My family loves boneless beef short ribs. We normally do 1 for about 2 people since the ones we get are quite large. If you’re a fan a Texas-style beef short ribs or Barbecued Tri-Tip you’ll love making these since there's two ways to make them.
The recipe is just the same either way it’s just with beef ribs the meat is pretty tender so you can cook them like a steak or cook them Texas-style like a beef brisket. Both options turn out great, it just depends on what you’re in the mood for.
With the steak-style ribs it’s just like it sounds – they’re cooked to the same temperature as a steak. There's a small window where they are extremely tender with just a little bit of flavorful fat (think ribeye or tri-tip). The Texas-style are cooked just how’d you get them from southern Texas – perfect and completely melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Directions
Normally I get these in the cryovac packages from Costco. They usually only carry them during the summer and there are 2 per package. Pull them out of their packaging and run under cold water. Take a paper towel and put a little white vinegar on it and wipe them down. Then rinse with cold water again. Trim any fat down so there is only about 1/8th inch or so. You can leave a little more on if you’re cooking them Texas-style.
1) Apply 1-2 tbsp of the Beef Rub to each slab and put them back in the fridge for an hour or two. This will help build a great crust.
Note: In a pinch you can skip through this step by coating them with a light layer of regular French's mustard. This will aid in keeping the rub on, but the mustard will cook off leaving just the rub.
2) Cook them indirectly on your grill/smoker at 225°F with the fat side up. I prefer a mix of oak/hickory or oak/pecan wood for smoke. After about 45-60 minutes check the temperature at the thickest part. The internal temp should be around 135°F give or take. Take a silicon brush and mop them some beef broth or a little extra virgin olive oil.
3) At around 150°F (1.5 - 2 hours normally) there is a small window where the ribs are tender and juicy. This is when I normally take them off and enjoy them like a juicy smoked steak or what I call steak-style. There is still a little some fat at this point like a ribeye, but they are fantastic this way.
Or
You can also do them Texas-style and continue to cook them until 180-190°F which will render out nearly all the fat. This will take several more hours as the meat will stall (temperature will stay steady) as the fats start to break down. Your choice (see pics below).
4) When done just pull them off and cover them in foil and a warm dish towel for 15 minutes to let them rest. This will redistribute the juices and then slice and enjoy. You can serve 1/2 to a person or slice them up and serve them with a little bit of juice from the tin foil. Enjoy!
Here's a sample of each version. As you can see the "Steak-style" have a slightly pink center and the "Texas-style" beef ribs have a great crust the meat has broken down similar to a brisket.
Steak-style Beef Short Ribs (150°F)
Texas-style Beef Short Ribs (190°F)
