Meat & Pork

Serving

Smoked Beef Short Ribs

Name: Smoked Beef Short Ribs
Total time: 480 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Meat & Pork
Ingredients: 4 plate-cut beef short ribs (about 5 pounds); 2 tablespoons kosher salt; 2 tablespoons coarse black pepper; 1 tablespoon garlic powder; 1 tablespoon yellow mustard; 1/2 cup beef broth (for spritzing)

Massive plate-cut beef short ribs seasoned with a simple salt and pepper rub and smoked until the meat turns rich, jiggly, and pull-apart tender.

480 minutes

Serves 4

Dinner

168 min prep

264 min cook

Contains common allergens

mustard

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Instructions

5 steps

1
Trim the silver skin from the top of the short ribs and pat them dry.
2
Coat the ribs with a thin layer of yellow mustard, then season all over with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder rub.
3
Smoke the ribs over post oak or hickory at 275 degrees Fahrenheit, bone-side down, spritzing with beef broth each hour.
4
Continue smoking until a dark bark forms and the meat probes tender like butter at about 203 degrees Fahrenheit, roughly 7 to 8 hours.
5
Rest the ribs loosely tented for 30 minutes, then slice between the bones and serve.

Smoked Beef Short Ribs — plated and served — Serving moment. How Smoked Beef Short Ribs looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

66/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 90

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 54

Budget-friendly 50

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 58

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

Calories

1 g

Protein

3 g

Carbs

0 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Smoked beef short ribs, often called dino ribs for their massive size, are a showpiece of American barbecue, especially in Texas where the big plate-cut rib is smoked low and slow until the meat turns lush and tender. They take the same salt-and-pepper philosophy as brisket, letting the heavily marbled beef and smoke do the talking. The reward is a rib so rich and tender it is sometimes called brisket on a stick.

Listahan note

This version keeps the rub simple and the heat low, smoking the ribs for hours until the meat pulls back and probes like butter. It treats the long unhurried cook and the rest as the heart of the recipe.

Technique cues

Season simply with coarse salt and pepper so the heavily marbled beef and the smoke stay center stage.
Smoke low and steady, around 250F, and expect a long cook since these large ribs need many hours to render fully.
Probe for tenderness rather than chasing a number, since the ribs are ready when a thermometer glides through the meat with no resistance.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Trim and season the ribs the night before and stage the wood, so you can light the smoker and load them at dawn.
Make-ahead: Smoke a day ahead, refrigerate, then reheat gently wrapped with a splash of broth so the rich meat stays moist.
Leftover move: Shred leftover rib meat off the bone for tacos, or chop it into a hash with potatoes and eggs.
Cleanup rhythm: Catch the rendered fat in a foil tray under the grate and ash out the smoker while the ribs rest.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

beef plate short ribs

main cut

Purpose: The thick, marbled meat over the bone renders into an exceptionally rich, tender result over the long smoke.

Handling: Trim the surface fat lightly, leave the membrane debated, and season generously.

Adaptation: Chuck short ribs are smaller and cook faster if plate ribs are unavailable.

coarse black pepper

bark

Purpose: It builds the craggy peppery crust that is the hallmark of Texas-style beef.

Handling: Apply a coarse grind generously with the salt.

Adaptation: A simple salt-and-pepper blend is traditional; keep it close to that.

kosher salt

core seasoning

Purpose: It seasons the thick meat through the long cook and helps form the bark.

Handling: Season a few hours ahead so the salt penetrates.

Adaptation: Coarse sea salt works; skip fine table salt to avoid over-salting.

oak or hickory wood

smoke source

Purpose: Strong hardwood smoke stands up to the rich beef and provides the deep smoky backbone.

Handling: Use dry seasoned wood and aim for thin blue smoke.

Adaptation: Post oak for a cleaner smoke, or pecan for something milder.

Technique notes

Wrap in butcher paper once the bark sets if you want to speed past the stall while keeping the crust intact.
Rest the ribs at least thirty minutes after the cook so the abundant juices settle back into the meat.
Slice between the bones into individual ribs only after resting, since cutting hot lets the juices run out.

Ingredient swaps

Oven direction: Season, add a little liquid smoke, and braise low in a covered pan until probe-tender for a no-smoker version.
Lower-sodium direction: Cut the salt in the rub and lean on pepper and smoke for the flavor.
Smaller-batch direction: Use chuck short ribs, which are smaller and finish in less time.

Serve alongside

Pinto or ranch beans
Coleslaw
Grilled corn
Pickled onions and jalapenos
Cold lager
Bold red wine such as Malbec
Black coffee

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate for up to four days. Reheat wrapped in a low oven with a splash of broth so the rich meat does not dry out. The ribs freeze for up to three months; thaw overnight and reheat gently.

Equipment

Smoker or pellet grill
Leave-in probe thermometer
Butcher paper
Heavy sharp knife

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