I’m going to show you the simple way on how to smoke beef ribs that come out moist and delicious with the nice crust on the outside. Beef ribs can be tough, but I will show you how to make them so they are tender and fall off the bone.
I love beef ribs because they are so big and meaty. I remember the first time I made them for my son when he was little; he called them dinosaur ribs because they were so big. So, let’s get into how to make these delicious ribs.
First off you will want to pick up some beef ribs from your local butcher shop or from your grocery store. They will be more expensive at the butcher shops, so check out your grocery store for some good deals. A full rack of beef ribs will have 7 ribs. One rack should be enough to feed a couple hungry people. Definitely pick up a couple racks if you are cooking for more or want some leftovers.
There are a couple ways you can make these ribs and in different areas of the country they will defend their way as best. You can make them wet or dry. Wet ribs are covered with sauce, and dry ribs just have the spice crust. They method I’m going to show here is for dry ribs, which would be considered Memphis style ribs. We are going to get a nice spice crust on these.
First off we are going to be cooking the beef ribs indirect, which means the ribs will not be over the heat source. I use a charcoal grill for smoking my ribs, but you can use a gas grill too. Check out Smoking with a Gas Grill for more information on doing just that.
Get yourself an aluminum pan and place it below the grate on one side of your charcoal grill. Pour the heated charcoal evenly on the opposite side. For smoking beef ribs you are going to need wood. You can use either chips or chunks. The wood I prefer for beef ribs is hickory. You will want to soak the wood in water for at least an hour prior to using.
While the charcoal is heating and the wood is soaking you will want to get your ribs ready. What this means is rubbing with your favorite spice. You can use any spice you like, they even have premade rubs at your supermarket and butchers shop. So give one of those a try, or come up with your own rub. Make sure you coat the ribs well on both sides. I also use a mop sauce on my ribs. Basically what I do for a mop sauce is add about 2 tbsp of the rub to a cup of apple cider vinegar. I use this mop sauce all during grilling and also when the ribs are finished.
Alright, the grill and beef ribs are ready. Place a couple chunks or a handful of wood chips on the coals. Place the ribs on the grill away from the heat and over the drip pan. Grill for around 1 ½ to 2 hours, while brushing with the mop sauce occasionally. You will probably need to add more wood to keep the smoke going and also some more coals.
Once the ribs are done, take them off the grill and brush with more of the mop sauce. Let the ribs rest for about 10 minutes then start slicing into individual ribs. Serve these with your favorite barbecue sauce or have them as is. These will be so tender and juicy that you won’t need any sauce.
That is how you smoke beef ribs that turn out amazing. A helpful tool when making beef ribs, or any ribs for that matter is a rib rack. These racks help to cook the ribs evenly, and best of all they allow you go fit more racks on the grill. The one I use has room for 4 racks of ribs, which is perfect for when you are cooking for a bunch of people. Check Out the Rib Rack I like to Use.
Image courtesy of larry&flow/flickr