I have wanted to try Smoked Beef Ribs on the Big Green Egg for years. A few weekends a go I checked this item off my bucket list. The main reason I waited so long to try smoking beef ribs was I never saw what I was looking for at the grocery store. After poking around at my local Whole Foods and showing the butcher what I was looking for, I finally hit the jack pot. They were pretty much everything I hoped for. Ask your butcher for an uncut rack of beef short ribs and you will be in business. The meatier the beef rib the better… so pick out the thick ones!
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Smoked Beef Ribs on the Green Egg - Basic Steps
They were surprisingly easy to smoke and they take a lot less time than a large beef brisket, with similar results. The simple steps are:
- Heat smoker to 260 F
- Trim excess fat off of ribs
- Rub with the Beef Rib Rub – nice even thick coating
- 3 Tablespoons Salt
- 3 Tablespoons Coarse Grind Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Ancho Chile
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- Add cherry and oak wood before placing on the smoker. Smoke for at Total of 8 hrs. I used a water pan beneath the ribs.
- Smoke for 5 hrs with out opening the smoker
- Spray Ribs every 45 minutes with 3 Parts Water 1 Part Apple Cider Vinegar for the remaining 3 hours or so
- Pull Ribs off when they reach 200 F
- Spray with water vinegar solution and wrap with foil. Let the Smoked Beef Ribs rest for 45 minutes.
- Slice and enjoy!
My rack of ribs started out at 5 lbs and they comfortably fed 4 people. They have a nice salty flavor with a subtle heat from the pepper and cayenne. Everyone really enjoyed them and they are so dramatic with the dinosaur sized bone.
Check out this video showing the process….
If you like the video, please like it on YouTube. It helps me get a little more exposure. If you have questions on the process, just send me an email or leave me a comment. I loved the way they turned out and look forward to smoking them again!
Smoked Beef Ribs on Big Green Egg
Learn how to smoke perfect Beef Ribs on the Big Green Egg or any other smoker.
Ingredients
- 5 lbs Beef Plate Short Ribs - uncut
Beef Rib Rub
- 3 tbsp Coarse Salt
- 3 tbsp Coarse Grind Pepper
- 1 tbsp Ancho Chile
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Beef Rib Spritz / Mop
- 1.5 cups water
- 0.5 cups apple cider vinegar
Instructions
Start heating up your smoker for indirect heat at 260 F. Place drip pan below the spot where your ribs will sit. Pour a pitcher of water into the drip pan.
Trim excess fat off of ribs. Leave the underside intact, do not remove the fatty membrane.
Rub with the Beef Rib Rub - nice even thick coating
Add cherry and oak wood before placing on the smoker. Smoke for at Total of approximately 8 hrs.
- Smoke for 5 hrs with out opening the smoker
- Spray Ribs every 45 minutes with 3 Parts Water 1 Part Apple Cider Vinegar for the remaining 3 hours or so
Pull Ribs off when they reach 200-205 F. I have actually started shooting for 205 F, to ensure the fat breaks down more.
- Spray with water vinegar solution and wrap with foil. Let the Smoked Beef Ribs rest for 45 minutes.
- Slice and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Heat smoker to 260 F Trim excess fat off of ribs Rub with the Beef Rib Rub - nice even thick coating 3 Tablespoons Salt 3 Tablespoons Coarse Grind Pepper 1 Tablespoon Ancho Chile 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper Add cherry and oak wood before placing on the smoker. Smoke for at Total of 8 hrs. I used a water pan beneath the ribs. Smoke for 5 hrs with out opening the smoker Spray Ribs every 45 minutes with 3 Parts Water 1 Part Apple Cider Vinegar for the remaining 3 hours or so Pull Ribs off when they reach 200 F Spray with water vinegar solution and wrap with foil. Let the Smoked Beef Ribs rest for 45 minutes. Slice and enjoy!
6 thoughts on “Smoked Beef Ribs on the Big Green Egg”
I have tried this on my BGE. Couldn’t get the shortribs to 200-205 F but even then the ribs were completely dried out. I followed recipy as above exactly.
So not a success. Don’t know what went wrong. But an inside temp of the meat of 200/205 F seems very very high, does it not?
Sorry things did not go well for you. Only a few things that I would check or think about…
What are you using for temperature monitoring / control? I have had a few bad experiences when I had a faulty meat probe temperature. One time I had a probe reading 190 F, when it was actually 200 F. So I always have a second on hand to double check temperatures.
The cut of ribs can make a big difference in the results. The ones I have used have a lot of fat marbling, so I have not had any issues with them drying out. Also, I have seen people using smaller pieces of short ribs or individual ribs, instead of a rack. Try to keep them intact and the bigger the better I think. I have not had luck with smaller pieces of beef. You could try pulling the ribs at a lower temperature next time and see if the results are better. Keep me posted…. I am happy to try to help.
Excellent recipe. And I can hardly wait to try it! Thanks! I have everything I need except for one thing. The ribs! It is basically impossible to find a rack of beef dhort platd ribs at any butcher shop or grocery store I have ever been too. Mostly I just get a blank stare from the butcher when I ask for them. Some don’t even know what I am talking about. What do they learn at Butcher school these days?
I know…. its crazy how a lot of grocery stores really do not have what we are looking for. You might want to find an actual butcher where they break down the animal. Sometimes small towns have old butcher shops that have been in operation a long time. Where are you from?
I see you used an digital fan control.
Lacking that what would you recommend
for the BGE dome temp?
Well, if you trust your dome temp from the built in thermometer, I would go with a temp of 275-300 F. My dome temp tends to read a little high compared to my grill grate level. I would by a cheap digital temp probe to at least have at grill grate level. To me, that is the first thing you should know to get good results. If you are guessing on temperature, it is hard to get predictable results.