about 2 ½ hours, I spritzed them with apple cider vinegar to keep them moist.
When the internal temperature reaches around 185 - 190 degrees, you can wrap your ribs in butcher paper. If you have tallow, this would be a great time to pour it over your ribs prior to wrapping.
Take a sheet of butcher paper and spritz it with apple cider vinegar or water. Carefully place the ribs on the butcher paper (bones may already be loosened), and wrap them.
Return them to the smoker and let them cook for a few more hours, until the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees. As with brisket, ensure they are probe tender before removing them to rest.
After resting for at least 30 minutes or more, you can unwrap and slice the ribs. If you rest them longer, the end result will likely be better so the muscles can fully relax, similar to brisket. A great point to cut into them would be when they come down to about 140 degrees.