Whole beef short ribs

[jdwoods]

I am thinking about doing whole rack of beef short ribs (texas cut, if I can get em) this weekend.
I am planning to do just salt and pepper. A little beer in the cake pan.
Does anybody have any tips? Any victories or bad experiences to share?

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[Pork Belly]

I know Texas is typically 50/50 salt to black pepper but I mix it up just a bit.
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup FRESH ground black pepper
1 tbl Granulated Garlic
1 tbl paprika

I think garlic needs to be on beef and the paprika give a little color and subtle flavor. Using fresh ground pepper gives great flavor without a lot of volume. I have done my beef ribs on 235 or 240 depending on volume, top rack for 7+ hours. The beef fat is more dense than pork, I find a little more heat and length in cooking time helps render the fat out.

[jdwoods]

Hey Pork Belly...
I did the cook today and it didn't turn out so well. I need some input.

I used fresh prime short ribs from my local butcher. The rack of 3 was cute to half length.

I removed my texas cut ribs from the fridge and rubbed them down with the following:
1 part salt (kosher)
2 parts freshly ground pepper
Few pinches of garlic and crushed red pepper.

On one of the mini racks of ribs, I did rub in some mustard before putting on the dry rub.

I put the racks in the smoker with and I put a little beer and water in the cake pan. (For reference, I used post oak and cherry.)

I started the smoker at 140deg for 30 min and then cranked it to 225. The rib's temperature climbed quickly and steadily for about 3 hours... Then... The temperature hung in steady at 154 for over an hour. I pulled the ribs and wrapped them in foil. Still no increase in temperature.

Dinner time could not be postponed any further, so I threw the ribs in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes. I couldn't get higher than 165deg.

We cut them and ate them: flavor was great, crust was soft and kind of mushy, and the meat was a bit on the tough side.

Is it normal for a stall to last that long? With ribs? How can you break through the stall? What did I do wrong? If I had waited it through for another few hours, would the crust/bark have formed?

[Pork Belly]

What was the weight of the ribs, how much mass was there? Often small amounts of meat take a long time to take the heat. You smoked for 3.5 hours then another hour in the oven. I told you the last time I did beef ribs it was a 7 hour smoke. Most of us do not attempt to take the temp of ribs we go by time. These smokers are very wet inside because they are so tight but I think your bark issues were due to a lack of time. Keep trying my first rib smokes (pork) were less than I had expected but they are better now. I was disappointed in color and texture of the bark but I was pulling those ribs at 3 to 4 hours. I need to be smoking longer. Now I do my pork ribs for 4.5 to 5 hours depending on mass, beef ribs would be a 6 to 7 hour smoke depending on mass.

Often when I serve a less than perfect meal I remind myself "I have paid for worse". That's a reminder to me, while my meal was less than I hoped for, at one point in time I paid a professional and they served me something not as good as what I just made. 

[BedouinBob]

JD, the last time I did beef ribs I went close to 7 hrs like Brian said. Also, with respect to tenderness, poke them with a toothpick to check tenderness. Was the the smoke level about right?

[jdwoods]

I agree. I definitely have paid for worse.

The ribs were delicious, they just lacked a few qualities we all strive for: tenderness and bark texture and color.

The smoke factor seemed perfect to me.

I guess I was rushing it and I should try to be patient next time.

Did the cake pan make it too moist inside?

[Pork Belly]

Maybe a little. I use those disposable foil pans that are about 4.5x2.5x3'ish not sure how big a cake pan you had.

[DivotMaker]

JD - when you say "cake pan," what size do you mean, and where are you putting it?  If you're placing it on a shelf, between the meat and the smoke box, that may very well be part of your problem.  A 9" round cake pan would create a big heat shield; a rectangular pan, even more.  Most of us put our liquid in something like a mini-loaf pan, and set it on the floor of the smoker, tucked right up against the element (smoke box).  The idea is to heat that pan, as efficiently as possible, and not block the heat rising to the meat.  Just my 2¢...

[jdwoods]

The pan that I am referring to is just one of those pans described - a disposable loaf pan. I put it on the floor of the smoker, next to the element.

BTW, The ribs were super meaty and quite fatty. There was at least one inch and up to two inches of meat on these bones...

[Pork Belly]

Those extra hours would have rendered off the majority of the fat.

[DivotMaker]

The pan that I am referring to is just one of those pans described - a disposable loaf pan. I put it on the floor of the smoker, next to the element.

Perfect!  I agree with Brian - time was the culprit here.

[jdwoods]

Hey guys, first thanks for your input.

Last night, I had my brother over for dinner and I still had a serious supply of leftovers (2 single bones, and 2 half short rib racks). I put them in a disposable aluminum pan, covered loosely with foil, poured a little bit of beer in, and threw them in the oven at 350 for 3 hours. They probably could have gone for another 30 minutes or so, but I had to pull them for dinner time. When I pulled them, the IT was 180-185.

They were great. SO GOOD.

I had a good feeling about the salvageability of the ribs and I am happy that I threw them in the oven for so long.

[DivotMaker]

Way to go, JD!