This Recipe will give you all the secrets to Making Real Deal Texas Beef Plate Ribs. Korean short rib recipe Style Beef Ribs Made Right in Your Backyard!
Over the summer I had the opportunity to taste some of the world’s best bbq joints in Austin Texas. The beef plate ribs at Terry Blacks were especially amazing. A single bone weighing in at just under a pound looked like something of prehistoric folklore. The meat was fatty but melted in your mouth barely needing to chew.
The post oak commonly used in central Texas gives the meat a subtle yet complex smoky flavor while preserving the natural flavor of the beef. Since I live 1500 miles from Austin I had to figure out how to recreate these ribs using my pellet smoker at home. To be honest the method for smoking beef ribs is very similar to smoked brisket. Cross-cut short ribs are what are commonly served at Korean bbq restaurants, very tasty but much less impressive. Beef Back Ribs are actually cut higher up on the spine and cut away from the Prime Rib. Butchers don’t leave much meat on beef back ribs because they would rather sell that meat as the much pricier prime rib.
The bones will range anywhere from 8-12 inches in length. If all you can find are single bone short ribs you can still follow this recipe but will need to adjust the time according to the size of the short ribs. If you’re feeling adventurous I would recommend a pinch of granulated onion but other than that let’s keep things simple. Before seasoning, I like to rub the ribs down with a few tablespoons of oil just to help the seasoning stick to the meat. Don’t be shy with the seasoning, beef ribs can handle a good amount of salt so make sure you hit both fronts, back and don’t forget the sides.
Just like a steak, I like my beef plate ribs to be as close to room temperature as possible before going on the pit. Speaking of the pit, I find that smoking at about 250 degrees F is my preferred temperature to give the meat time to absorb the perfect amount of smoke. You could go as low as 225 degrees if you really want to take it slow or as high as 275 if you’re impatient. Once your pit has reached temperature place the ribs on, place the probe in between the bones aiming for the thickness part of the rack. Then walk away for about 3 hrs.
After about 3 hours the meat should start to tighten up on the bone. The end rib always seems to pull away a bit more and may even separate completely by the end of the cook. Don’t worry, it will be just as delicious as the two presentation ribs in the center. After taking a quick peek at the 3 hr mark if all is well and you’re happy with the color you can shut the lid and go for about 2 more hours before checking. Once the rack has reached an internal temperature of around 170 it may stall similar to brisket as it begins to break down the connective muscle fibers in the meat. That’s when I like to wrap the beef ribs in peach food-grade butcher paper. Ever since visiting Texas and using butcher paper instead of aluminum foil I’ve never looked back.
The butcher paper seals in the moisture while simultaneously letting the meat breathe and not steam. The final product is much more tender and juicy. I do recommend a double layer of butcher paper and no parchment paper won’t work. The butcher paper is much stronger and won’t tear on the corners. Place the ribs back on the smoker and continue cooking until you hit an internal temperature of about 205 degrees F. At this point, you need to poke the ribs with a toothpick or probe to test for tenderness.