Beef Ribs?

[Original CharGriller]

Hi guy's a little pre-cook wondering here. I got my hands on some beef ribs that aren't shiners. A first for me. All the beef ribs I ever find have had most of the best meat removed by the butcher for some other purpose?

All that is left behind are shiner beef ribs that usually left me frustrated with the results. Not that they wern't good....it's just there wasn't enough meat on the bone to justify my effort if you know what I mean.

In any event these haven't been touched! So I'm expecting a good return on the effort. Before I ask my question let me preface it with I know to cook to doneness and not time. I'm really settled in on that.

Having said that do any of you have an approx time for beef ribs smoked/cooked at approx 200*. I'm familiar with 3-2-1 and it's variations for pork ribs and was wondering if someone had a "rough" rule for the beef ribs?

I also was encourage by the meat cutter there at the store that knows my penchant for BBQ to try something new. She suggested I grab the last pack of Rancher Reserve Chuck Neck Bones and do them just like the ribs at the same time. So these will be a new experiance for me.

These ribs, and Chuck neck bones will be kept simple...Just a Kosher salt, course pepper & garlic powder rub, smoked with Cherry logs using my Afterburner in the CG sfb. Weather is low to mid-forties, overcast and cold rain. I have a makeshift cover over the CG so it will be kept dry.

I'm trying to figure out what time PST to throw them in the smoker for a 5:30 - 6:00 PM target time for supper? Helpful thoughts, comments?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Papa Hogg]

Beef ribs usually take me 5 - 7 hours at 225* - 230* & I do not use the...

 

[Lakeside Smoker]

Heres a thread from last week on the topic...
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34857

 

[Original CharGriller]

Papa Hogg, thanks for the chuckle! These gray rainy days ..I needed that.:wink: Lakeside the link was helpful and seems theres folks that go long and some allot shorter. So I think I'm going to dial in the smoker at 210* (just below boiling) and put them on at 2:00 PM PST. Shooting to come off the grates at between 5-6 PM.

I know most folks smoke at a higher temp but my thinking is if I stay under boiling temp I'll keep more of the meat juices from turning to steam and hopefully will have a moister meateier rib than a crusty drier rib?

I did type in "Beef Ribs" in the recipe search box but didn't seem to find the beef rib approx time I was looking for. I just need to figure out how to search better.:wink:

If these turn out decent maybe I'll post some beef rib pics. Course it seems if you seen one beef rib you've seen them all.:biggrin:

 

[Papa Hogg]

OCG...remember that you essentially treat beef ribs like brisket & I don't think if you dialed up the temp a bit that the ribs will be less moist, my beef ribs are always juicy!

 

[kickassbbq]

Beef Ribs?????????????
http://www.kickassbbq.com/beef_short_ribs.htm

 

[Lakeside Smoker]

So I think I'm going to dial in the smoker at 210* (just below boiling) and put them on at 2:00 PM PST. Shooting to come off the grates at between 5-6 PM.

That only gives you 3-4 hours. At 210* that sound a little off. I would start them earlier than 2 PM.

 

[Original CharGriller]

PH I never heard that about treating beef ribs like brisket. Nice tip I'll explore that one more later. For now I popped them on a little early like LS mentioned.

When you can run steady temps that don't spike or fall but stay consistant I have found IMHO I can shorten the time somewhat..

KAB-Your ribs got me to drooling but my reward is only hours away! :-D Duh...call me simple but the smoker is already smelling awesome.

 

[The_Kapn]

I know most folks smoke at a higher temp but my thinking is if I stay under boiling temp I'll keep more of the meat juices from turning to steam and hopefully will have a moister meateier rib than a crusty drier rib?

Lots of good advice here on beef ribs.
When they come out good, they are hard to beat!

As to cooking temps--consider this.
Using a brisket or a butt as an example, we pull the meat off somewhere in the 190's internal meat temp.
Internal never gets anywhere near "boiling".

A lot of us have cooked tender, moist, and outstanding butts and briskets at chamber temps of 300+.
Never a problem with internal meat moisture or dryness.

Factor that into your thinking about temps and moisture and see where it leads you.

Let us know how it went.

TIM

 

[D.F. Expat]

I did some last week, took about 5-6 hours at 225 to get done, if your ribs are really meaty i would plan on 6-8 hours if you are gonna run it that low.

 

[Original CharGriller]

So many great tips. Don't you just love this place? Ditto on the butts and brisket not going over 212* internal. My thinking on the beef ribs (I've only done shiners b4 so I may have nothing to really compare.

