Recipes / Smoked Meats & BBQ Mains
Free Recipe
Smoked Beef Plate Ribs (Dino Ribs)
Massive, dramatic beef plate ribs - nicknamed 'dino ribs' for their size - smoked long and slow until the meat between the bones turns rich, beefy, and tender enough to pull apart with your hands.
Prep20 min
Cook8 hr
Total8 hr 30 min
ServingsServes 6-8
DifficultyAdvanced
Rating★ 5.0
Why You'll Love This
- A dramatic, shareable centerpiece unlike anything from a grocery store
- Deep, rich beef flavor from a well-marbled cut
- Impressive presentation for a special occasion
Ingredients
- 1 rack (3 to 4 bones) beef plate short ribs, about 6 to 8 lbs total
- 3 tbsp coarse kosher salt
- 3 tbsp coarse black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup beef broth, for spritzing
- 1 cup beef tallow or butcher paper wrap juices
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil, for binding the rub
- 1 spray bottle, for spritzing
Method
- Remove the thin membrane from the bone side of the rack if it has not already been removed by your butcher, using a knife tip and a paper towel for grip.
- Trim the top fat cap to about 1/4 inch, leaving enough to protect the meat during the long cook, and square off any very thin, ragged edges.
- Mix the kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder in equal-ish parts and coat the entire rack generously, including between the bones where meat is exposed.
- Preheat your smoker to a steady 250F for indirect heat and add 3 to 4 chunks of oak wood, since plate ribs can stand up to a robust, long smoke.
- Place the rack bone-side down on the grate and insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the meat between the bones, avoiding the bone itself.
- Smoke undisturbed for the first 4 hours, then begin spritzing with beef broth every hour to keep the surface from drying out as the bark darkens.
- Continue smoking until the internal temperature reaches 165F to 170F and the bark is thick, dark, and cracked in appearance, which usually takes about 6 hours total.
- Wrap the rack tightly in butcher paper or two layers of foil, and continue smoking until the internal temperature reaches 203F to 206F, another 2 to 3 hours, checking tenderness by inserting a probe into the thickest section - it should glide in with almost no resistance.
- Remove from the smoker and rest, still wrapped, for at least 45 minutes to 1 hour - these ribs are large enough to stay hot well past that time.
- Unwrap and slice between the bones into individual portions, or serve as one dramatic whole rack for the table to share.
Tips
- Beef plate ribs run much thicker than pork ribs, so budget for a longer cook and rely on the probe-tenderness test (does it slide in like soft butter) rather than a strict time estimate.
- Keep the smoker temperature steady and avoid the temptation to run it hotter to save time - the thick meat between the bones needs the full low-and-slow window to render properly.
Nutrition (estimated per serving)
Calories: 640
Protein: 44g
Fat: 48g
Carbs: 1g
Fiber: 0g
Sodium: 780mg
