When you’re talking cow, there are the short ribs (which are good) and there are the back ribs, the big guys, which are tenderlicious. The reason beef ribs are so tender and succulent is because the rib roast, a prime piece of meat, sits right above this section of ribs. So they’re prime, too. Cooking them is second nature to me because they happen to look and act a lot like pork baby backs, except of course they’re a lot larger. I don’t marinate my beef ribs because they come from one of the most marbled areas of the cow, which means they’re loaded with natural flavor already. I like my food to be nicely seasoned, but I never want my seasoning to overpower a meat’s inherent flavor; seasoning doesn’t ever need to be over the top.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Peel off the thick membrane (or “silver,” as it’s sometimes called) that covers the back side of each rib: Work your fingers underneath the membrane until you have 2 to 3 inches cleared. Grab the membrane with a towel and gently but firmly pull it away from the rib. Pulling off the membrane exposes loose fat that will need trimming, so take your paring knife and cut out any excess fat. Using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels, pat the ribs dry. Set them aside.
Step 2
In a medium bowl, combine the salt, pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, turmeric, coriander, garlic powder, and onion powder to form a rub. Coat both sides of each rib with the spice mixture. Place the ribs in a large aluminum baking pan, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Step 3
When you are ready to cook the ribs, heat a smoker to 275˚F.
Step 4
Place the pan, uncovered, in the smoker and cook for 2 hours.
Step 5
Remove the pan from the smoker and pour 2 cups of water into the pan. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, return it to the smoker, and cook for 2 more hours.
Step 6
Remove the ribs from the pan. Glaze the tops of the ribs (only) with the tangy sweet sauce. Don’t overdo on the sauce—use just enough to coat the ribs. Put the pan back in the smoker, uncovered, and cook for 15 minutes.
Step 7
Remove the pan from the smoker and let the ribs sit, loosely covered, for 10 minutes. Then beef out.
