Beef Short Ribs - I'm Done with these Puppies!


 
G

Gary Shepard

New member
Hi Guys-

I've tried making beef short ribs 3 times this year and I'm giving up on these babies. I just can't make them tender, no matter what I do. Yesterday, I found a recipe in Big Bob Gibson's book, which had me smoking them to an IT of 160 degrees, then placing them in a marinade meat side down, wrapped in foil and braising them to an IT of 200 degrees.

The ribs I bought were from a butcher shop and looked great. I followed the recipe to a "T". They were definitely done, the meat had pulled way back on the bone and they had a great smoke ring and they tasted good, but they were CHEWEY! Is this what to expect from beef short ribs (chuck), or is there a way to get them tender like when I make beef "dinosaur bones"?

EarlyMan
 
Hello Gary,

Even though they are ribs, I think of them as pot roast. I tend to put them on the grill to get a good sear, Smoke them for 45 minutes, then braise them for about 3-4 hours in a heavy cast iron pot.

Basically, they should have the same texture as pot roast.
 
beef shorts can be tender. Wifey and I went to a local restaurant for our anniversary and Beef short ribs were (one of) the specials.

They were so tender I didn't even need a knife. They were braised.
 
Yes, you are right. I put my leftovers back in foil with the marinade and cooked them an additional 2 1/2 hours at 300. When they came out, they WERE tender; however, they didn't much resemble the smoked ribs that I started with. The smoke flavor was all but gone, after having been braised a total of about 4 hours. And they looked like a pot roast with a bone attached.

I can buy a pot roast for a lot less money than these "potribs", so if I want beef, I'll probably stick with dinosaur bones in the future!
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EarlyMan
 
If they were chewy they were underdone, as you discovered.

Internal temp is immaterial. They have to cook till they are tender - tender enough not to be chewy.
 
Well Garry. For now, I'm with you. I've done beef backs 3 times now with varying results, none that good.
Where I live, outside of a special order (which I haven't done), I get the full rack mostly butchered of the top meat and into the rib slats. This is fine, as I knew from the start that I'd be basically cooking lean ribs.
I get great colour (mahogany great) and great taste (product of rub and sauce) but I can never get rid of that thick membrane that runs along the internal rib bones. I have cooked them to "tear apart" doneness.
As I usually do 2 racks at a time, I end up putting the 2nd rack in a crock pot with some veg and liquid and get a great beef rib stew. I do get the smokiness though. It's actually a great smell when you get home and the onions, peppers, spice and broth meld with the smoke.

That said, I also have problems with brisket outside of the gristle. My 2nd gen brisket crock pot stews are worth the time spent smoking the brisket though as I get many more meals and can use the leftovers in chili's and freeze the rest.

Unfortunately, I can't help on the backs though. More just venting and commiserating.
 
Ever try marinating? I've only done them once, but I did a soy/garlic/ginger marinade and used the same concoction for the braise stage and they turned out fork tender and delicious. 1.5 hours smoked on the gasser and 2 hours braising in oven around 350.
 
It may not be grilling, and I love grilling, but The Pioneer Woman's braised beef rib recipe is the best I've found. Beef ribs, done right, are as heavenly as meat can get. Good luck, whatever you do.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Gary Shepard:
I can buy a pot roast for a lot less money than these "potribs" </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

When I make them, I'm not interested in the ribs themselves. It's the juice left in the braising pot that I'm interested in. It's a super beef stock.
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