Melt-in-Your-Mouth Smoked Beef Short Ribs Recipe

• Preparation time: 15 minutes
• Marinate time: 2–3 hours
• Cook time: 7–9 hours
• Smoker temperature: 250°F
• Meat finish temperature: 200–205°F
• Recommended wood: Hickory

• Rack of beef short ribs
• Worcestershire sauce
• Jeff’s Texas-style rub
• Minced garlic (bottled minced garlic works fine)

Most racks and even pre-cut pieces have a cap of fat on top. I remove that so the rub contacts the meat directly; there is plenty of internal fat to keep the ribs moist. You can ask your butcher to trim it or do it yourself with a sharp knife. Trim the fat level with the meat but avoid cutting too deep or you’ll separate the rack into pieces. Remove any silverskin you find — either peel it off with a paper towel after loosening a corner or score it well and pull it away.

Place the trimmed rack in a plastic or glass container. Pour enough Worcestershire sauce over the meat to coat it well. Add several tablespoons of minced garlic and spread it across the surface. Finish by sprinkling a generous layer of Texas-style rub over the top and let it sit briefly so the flavors begin to meld.

Flip the rack so the top is down, add a little more Worcestershire sauce in the bottom of the container to ensure contact, then cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (up to 8 hours is fine).

While the ribs marinate, prepare your smoker for low-and-slow cooking at about 250°F. Plan for roughly 3–4 hours’ worth of smoking wood; hickory is recommended for beef short ribs.

Place the rack in a foil pan to catch juices and make handling easier, especially if you plan to tent with foil later. Position ribs bone-side down and meat-side up. Put the pan into the 250°F smoker and maintain a light, steady smoke for several hours. If your smoker has a water pan, use it to help maintain stable temperature and humidity.

Use a leave-in digital probe thermometer and insert the probe into the meat away from bone. The ribs are done when the internal temperature reaches about 200–205°F; I often pull mine at roughly 203°F. A sharp skewer should meet almost no resistance when the meat is ready.

You should expect 7–9 hours for the ribs to reach the target temperature. Rely on internal temperature rather than clock time. If you prefer, you can wrap the ribs in foil when they hit about 160°F to speed the process, but wrapping will soften the bark. I left these uncovered for the entire cook.

When finished, remove the ribs from the smoker and tent with foil or place a foil pan on top to hold in heat while the meat rests for about 30 minutes.

Slice the rack into individual bones and serve. The meat should be tender, juicy, and richly flavored from the rub, garlic, and smoke.

What determines how long these take to cook?

Thickness is the primary factor. Thicker racks take longer; cutting the ribs into individual pieces before smoking will reduce overall cook time.

Will the original rub I use on brisket work for beef short ribs?

Yes — the original brisket rub works very well on beef short ribs. Some prefer a more savory profile for beef ribs, which is where a Texas-style rub is a good choice.

Smoked Beef Short Ribs

Most grocery-store short ribs are pre-cut. If you can find an uncut rack, treat them like brisket: cook low and slow until they’re very tender.

Prep Time
3 hrs

Cook Time
8 hrs

Total Time
11 hrs

Servings:
4 -6

Ingredients

• Rack of beef short ribs
• Worcestershire sauce
• Jeff’s Texas-style rub
• Minced garlic (bottled is fine)

Instructions

Step 1: Remove Fat and Membrane

1. Trim the fat cap and remove any silverskin. Trim just to the meat surface to avoid cutting into the rack.
2. Flip the rack and remove or score the membrane, then peel it off with a paper towel if possible.

Step 2: Marinate & Season the Meat

1. Place ribs in a container and coat well with Worcestershire sauce.
2. Add several tablespoons of minced garlic and spread evenly.
3. Sprinkle a generous layer of Texas-style rub over the meat.
4. Flip the rack, add a little extra Worcestershire in the bottom, cover, and refrigerate for 3–8 hours.

Step 3: Set up Smoker

1. Preheat the smoker to 250°F and prepare about 3–4 hours’ worth of smoking wood.

Step 4: Smoke Time

1. Place the ribs in a foil pan, bone-side down and meat-side up.
2. Smoke at 250°F with light smoke. Use a water pan if available.
3. Monitor internal temperature with a leave-in probe; aim for 200–205°F. Expect 7–9 hours to reach this temperature.
4. If desired, wrap at 160°F to speed cooking but note the bark will be softer.
5. When done, remove from smoker and rest, tented, for about 30 minutes.

Step 5: Cut and Serve

1. Slice between the bones into individual portions and serve.