My thinking five or six hours with out a foil period (DUCK INCOMING :-D) would maybe raise the thin beef rib meat up to where it may begin to boil/steam.

I have stared at all the juice in my drip pans under my past cooks and was thinking of ways to keep that moisture (not to speak of lost flavor) back inside the meat. So that's why I'm fooling around with some lower temp thinking cooking. Nothing cast in concrete just some experimenting (more like fooling around).

Anyhow I've been running steady at 210* since I put them on (smells wonderful) I just checked and the meat has pulled back from the bone approx one inch. I just told Marie to start building her cole slaw and making the creamed peas and baby potatoes. I guesstimated the meat would be ready when she had that done.

If they turn out maybe I'll get some pics. Don't forget I have those (never heard of em) beef chuck neck ribs in there also.:shock:

 

[D.F. Expat]

Progress report?

 

[Original CharGriller]

Progress report?

Quick report. Smoked from 1:50 PM to 5:45 PM , VERY tender, very MOIST. 3:55 total time 210*. Rib bones would pull out clean if pulled. I like to leave them for a handle. Rented a movie (which I’m missing) Schrek III. Their in the family room laughing their heads off. Sounds like their going to split a gut!

So pictures to follow tomorrow or maybe late tonight Also a little more in depth analysis pro's vs. con's open for group discussion.Thanks to you to all for your input.

 

[DaChief]

I think you should have boiled them in water first...then they would have been ready a lot faster :biggrin::biggrin:.:wink:

 

[Papa Hogg]

^^^^^^Should be banned for even joking about boiling beef ribs

 

[G$]

Quick report. Smoked from 1:50 PM to 5:45 PM , VERY tender, very MOIST. 3:55 total time 210*. Rib bones would pull out clean if pulled. I like to leave them for a handle. Rented a movie (which I’m missing) Schrek III. Their in the family room laughing their heads off. Sounds like their going to split a gut!

So pictures to follow tomorrow or maybe late tonight Also a little more in depth analysis pro's vs. con's open for group discussion.Thanks to you to all for your input.

They sound great! I am surprised they got done that quickly, if you were cooking at 210. Are you using a probe thermometer?

 

[Arlin_MacRae]

Congrats, Clay! Waitin' for those pix now!

 

[Original CharGriller]

Despite my critique my wife and mother-in-law raved about them? Go figure?:shock:

Analysis of low temp BBQ beef ribs:

Pro, the ribs were done if done is measured by being cooked thoroughly through and were more moist and as tender as the ribs I have cooked longer and at higher temp. About 50% of the meat was a brighter “cherry’er” (if that can be a word) red than any of the ribs I have prepped B4. And before someone can poke me …no the red meat in the pics isn’t raw and undercooked it is the red meat produced by cherry log smoke and low and slow.

Cons, flavor was IMHO not as flavorful as the ribs cooked at higher temp and this is my reasoning why. Since the ribs were smoked at 210* the heat wasn’t really high enough to form that caramelized thin crusty first layer that typically coats ribs grilled direct/indirect and ribs smoked between 250*-350*. This may or may not be remedied by a quick, brief period over the coals just prior to taking them off the smoker.

Also these were untrimmed ribs and consequently were layered with much more fat than I’ve been accustomed to in the past. The low temps made this fat not as tasty as caramelized crispy fat but more like greasy fat that I for one don’t enjoy.

Summary, beef ribs were cooked done and were moist and very tender but no where as flavorful as ribs prepared at the higher temps. So in retrospect…to the folks that told me so….I’ll probably do my next ones at or around 250* - 300* but probably not as for long as some do. This last part is massage-able.

The Chuck Neck Ribs were a total loss. They were a much thinner leaner meat layered over a wide and thin rib bone and as such cooked to leather on and between the bones. This thin neck meat had some marbeling. I never peek at my cooks anymore so the cook was preformed from start to finish with a closed lid. The tidbits I salvaged however were very flavorful and I will do them different if I’m ever able to run across them again. But that’s another story.

G$ - No I use a Turkey Fryer therm with an approx 12" probe inserted thru a tire valve stem mod thru the left end of the MC. It runs just under the CI grates. I've checked by using boiling water and have found it close enough for my needs.

 

[Lee J. Cook]

Beef ribs are indeed a delicious choice for BBQ, and there are several methods to prepare them. I recommend using a slow and low cooking method, such as smoking at 225°F for several hours until the meat is tender. Seasoning them with a good dry rub before cooking can enhance the flavor significantly. Wrapping the ribs in foil for the last couple of hours can also help retain moisture and make them even more succulent.