These Texas smoked beef short ribs are beautifully tender and packed with rich beefy flavor. They only need minimal prep before throwing on the smoker, and are easily one of my favorite meats to smoke.

For me, beef short rib is right up there with brisket for elite-level barbecue meat. There aren’t many meats that are as satisfying to bite into as a piece of beef rib. They’re big, rich, and loaded with flavor. Containing beautiful layers of fat and marbling running through the meat, they’re perfect for low and slow barbecue.

Best of all, unlike brisket, beef short ribs are great for beginners to barbecue. The fat and marbling running through them means that the beef does a lot of work for you by creating flavor. They’re also extremely forgiving. So, as long as you have a good amount of time on your side, these are pretty simple to rustle up.

Beef Short Ribs Explained

Beef short ribs come from the rib plate of the steer, typically found on the lower section towards the belly. This is ideal because it means that we get the perfect combination of meat and fat, all in one big slab of ribs.

They’re called ‘short ribs’ not because of their size or length, but rather because they come from the short plate. This is just behind the brisket, so it’s no surprise to see the generous amount of meat that comes on top of the bones, often delivering a couple of inches of thickness.

But it’s not just about quantity of meat; it’s also about quality. The marbling and connective tissue that runs through the meat delivers a rich, beefy flavor that is best delivered with low and slow barbecue smoking. As the ribs cook over the course of hours, this fat slowly renders and the collagen breaks down, giving you tender, juicy meat with an incredible mouthfeel.

When buying short ribs for smoking, look out for cuts labeled as ‘plate short ribs’ or ‘beef plate ribs’. These come from the lower end of the rib, and will give you the most amount of meat on them. You want about 2 inches of meat on the ribs, and meat that looks well-marbled.

Meat Prep

One of the things that makes beef short ribs so easy is that they don’t need a lot of trimming prior to smoking. Most 3-4 bone cuts will already have been trimmed by the butcher. However, it’s always worth giving them a quick once-over to remove any excess fat that could get in the way of smoke absorption and bark formation.

Place the beef with the rib bones facing down on a kitchen counter. Using a sharp knife, cut away any loose bits or flaps of fat on the meat surface, just to make the ribs look a little ‘neater’.

Beyond that, you don’t need to do too much. If you want the ribs to carry a little less fat, then lightly trim some of the fat layer sitting on top of the ribs. That said, don’t trim all of it. You want some fat (at least ¼ inch) to remain intact to help deliver flavor and moisture. Whatever you decide, try to keep the layer an even thickness across the surface. If one end is thicker than the other, then it may cook unevenly.

On the other side of the ribs, you’ll see a thick membrane covering the bone side of the meat. This is also often referred to as the silverskin. With other types of ribs (particularly pork), you often need to remove this, however when it comes to beef you don’t need to remove this. It doesn’t really get in the way of flavor, plus it helps keep the ribs maintain their shape over the course of the cook. If this is your first time smoking beef ribs, I’d suggest keeping it on.

After you’re done, use paper towels to wipe off any loose scraps of fat and dry the surface. Now we’re ready to season.

Quick Tips

Go for Seasoned Oak: I try not to go too granular with wood choices because I don’t want to overcomplicate things, but given the long cook time here, I feel it worth mentioning. Use seasoned, dry oak wood splits over the course of your smoke.
Let the Meat Sit: I like to prepare and season the meat before preheating my smoker because it gives the meat a bit of time to soak in the salt from the dry rub, effectively creating a dry brine, while allowing it to come to room temperature will help it cook evenly and quickly (well, relatively quickly for barbecue!)
Resist Wrapping: Unlike brisket, beef short ribs usually don’t need to be wrapped during cooking. Their thick bones help them stay moist, and carry heat enough to help them push through any potential of ‘The Stall’ (a point where the internal temperature temporarily stops rising).
Rest, Rest, Rest: Like with any smoked meat cut, these will need to rest for a while before serving. Wrap them in butcher paper and let them slowly come down to about 140-150°F (60-65°C) before slicing to serve. This will help them keep their shape, while staying juicy and flavorful.