Smoked Beef Short Ribs Recipe
If you’ve never had Smoked Beef Short Ribs I suggest you run to the store and pick up a few packs because you’re in for a decadent treat. Short Ribs are beefy, rich, and packed with flavor. And cooking them out on the smoker brings even more flavor to the party. So let’s get started with this Smoked Beef Short Ribs recipe.
Short ribs usually come 3-4 pcs to a package at my local grocery store. Inspect each pack and look for pieces that have plenty of meat on the bone.
The first thing you want to do is get some seasoning on the short ribs. For this I keep it real simple and go with basic flavors that go with beef – Salt, Black Pepper, and Garlic.
This is a perfect job for my AP rub. Coat all sides of the Short Ribs with a good dose of the rub and let them hang out for a short while at room temperature. Here’s a good time to fire up the smoker.
For this cook I’m using my Ole Hickory pit and it needs to be running at 275 degrees. For smoke, throw on a couple chunks of seasoned hickory. You can prepare this recipe on any pit just prepare for a 4-5 hours indirect cook with temps running 275-300 degrees.
When the smoker is up and running, place each piece of short rib directly on the rack and get the lid closed. They’ll need to smoke for 2-3 hours to absorb some flavor and turn a beautiful brown color. We’re shooting for the color of a good brisket on these Smoked Beef Short Ribs.
The meat on short ribs is surrounded by fat and tough connective tissue, and it takes a long time to render during cooking. This is why Smoked Beef Short Ribs are a perfect meat to cook low and slow.
As the fat breaks down, it surrounds the meat and turns into a sort of “meat butter” which gives the short ribs its’ richness. To help this process along I use a braising liquid filled with herbs and vegetables to create even more flavor. You’ll need a large pan for this job.
Smoked Beef Short Ribs Braising Liquid:
– 3 Carrots
– 3 Ribs of Celery
– 1 Onion
– 4 Cups Beef Stock
– 2 Cups Red Wine
– 8 Cloves Garlic
– 6 oz Tomato Paste
– 2 Sprigs Rosemary
– 1 Bay Leaf
Chop the carrots, celery, and onion into large chunks and add them to the pan. Smash the garlic with your knife and add in with the vegetables. Pour in the beef broth and wine.
Stir in the tomato paste but don’t worry about breaking it up all the way; it will mix in as it cooks. Lastly season with a little more of the AP rub and throw in the rosemary and bay leaf.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and get it out on the smoker. I want the braising liquid to warm so we’re not adding hot meat to a cool liquid and it speeds up the cooking process a little.
Usually this pan goes on the pit about 2 hours into the cook. It’s a good time to peak at the Smoked Beef Short Ribs and see how the color is coming.
At the 3 hour mark the Smoked Beef Short Ribs have plenty of brown color all the way around, so they go straight into the liquid. Recover the pan with foil and continue cooking.
It’s time to really break down the fat and connective tissue now. It’s also ok if the temperature on your pit goes up a little. I bumped the temp on my Ole Hickory up to 300 degrees.
After an hour in the liquid, check the ribs for tenderness. Use two forks and gently try to separate some of the meat. If you feel any resistance, they need a little more cooking. I’m looking for soft, sponge-like feel. The meat should have almost no resistance coming off the bone. Continue cooking if they’re not quite there. Mine took an additional 30 minutes to get just right.
Once the tenderness is perfect, bring the Smoked Beef Short Ribs inside and carefully get them out of the braising liquid and onto a platter. Cover with foil loosely and let them rest for 10-15 minutes.
Don’t throw away the braising liquid because it makes a wonderful sauce to serve over the short ribs. The vegetables will have cooked almost into a mush but they’ve left behind a ton of flavor.
Strain the liquid into a bowl and give it just a second to settle. Most of the fat will rise to the top and you can ladle it off. Now pour the liquid into a small sauce pot and reduce it by half over high heat. It should take about 10 minutes; just enough time for the Smoked Beef Short Ribs to rest.
I serve Smoked Beef Short Ribs family style over a platter of mashed potatoes. Ladle on a good spoon of sauce over each piece and top with a touch of fresh parsley.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.
Simply put… Smoked Beef Short Ribs are delicious.
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Smoked Beef Short Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 Beef Short Ribs
- 3 Carrots
- 3 Ribs of Celery
- 1 Whole Onion
- 8 Cloves of Garlic
- 4 cups Beef Stock
- 2 cups Red Wine
- 6oz Tomato Paste
- 2 Sprigs Rosemary
- 1 Bay Leaf
- ¼ cup + 2 teaspoons AP Rub (Salt, Pepper, Garlic)
Instructions
- Prepare Smoker for indirect cooking, bring temperature to 275 degrees with a couple chunks of Hickory wood for smoke.
