Help! What exactly did I get and how do I prepare them?!?!


 

Michael Richards

TVWBB Emerald Member
So had to go to Walmart for some needed supplies and wanted to luck into a Tri Tip... No luck, but they had these guys so I had to pick them up.IMG_20201211_173855.jpg
Here is the close up of the lable. IMG_20201211_173902.jpg
When I got home I opened them up, here they are. IMG_20201211_173913.jpg
I was thinking to try to cook both at the same time, but after opening them and seeing the size difference I decided to wrap and freeze the smaller rack and I keep out the larger rack to cook on the WSM tomorrow. IMG_20201211_182243.jpg
VS. IMG_20201211_182257.jpg
I think I landed some USDA Select beef short ribs. Am I right on that? I did not pay much for these and I am I little worried I am going to have to do some work to get them tender. I have never done beef ribs or a brisket so I am feeling a little stretched.
I am open to any ideas, how to prep, season, cook these guys.
I am thinking 225 degrees low on the WSM with Hickory and Pecan wood. Super low to give more time to break them down. I am thinking dry rub only? I am thinking wrapping at 160 with some beef booth and red wine? I am thinking 4 to 6 hours? Since they are Select do I need to braise them like Jerry did this past Monday?
OK, any help welcome!
Thanks Community!
 
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I'd say you're on the right track. Season with a good amount of salt and pepper or your fav beef rub, smoke at 225 until you can scratch the bark lightly without it coming off, then wrap as tight as you can in a foil pouch. This'll probably take 3 to 4 hours. I'd probably put about 1/4 cup of broth/wine mixture in the wrap. I'd keep in the wrap for 3 or 4 then unwrap and see if a tooth pick will slide in easy. When/if it does you're good to go, or you can wrap it back up and stick it in a cooler until ready to eat. That's how I'd handle it. You can also look for the meat to pull away from the bones the same way you would on pork ribs. Foiling with liquid is very similar to braising. Good Luck!

You can run a little hotter before wrapping, maybe 250. You can run a little hotter after the wrap too if you get pinched for time.
 
I have never done select beef ribs but I have done a bunch of beef choice beef ribs. Here what I do and I am happy with the results:
-Lightly sprinkle with Slap Yo Daddy all purpose rub or salt/peeper/garlic powder
-Do not pull membrane like pork ribs
-Place flat bone side down
-Cook for about 3 hours @ 275°
-Wrap in foil for about an hour @ 275°
-Rest 30 min to an hour

Oh and if you have pink butcher paper replace the foil step with paper. My last 2 cooks were finished in paper and it was much better than the foil.
 

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I'd say you're on the right track. Season with a good amount of salt and pepper or your fav beef rub, smoke at 225 until you can scratch the bark lightly without it coming off, then wrap as tight as you can in a foil pouch. This'll probably take 3 to 4 hours. I'd probably put about 1/4 cup of broth/wine mixture in the wrap. I'd keep in the wrap for 3 or 4 then unwrap and see if a tooth pick will slide in easy. When/if it does you're good to go, or you can wrap it back up and stick it in a cooler until ready to eat. That's how I'd handle it. You can also look for the meat to pull away from the bones the same way you would on pork ribs. Foiling with liquid is very similar to braising. Good Luck!

You can run a little hotter before wrapping, maybe 250. You can run a little hotter after the wrap too if you get pinched for time.
So you're thinking 6 to 8 total time? With a good rest in the cooler? Thanks for being the first reply, it was your great TT's that got me looking in the first place😁.
 
I have never done select beef ribs but I have done a bunch of beef choice beef ribs. Here what I do and I am happy with the results:
-Lightly sprinkle with Slap Yo Daddy all purpose rub or salt/peeper/garlic powder
-Do not pull membrane like pork ribs
-Place flat bone side down
-Cook for about 3 hours @ 275°
-Wrap in foil for about an hour @ 275°
-Rest 30 min to an hour

Oh and if you have pink butcher paper replace the foil step with paper. My last 2 cooks were finished in paper and it was much better than the foil.
Are you thinking shorter time because going at 275? Do you think with being Select 275 would be OK? The packaging says 350 for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
 
Are you thinking shorter time because going at 275? Do you think with being Select 275 would be OK? The packaging says 350 for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
I think so. I have cooked a bunch of beef ribs as they are a favorite around here. 275 at 4 hours total has been about right for me. I’ve done longer and honestly they were a bit dry. Being as they are select and possibly will have less fat 4 hours might be a bit long. Beef ribs are hard to cook by temperature since they are tough to probe. I’d check them at say 2.5 hours and if it looks like the bark is setting wrap early and cook for an hour wrapped. Also dont be afraid to rest longer. Sometimes I have rested wrapped in towels and placed in a cooler for up to 3 hours and still had excellent results.
 
For me usually 275 for 4 to 6 hours great. For these the advice you were given is perfect. Start 225 to 250. Should be perfect. And usually a lot easier to cook than brisket.
If you get a late start and need to hurry, try 275. Once wrapped you can transfer to the oven for convenience or leave them on the smoker. 275 or 300
 
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Woke up this morning and started the process. I used an all purpose rub and a beef rub my wife got me that I like.
IMG_20201212_100028.jpg

We get my niece every other weekend so she was hanging out with me as I prepped. IMG_20201212_100014.jpg

I tried to not go too heavy on the seasoning. IMG_20201212_121133.jpg

My niece let me know Stormfly wanted to be in the picture. IMG_20201212_121125.jpg

Went on at 10:30 am. IMG_20201212_110939.jpg

I was back and forth about what temp I wanted to cook at so the WSM 14 took the lead and locked in at 250 and hasn't moved. Literally like 2 degrees plus minus range the whole time. Here is at an and hour 45 mins in. IMG_20201212_115719.jpg

I will keep you posted.
 
