Short Ribs

Ingredients

• • One 3- to 5-pound rack of beef bfrom the plate, not the chuck)

  • About 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup Brisket and Beef Rib Rub (Equal parts 16-mesh ground black pepper and kosher salt)

Preparation

• • Get a fire going and heat the Green Egg or KJ so it’s about 285°F at grate level. (This is Aaron Franklin’s preferred temp. We cooked at 235°F for the first 4 ½-5 hours and then bumped it up to 275°F-285°F). Add a few Seasoned wood chunks (preferably oak). Set up for indirect cook by using diverter/place setter. Put in a drip pan about half full of water.

  • Trim the ribs.  Beef ribs usually come quite clean and well-trimmed, unlike pork ribs and briskets so there’s not much to do. If you see any big chunks of fat, trim them away. 

  • Optional- Dry Brine.  Dry brine ribs by coating with kosher salt and letting them rest in refrigerator for at least one hour or as long as overnight. If you dry bring the ribs, only shake pepper on before the cook instead of the salt and pepper rub.

  • Apply the slather.  Slather with anything you like—from water to mustard to vinegar to hot sauce. We used Duck Fat. The slather is mainly there to help the rub adhere to the surface of the meat. 

  • Apply the rub.  Using a shaker, hold it 1 to 2 feet above the ribs, generously apply the rub—a little heavier than you would on a brisket. This is because, as rich as brisket is, beef ribs are even richer. The extra rub ends up forming a bark that balances out that richness just a little bit. Use somewhere around 1/3 to 1/2 cup of rub for each rack of beef ribs

  • Place the ribs in the smoker. Cook meat side up. But it is OK to cook it meat side down—the ribs can come out well either way. Cook until done (approx. 203°F internal temp). Our ribs reached final temp in around 6 1/2 hours.

  • Finish, then serve.  Check for doneness by gently inserting a toothpick between two membranes: the one outside the bones and the one that separates the bones from the meat. Inside, the meat should be extremely tender. Alternatively, take an internal temperature reading: the ribs should be done when they reach 203°F between the bones. Let them rest for at least 30 minutes before serving. If the ribs get done in advance of serving time, wrap them in butcher paper, cover in a towel and place in cooler where you can hold the for several hours. Beef ribs are served on the bone, but great for sharing.