Was in the market yesterday to pick up some pork baby backs and spotted a package of beef back ribs that just were too beautiful to ignore. Big and beefy and broken down into individual ribs. I have no idea how to cook them. I plan to throw them on the pit barrel cooker grate over a low charcoal fire, hoping to hold it to 250' or so. I'll dry brine them tonight and put some Big Bad Beef Rub on them. I'm guessing 4 hours but the PBC sometimes runs hot and fast so it could take less time. I don't think they're big enough to hold a probe during the cook so I'll have to rely on instant reads. What temp should they be pulled at? Should I take them all the way up to 203' like a brisket? Any suggestions will be appreciated. I'll post pics tomorrow.
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I just did some beef ribs from the short plate (dino ribs) a couple of weeks back on the PBC. I did exactly as you plan: dry brine and add BBBR before putting onto the grate in the PBC. At 275ish it took 5 hours. My beef ribs were about 3 inches thick before smoking.
Take them to probe tender, which can be around 190 to 205° or so. I put meat probes into them, but used those shorter Competition Probes that Fireboard sells. Worked great.
Try the longer meat probes that you have; they may work out just fine.
Oh, and I used the temp/tenderness of the layer closest to the bone to dictate when to pull. My dino ribs had two layers separated by a layer of fat and connective tissue; the top layer came out drier but still edible. In retrospect, I should have sliced that muscle mass off and just smoked the layer closest to the bone. The top layer could have been ground up with some beef love for a burger or two.
KathrynLast edited by fzxdoc; September 30, 2018, 06:33 AM.-
did you have back ribs like him, or plate? back ribs cook faster, especially if they are singles as his are. I hear the PBC runs hotter than the 225° i run my cooker though. -
Mine were from the short plate, texastweeter . About 3 inches thick when raw. For me, it's the thickness that often defines the time it takes to smoke a given cut of meat. They were grass fed and smoked more quickly than I had expected, even at 275°F Pit Barrel temp.
Kathryn
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They have to get pretty darn high. I know it took me a few cooks before I finally realized I needed to wrap them dudes once they got barked and just get them good and tender. I used butcher paper but foil does work too, obviously.Comment
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Beef back ribs are the only ones that I wrap. They just needed that braising time to break down. You will love them though. Go easy on the rub. Salt, Pepper and maybe some garlic and onion powder. That is all they really need. IMHO.
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Great feedback, people. Thank you! I'll aim for 200-203' and plan to let them sit for an hour or two in a cambro.
Kathryn, I'll definitely try to place a probe. I'm making these tomorrow so no time to get the smaller ones but I'll look into those for the future.
These really aren't the huge Dino ribs. Bigger than pork baby backs but that style of butchering and cut. And beautiful.Comment
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Yep, just treat them like little briskets.Comment
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Here's what these little beauties look like. Just brined them.
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Wow! Wish I could find beef back ribs that meaty around here. Enjoy!Comment
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Back ribs are much different than plate ribs. Three hours at 225 is about right.Comment
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Red Man , texastweeter , smn1285 , and Bathgate --you're right, I smoked ribs from the short plate, not back ribs like you have, Bathgate. Sorry for the confusion. Use my recommendations when you score dino ribs from the short plate.
Let us know how it turns out.
KathrynComment
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You can also wrap them for about an hour before serving.Comment
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Those are some pretty impressive back ribs. Hard to find them cut that way. I never wrap mine, never have, never will. Just keep probing them for tender like brisket. There's a lot of fat in there so they will render out nicely. Just low and slow and let the taste explosion begin !!!
Last edited by Troutman; September 30, 2018, 08:52 AM.Comment
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Boy, sure glad I posted those pics. As soon as smn1285 mentioned dino bones I wondered if we were on the same page. I'll expect something closer to 2 hours than 5! Do you guys still think I should take them up to 203' now that you've seen them?
BTW, I've never seen ribs like these at my local store before and these were the only ones they had out. But when I spotted them they sang to me. They want to be in my PBC.Comment
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I have never cooked them in singles. I cook them as a rack. Dry brine, rub with either brisket rub or steak rub (dry brine WITH the rub if it has salt) I use hot sauce as the binder. Smoke at 225° for 3 hours, then wrap with a touch of beef broth. Smoke crutched for another hour. Remove foil, and finish unwrapped until tender and basrk is firmed up.Comment
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Those are prime rib roast ribs, right?Comment
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