In this recipe I will show you how to smoke beef short ribs. This dish is not as popular as smoked brisket or grilled chicken, but if you love beef, this will be a meal to remember!
The first time I made these, I used my Meadow Creek BX25 smoker and we served them with smoked beans, homemade cornbread, a tossed salad, and sweet tea. It really was one of the best meals I ever enjoyed.
One day when Jesse, owner of Meadow Creek Barbecue Supply, came to visit us, we cooked a dozen short ribs on my Yoder pellet smoker along with some beans. Jesse liked them so much that they smoked some back at the store following this method, and Matt told me they were the best smoked meat he ever ate.
My point is, if you are looking for a less common, but memorable meat to smoke, this is a great choice.
Do you need some cooking supplies and equipment for an upcoming BBQ? We carry beef short ribs, Yoder pellet smokers, and everything you need to cook this recipe and many others in our retail store. Call us at (717) 355-0779 or visit us at 140 W Main Street in New Holland, PA.
Step 1: Buy the Ribs
My local grocery store sells beef short ribs, but sometimes they are in a rack. If they are not already, cut them into single-bone servings BEFORE you cook them. This way they will taste better and cook faster.
Step 2: Season the Ribs
A delicious seasoning to try on these is Butcher BBQ Premium Rub. Your favorite homemade beef rub would work too, and we also stock a wide variety of tasty seasonings that would be perfect for this recipe.
Step 3: Fire Your Smoker
For this cook we used the Yoder YS640s Pellet Smoker with BBQer's Delight Pecan Pellets.
Fire the smoker at 225 degrees F, or if you're short on time, you can go a bit higher without hurting the ribs. We started out lower and then turned it up toward 300 degrees toward the end of the cook to finish them because we were ready to eat.
The Yoder YS640s Pellet Smoker is a dandy machine. It produces a wonderful smoke flavor and is built with quality in mind. It also has Wifi connectivity for controlling the temperature and monitoring the meat when you are away.
Besides, it is a really handsome smoker!
Step 4: Start Cooking
Arrange the ribs on the grate with a bit of a gap between them and let them cook. If this sounds easy, it's because it is!
Here the ribs are starting to get some color.
We also threw on a pan of "gourmet baked beans," a recipe based on Malcom Reed's smoked bean recipe. These beans are the perfect addition to any smoked ribs. You could also bake a cast iron skillet of cornbread on the top shelf.
Gourmet Beans
Here is my variation of Malcom's smoked baked bean recipe.
- 2 cans Bush’s Original Baked Beans (drained)
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 clove garlic, finely diced
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup Meadow Creek Hickory Smoked Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Butcher BBQ Grilling Addiction rub
- 1 teaspoon real salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
Once you have the ingredients prepared, simply mix everything in an aluminum half pan and set the pan in the smoker for several hours. The beans are fully cooked already so the time is not critical. You want the flavors of the ingredients to fuse and to expand with the smoke.
Step 5: Glaze the Ribs
About 15 minutes before they are done, glaze the top sides of the ribs with your favorite barbecue sauce, such as Meadow Creek Traditional Sauce.
The ribs are done once the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees F, or they are probe tender, meaning the thermometer probe slides into the thickest part of the rib with very little resistance. This usually takes 4–5 hours.
Remove the ribs from the smoker and serve them with the sides and beverage you have prepared.
We served these ribs with grilled sausages, bacon-wrapped snack peppers, smoked beans (recipe above), and cornbread. The cornbread was baked in a cast iron skillet on the Big Green Egg.
It was all worth doing again. Down to the last crumbs of cornbread.
Now it's your turn... get out there and make your corner of the world delicious!
About the author: Lavern Gingerich is a writer and the digital marketing manager for Meadow Creek Barbecue Supply.
