Beef Ribs


 
T

Tim Mulvihill

TVWBB Fan
So I was prepping for smoking a few slabs of baby backs. In the process, I came across a slab of beef back ribs, about 2.5 lbs, and cut exactly like a slab of baby backs.

In reading several on-line discussions, it looks like beef ribs take a lot longer than baby backs. But if they are similar in weight & size, shouldn't I be able to cook them for the same amount of time? Or does pork or beef (same weight & size) cook faster/slower than the other?

Thanks!

WSM 18.5
 
They take me about the same time as spares....And they are AWESOME. They're a little fatty, but considering they are $2/lb locally I have a hard time justifying spares anymore...
 
Hi Tim! Welcome to the forums!!
I cook beef back ribs quite often... a nice 3 1/2 lb rack averages about 4 to 4 and a half hours cooked at 225 to 275ºF.
And i've cooked them with spares and i've cooked them with baby backs... if one or the other gets cooked faster, I simply foiled them and added them to the low setting of my warming tray in oven until the other catches up.

I say you toss'em both on at the same time and grab a few brewski's and enjoy the cook.
Afterall, it's only food:D
 
I realize this is an old post but I saw a rack of beef baby backs the other day and plan to smoke them for Wed's supper (I've been designated as the on call babysitter (aka paw paw) for two of the four grandbabies). I'll post my results seperately but Jim's timeline is appreciated 'cause I've never done them before and at least this gets me in the ballpark.
 
Dwain here is an email from Gene B. I'm sure he won't mind. I sent him a message inquiring about how he cooked his beef ribs. I've done them three times before and the first time was not good. I have had success doing them the way Jim does his but after a post Gene made I thought I would ask him about this method too.

I do know it's important to make sure you get good pull back and there is a tendency to under cook them. Still Cookin, still learnin! I'm not sure how long he leaves them in foil...I'll send him this link.

"hi Gary
the key to good beef ribs is finding a butcher that will leave some meat on the bones
I turn them over and cut thru the membrane with a utility knife down each bone.
I dont even have a water pan in my 18.5...just use a clay disc from home depot...foiled double.
I alway use a rub, after aplying evoo, maple syrup or agave sweetner.
purchased rubs, concoctions, or harry soo recipe
I smoke 4 hrs at 250, then foil with 2 spoons apple juice, then another hour to dry out the bark..
Im not a fan of sticky sweet BBQ sauce so I eat plain, maybe sprinkle on a little Cavenders.
 
Dwain, i just did a half rack last Saturday... about the same, 4 hours, 250ºF and did something i never do, I foiled them for another hour for a total of 5 hours. The ribs came out excellent!
check'em out right here

good luck with yours!
 
I saw that post Jim, they really looked awesome! I be thinkin I'm gonna cook mine 4hours too and then foil em. Just have to decide if I want to put anything with them in the foil?? Never foiled my ribs before and like Gene, I'm not a fan of stickey sweet. Thinkin maybe Montreal Steak Spice might do it.
 
I believe the idea of foiling is to soften the meat, which is why I add the apple juice...but a little goes a long ways, and perhaps, just the meat juice would do the same job.
 
Glaze for Beef Ribs

There is a recipe floating around for a steakhouse glaze that I use with two minor modifications to give a more caveman cooked type of appearance that kids also seem to enjoy. The recipe has been posted on non-copyrighted websites but is

1/2 cup of a good steak sauce
1 tablespoon of garlic flavored olive oil
1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
2 tablespoons of ketchup

I also mince one garlic glove and a thin slice of onion and mix that into the glaze. Just use the glaze as a barbeque sauce. The small onion and garlic bits plus even more additional darkening of the beef ribs does make one think of cavemen eating dinosaur ribs cooked over an open fire. Kids seem to really like these also.
 
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