Looking good, Michael, but I'm not buying the whole "...those are my niece's toys...." thing. ;)

Fair warning, the last rack of short ribs that I cooked (at 250) took 9.5 hours with no wrapping to get probe tender.... :)

R
 
Looking good, Michael, but I'm not buying the whole "...those are my niece's toys...." thing. ;)

Fair warning, the last rack of short ribs that I cooked (at 250) took 9.5 hours with no wrapping to get probe tender.... :)

R
Do you think that is what I got, Beef Short Ribs? I have looked at a lot of your guys cooks and just didn't think these guys are, parson my pun, as beefy. We are just over two hours now sitting at 158 internal temps. Smoker sitting at 249. Going to give a few more minutes and will lift the lid for the first time.

Had to go borrow the neighbor kid to get this, just kidding, she is a blast! IMG_20201212_124709.jpg
 
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It's a little hard to tell, but the shape/size of the bones looks about right. Could just be back ribs, too, but you rarely see them with that much meat on them. However long they take, and whenever they are ready, I'm sure that they will be very tasty!!

She's a cutie. Tell the neighbors I said so.

R
 
So here we are at 2 hours and 45 mins in read at 164.
IMG_20201212_132635.jpg
A little dry on top, but super tender when I probe them and ready anywhere for 150 5o 165.

Added some more of both rubs and 1/4 cup whatever I had in the cabinet braising liquid (mostly beef broth with a little red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, and white cooking wine). It smells heavenly. Back on the smoker now. IMG_20201212_132621.jpgIMG_20201212_132625.jpg
 
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I have never done select beef ribs but I have done a bunch of beef choice beef ribs. Here what I do and I am happy with the results:
-Lightly sprinkle with Slap Yo Daddy all purpose rub or salt/peeper/garlic powder
-Do not pull membrane like pork ribs
-Place flat bone side down
-Cook for about 3 hours @ 275°
-Wrap in foil for about an hour @ 275°
-Rest 30 min to an hour

Oh and if you have pink butcher paper replace the foil step with paper. My last 2 cooks were finished in paper and it was much better than the foil.
So I just took them off and they are now in the cooler resting for the next two hours. That cook went almost exactly to a tee of you instruction. 2 hours 45 mins at 250 and then wrapped for an hour and 10 minutes at 275 and in the cooker. If they taste half as good as they smell, today will have been a success!
 
So I just took them off and they are now in the cooler resting for the next two hours. That cook went almost exactly to a tee of you instruction. 2 hours 45 mins at 250 and then wrapped for an hour and 10 minutes at 275 and in the cooker. If they taste half as good as they smell, today will have been a success!
So here we are at 2 hours and 45 mins in read at 164.
View attachment 19435
A little dry on top, but super tender when I probe them and ready anywhere for 150 5o 165.

Added some more of both rubs and 1/4 cup whatever I had in the cabinet braising liquid (mostly beef broth with a little red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, and white cooking wine). It smells heavenly. Back on the smoker now. View attachment 19436View attachment 19437
Those ribs look great. Just starting to separate from the bone. Wow, I might have to rethink tomorrow’s meal after seeing these. Nice job!
 
And here are the results:
Unwrapped after a 3 hour rest.
IMG_20201212_180428.jpg

Cut. IMG_20201212_180440.jpg

And plated. IMG_20201212_180448.jpg

That was the best smelling bbq I have ever made.

I loved them. My youngest daughter who is my beef eater did not like it because she thought all she could taste was coffee, there was espresso in the beef rub, she did not know that, but she is that good. My wife who does eat or like beef, had to try them because they smelled so good. She said they where great. My son even ate some.
This really makes me want to cook a brisket. When I go out to BBQ restaurants I have started to get brisket because it is the thing I don't make a home. These ribs were better then any brisket I have ordered out. A brisket is all my short list now. I know I will have a lot of leftovers, but I want to go for it.

Thanks as aways for the great advice!
 
Nice! What was the final temp? Love beef ribs. Brisket too but that is a bit trickier.
When I pulled them the middle was reading 203 204 the edges where 207 208. I was worried I dried them out, but there were not dry at all. The best one was actually the left side rib (if you look at my pre cook picture). The only thing I would have changed about the whole cook is I would have trimmed some of the fat off the top of them, that just didn't breakdown. But for my first longer beef cook I was overly happy with the results.
 
Looks great, I keep looking at some beef ribs and most I see are bare of meat except between the bones, I refuse to pay stupid $ for bone
Mike,
That was the crazy thing and part of the reason I asked what I got, these guys were only 10 bucks. I have seen Beef Short Ribs before and ones that look good but for 40 to 50 bucks for one rack. When I couldn't find a TT I thought for 10 bucks, what the hell, go for it even in they are not that good. I wish I would have trimmed them first, but this woke up a desire to a bigger better quality piece of beef on the WSM.
 

 

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