I’d always wanted to try smoking beef ribs. I imagine they’re easy to find anywhere in Texas, but here in Middle Tennessee, they’re hard to come by. My daughter gifted me a certificate for Snake River Farms, and I finally pulled the trigger and ordered from them. The ribs arrived professionally packaged, sealed, and shipped with dry ice, and went straight into the chest freezer. Not only were these beef ribs, they were the American Wagyu version.
Prep
Having never cooked beef ribs before, I searched around and found a video from Snake River Farms on prep and recommended cooking. I followed their advice, which called for removing the fat cap on top and the silver skin underneath it. Compared to how I trim a brisket, it honestly looked like I’d butchered the thing when I was done — but underneath that silver skin, the marbling on this beef was beautiful.
I used a Weber Dark Cocoa rub, applied heavy on all sides and edges, then supplemented with additional garlic powder, pepper, and salt. I let it sit about 30 minutes before putting it on the smoker.
The Long Smoke
Target temp was 250°F, and Snake River Farms estimated 8 to 10 hours to finish. Their video used a Traeger and covered the ribs in a pan with beef broth once they hit 165°F internal — I decided to just let mine roll uncovered the whole way instead. Hickory was my wood of choice, as usual.
Here’s where things stood 3 hours in, starting to take on real color.
Six hours in
Eight hours in
I ended up pulling them at 9.5 hours to keep dinner on schedule — in hindsight, I probably should have started a little earlier. I took them to 195°F internal, and they were very probe tender.
Result
I rested them 30 minutes before slicing. The aroma was amazing and the bark looked great.
I sliced the ribs, then went back and removed the bone to slice a bit thinner on some pieces.
Very pleased with the results of the smoke and the quality of the meat.
The Leftovers
As with most big smokes, there were leftovers. Similar to what I do with extra brisket, one of my favorite ways to use it is a breakfast bowl. I cooked 3 eggs over easy into a bowl, topped with shredded cheddar, then diced up the leftover rib meat — the marbling on this stuff was incredible even cold.
I diced some onion and pan-fried it with the rib meat — no oil needed, since the meat itself carries plenty of fat, and the goal was to get everything nice and crispy.
Once finished, I dropped it all on top of the eggs and cheese, topped with fresh salsa, salt and pepper, and gave it a stir. Rich, creamy, and crunchy — a great combination.
Want to see how a different cut compares? I’ve also done traditional beef short ribs sous vide before smoking, and Korean-style short ribs straight on the smoker.