- Season outside of Short Ribs with AP Rub .
- Place on pit and smoke for 3 hrs until brown on all sides.
- Chop carrots, celery, and onions into large chunks. Place in a full size steam pan. Smash garlic cloves and add to pan. Pour in beef stock and wine. Add tomato paste and stir to disperse. Season with AP Rub and add rosemary and bay leaf.
- Cover with foil and place on smoker after the short ribs have been on for 1 hour.
- When the short ribs are brown (approx. 3 hrs) place them in the pan with the liquid.
- Cover with foil and continue cooking until for tender about 1 ½ hrs.
- Carefully remove each short rib from the liquid and cover loosely with foil.
- Strain the remaining liquid and ladle any fat from top. Pour into a sauce pan and heat on high for 10-15 minutes until reduced by half.
- Serve the sauce over each Short Rib.
Smoked Beef Short RibsHave a Question About This Recipe?
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Mr Malcolm sir: for Easter dinner I used your formula and and concoctions with abit of tweaking on my own to smoke a 17.5 lb turkey. I just wanted to let you know it was amazing! I frequent your site periodically just to peruse for some ideas. Thank you! Again this was simply amazing! Our guests were literally speechless! That’s a compliment in itself!
Did the short ribs. They were great simple easy and good! Thanks
Just finished eating these short ribs. SO GREAT! The sauce is smokey and delicious! Looking forward to make more of you recipes!
Malcom I would like to do the Beef Short Ribs but I want to do it more like a BBQ rib
any suggestions on getting them to break down more?
Wow!!! waited all week to get the beef short ribs from the store so I can make this for the weekend. Got two packages and followed the directions….it came out so GOOD. The family enjoyed it and no left-overs!!
This is the second recipe that I’ve tried and both where a hit in our household. The other was the smoke shrimp!
Malcolm, thank you for the recipes and your website. I’ve learned a lot from watching your videos (just got an electric smoke a month ago and have been using it every chance I get).
Major!!! Gonna add this to the football feast this coming weekend or for Championship Weekend. Thanks!!
Malcolm,
Do you recommend ribs from the plate or chuck or does it even make a difference for this recipe?
I use the plate – but chuck short ribs are really good too, just a little more expensive.
I just made these. Do not do another recipe or technique, these were damn good! I’m saving this one. Thank you sir!
Malcom, LOVE your stuff! Can you subtract the red wine or is there a substitute you can use?
You can leave it out or use a little balsamic vinegar (you don’t need as much)
Can this be done with boneless short ribs?
Yeah, I don’t see why not
Oh man, these were so delicious! Did mine on the Egg and it took a few hours but so worth the time. Tender and very flavorful and easy!!! Definitely a keeper, keep up the great work.
Hey Malcom! If I go by internal temp on these, should they be around 202 – 205, same as brisket?
Thanks!!
yeah – but also go by feel. When it feels like you are probing warm butter, they are ready!
I use the Big Green Egg. Seems like you needed the extra space, so you used the smoker. Should I just heat the veggie pan in the oven, put the ribs in and then put the pan with ribs back on the Egg?
Oh yeah – you can do that no problem!
Malcom,
Just discovered you. Cooked up the short ribs a few weeks ago for my family, awesome! Cooking up some of your BBQ sauce right now for some pork loin short ribs tomorrow. Thanks for sharing! I’ll be ordering some seasonings for sure.
Made this on my Masterbuilt dual fuel using propane and apple chunks. Cook time was a bit quicker for me with my smoker, But man….. These little morsels of beef came out phenomenal!!
Don’t get me started on the gravy……. Lord have Mercy, that gravy from all that rendered beef fat was something angels talk about!!! Malcom brother, you have a very special gift and I am forever thankful that you’ve decided to share your recipes with us common BBQ folk, so we look like Allstars when we have company over for gatherings and food!!
Love all your videos and recipes!!
Thanks again,
Dave
★★★★
Could this be done with boneless short ribs?
Malcom
This is one of the best recipes I have ever tried. Cooked these on my Camp Chef Woodwind with fantastic results. You could eat a flip-flop covered in this sauce and totally enjoy it! Thanks for this and many of your other recipes!.
★★★★★
Hi Malcolm – I love your recipes. Do I need to trim the fat cap/silver skin off the short ribs first? I thought yes but doesn’t look like you did.
Have made these several times now for many guests and always a hit. Simple, same day prep that yields incredible results.
★★★★★
Malcolm, how would you change the braising liquid to give the ribs a Korean flavor?