Smoked beef short ribs are such a fantastic BBQ dinner. You can smoke them in 3-4 hours and enjoy a delicious BBQ meal with a great crispy bark. This great recipe comes with a tasty homemade raspberry BBQ sauce too.

This recipe is for beef chuck short ribs which are considerably smaller than beef plate ribs(sometimes called dino ribs!) which can be around 12 inches in length.

If you go for larger ribs such as plate ribs be aware they take about twice as long to smoke – around 8-10 hours.

What are Short Ribs? How are they Different from other types of Ribs?

Short ribs come from lower down on the animal at the front of the ribcage, as opposed to the back ribs which come from the back of the ribcage. They are cut from two different places on the animal – the chuck and the plate.

Plate ribs are the larger shorts ribs and can be 12 inches in length with as much 2 inches of meat on them. Chuck ribs are smaller cuts (although still meaty) and are usually 3-6 inches in length.

There are also a number of different variations of beef short ribs cuts also.

What are the Different Types of Beef Short Ribs?

Beef short ribs can be categorised into several types based on their origin and cut. Here are some of the common types of beef short ribs:

• English Cut Short Ribs: These are the traditional short ribs with a rectangular shape that includes both meat and bone. They are cut parallel to the bone, resulting in a good balance of meat and fat.
• Flanken Cut Short Ribs: Flanken-cut ribs are sliced across the bone, resulting in thin strips of meat and fat with cross-sections of bone. These are often used in Korean BBQ dishes and are known for their tender and flavourful nature.
• Boneless Short Ribs: As the name suggests, these are short ribs with the bone removed making them easier to cook and eat (although leaving the bone in definitely adds flavour).
• Plate Short Ribs: These are larger and meatier short ribs that come from the rib plate, located closer to the belly of the cow. They tend to have more meat and a higher fat content, contributing to their rich flavour. They are sometimes called ‘dino ribs,’ because of their large size.
• Chuck Short Ribs: Taken from the chuck primal, these short ribs have a good balance of meat and fat. They might have a bit more connective tissue, which can make them great for slow cooking or braising to achieve tenderness.

How Long to Smoke Beef Short Ribs at 225?

At 225F (107C) large cuts of beef short ribs (e.g. plate ribs) can take between 8-10 hours to smoke. However smaller cuts of beef short ribs (e.g. chuck ribs or English Cut Short Ribs) can be smoked low and slow in around 4 hours.

How Many Hours Does it Take to Smoke Beef Short Ribs?

Smaller beef short ribs cuts (e.g. chuck ribs) can be smoked in around 4 hours, however larger cuts (such as plate ribs) can take 8-10 hours to smoke.

Should you Spritz Beef Short Ribs?

Spritzing beef short ribs is a good idea to stop them drying out in the smoker. You can use apple juice, apple cider vinegar or even apple cider to spritz with.

Smoked Beef Short Ribs Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 Beef Short Ribs
• BBQ beef rub of choice (we like Meat Church Holy Cow) or try homemade rub:
• 1 tbsp of sea salt
• 1 tbsp of freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper (or mild chilli powder)
• 2 tsp of sweet smoked paprika 
• 1 tsp of ground cumin
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar (for spritzing)

For the Raspberry BBQ Sauce

• * 1/4 cup ketchup
  * 1 tablespoons brown sugar
  * 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  * 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  * 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  * 1/2 cup fresh smoked raspberries
  * 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

During the last hour or so of the smoke add the raspberries to a disposable aluminium tray and smoke them along with the ribs. While your ribs are resting add the other ingredients and the smoked raspberries to a blender and blitz until combined.

Serve the BBQ sauce on the side with the smoked beef short ribs.

Smoked Short Ribs Method

• Take your short ribs out of the fridge about an hour before smoking
• Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs with a sharp pairing knife
• Rub the ribs all over with a binder e.g. mustard or oil and then liberally dust with your BBQ rub
• Fill the hopper of your pellet smoker with wood chips of choice (we like mesquite or hickory for beef – but if you like a milder smoke taste use apple or cherry wood)
• Preheat the smoker to 275F (135C) and let smoke for 10 minutes with the lid open
• Place the short ribs on the smoker grates and close the lid
• Smoke for 4 hours until the internal temperature of the ribs reaches around 205F (96C)
• Make sure to spritz the ribs every 30 minutes or so throughout the smoke to avoid them drying out
• Rest the ribs for around 10-15 minutes before serving with your Raspberry BBQ Sauce

You can watch the whole process of smoking beef short ribs on our Instagram video below.

Related Articles

• Smoked Beef Chuck Riblets
• Korean BBQ Short Ribs
• 321 Traeger Ribs Recipe

You might also enjoy this article from The Online Grill about the different types of beef ribs.