Smoked Beef Short Ribs | Beef Short Ribs Smoked and Braised on Ole Hickory Smoker

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Beef Short Ribs are beefy, rich, and packed with flavor. And cooking them out on the smoker brings even more flavor to the party.

The first thing you want to do is get some seasoning on the beef short ribs. I keep it real simple with just Salt, Black Pepper, and Garlic. Coat all sides of the beef Short Ribs with a good dose of the rub and let them hang out for a short while at room temperature. Here’s a good time to fire up the smoker.

For this cook I’m using my Ole Hickory pit and it needs to be running at 275 degrees. For smoke, throw on a couple chunks of seasoned hickory. You can prepare this Beef Short Ribs recipe on any pit just prepare for a 4-5 hours indirect cook with temps running 275-300 degrees.

When the smoker is up and running, place each piece of Beef Short Ribs directly on the rack and get the lid closed. They’ll need to smoke for 2-3 hours to absorb some flavor and turn a beautiful brown color on the Beef Short Rib. We’re shooting for the color of a good beef brisket.

The meat on Beef Short Ribs is surrounded by fat and tough connective tissue, and it takes a long time to render during cooking. This is why Beef Short Ribs are a perfect meat to cook low and slow.

As the fat breaks down, it surrounds the meat and turns into a sort of “meat butter” which gives the Beef Short Ribs its’ richness. To help this process along I use a braising liquid filled with herbs and vegetables to create even more flavor. You’ll need a large pan for this job.

Beef Short Rib Braising Liquid:
- 3 Carrots
- 3 Ribs of Celery
- 1 Onion
- 4 Cups Beef Stock
- 2 Cups Red Wine
- 8 Cloves Garlic
- 6oz Tomato Paste
- 2 Sprigs Rosemary
- 1 Bay Leaf

Chop the carrots, celery, and onion into large chunks and add them to the pan. Smash the garlic with your knife and add in with the vegetables. Pour in the beef broth and wine.

I usually don’t measure here just eyeball it; you’ll need about ½ the bottle. Stir in the tomato paste but don’t worry about breaking it up all the way; it will mix in as it cooks. Lastly season with a little more of the AP rub and throw in the rosemary and bay leaf.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and get it out on the smoker. I want the braising liquid to warm so we’re not adding hot meat to a cool liquid and it speeds up the cooking process a little. Usually this pan goes on the pit about 2 hours into the cook. It’s a good time to peak at the short ribs and see how the color is coming.

At the 3 hour mark the Beef Short Ribs have plenty of brown color all the way around, so they go straight into the liquid. Recover the pan with foil and continue cooking. It’s time to really break down the fat and connective tissue now. It’s also ok if the temperature on your pit goes up a little. I bumped the temp on my Ole Hickory up to 300 degrees.

After an hour in the liquid, check the ribs for tenderness. Use two forks and gently try to separate some of the Beef Short Ribs meat. If you feel any resistance, they need a little more cooking. I’m looking for soft, sponge-like feel. The Beef Short Ribs meat should have almost no resistance coming off the bone. Continue cooking if they’re not quite there. Mine took an additional 30 minutes to get just right.

Once the tenderness is perfect, bring the Beef Short Ribs inside and carefully get them out of the braising liquid and onto a platter. Cover the Beef Short Ribs with foil loosely and let them rest for 10-15 minutes.

Don’t throw away the braising liquid because it makes a wonderful sauce to serve over the short ribs. The vegetables will have cooked almost into a mush but they’ve left behind a ton of flavor. Strain the liquid into a bowl and allow give it just a second to settle.

Most of the fat will rise to the top and you can ladle it off. Now pour the liquid into a small sauce pot and reduce it by half over high heat. It should take about 10 minutes; just enough time for the short ribs to rest.

I serve short ribs family style over a platter of mashed potatoes. Ladle on a good spoon of sauce over each piece and top with a touch of fresh parsley.

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Smoked Beef Short Ribs