Competition-Style Beef Short Ribs

Name: Competition-Style Beef Short Ribs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 360 min
Total time: 410 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tbsp coarse black pepper; 1 tbsp kosher salt; 1 tbsp garlic powder; 1 tbsp onion powder; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp mustard powder; 4 beef plate short ribs (3-bone rack, about 5 lb); 2 tbsp yellow mustard (binder); 3 tbsp butter; 2 tbsp brown sugar; 1/4 cup BBQ sauce (for glazing)

410 min 4 servings Hard

All Recipes

Massively beefy short ribs smoked low and slow until tender enough to bite through cleanly — BBQ competition perfection.

Prep

20 min

Cook

360 min

Total

410 min

Servings

Difficulty

Hard

Beef short ribs are the showpiece of any BBQ competition. These thick, meaty bones are smoked until the meat is tender enough to bite cleanly through, with a deep mahogany bark and rich, beefy flavor. The wrapping step with butter and brown sugar creates a luscious glaze that competition judges cannot resist.

Instructions

Trim the ribs

Remove the membrane from the bone side. Trim excess hard fat but leave the fat cap — it will render during the cook. Square off any thin, floppy edges that would burn.

Season

Apply a thin layer of yellow mustard as a binder. Mix all rub ingredients and apply a heavy coating. Let the ribs sit at room temp for 45 minutes while you set up the smoker.

Smoke phase

Set smoker to 250°F with a mix of oak and cherry wood. Place ribs meat side up and smoke for 3-4 hours, spritzing with apple cider vinegar every 45 minutes after the first 2 hours. The bark should be dark and firm.

Wrap

Lay out a double layer of foil. Place butter slices and brown sugar on the foil. Set the ribs meat side down on top and wrap tightly. Return to smoker.

Pro tip: Wrapping meat side down in butter and brown sugar creates the competition-style glaze that sets these apart.

Cook to tenderness

Continue cooking at 275°F for 1.5-2 hours until a probe slides into the meat with very little resistance. Internal temperature should be around 200-205°F.

Glaze and rest

Unwrap the ribs, brush lightly with BBQ sauce, and return to the smoker unwrapped for 15 minutes to set the glaze. Rest for 30 minutes before cutting between the bones to serve.