Beef short ribs are one of those cuts that really reward patience. Cooked right, you get plenty of meat, deep beefy flavor, serious bark and a texture that almost falls apart when you cut into it.
This is the real low and slow. You need time, steady indirect heat and good smoke. Above all I like oak and pecan for beef, since they give a clear BBQ character without getting too aggressive.
One important update from the original recipe: you don’t have to chase an exact finishing time or just stare at the internal temperature. Short ribs are done when they’re probe tender – the thermometer should slide in with very little resistance.
What Are Beef Short Ribs?
Beef short ribs are meaty beef ribs. They contain a lot of connective tissue, fat and collagen, which makes them perfect for slow cooking.
In Swedish butchery and stores they can look quite different depending on where on the rib section they were taken from and how much meat was left on. Look for well-marbled pieces with a good layer of meat on top of the bones.
If you want to understand the difference between American and Swedish cut names, see our guide to American cuts and their Swedish names.
Recipe: Beef Short Ribs: Low and Slow with Oak or Pecan Smoke
Ingredients
What You Need
For the Rub
Prepare the Short Ribs
Start by trimming off loose surface fat and any silverskin on the meat side. You don’t need to trim aggressively – fat and connective tissue are part of what makes this cut so good for a long cook.
On the bone side there is sometimes a heavy membrane. If it comes off easily you can remove it, but on beef ribs it is often a lot thicker and tougher than on pork ribs. So I always prioritize trimming the meat side properly, and treat the membrane on the bone side as secondary.
Mix the rub and cover the meat well. Let the spices settle in while the grill stabilizes.
Set Up the Grill for Low and Slow
Cook with indirect heat and aim for about 230–257°F in the grill. The original recipe ran at around 212°F, but I think 230–257°F gives good control without dragging out the cook unnecessarily.
On a kettle grill, the snake method works very well. If you want to brush up on the basics of indirect grilling, see our guide to grilling methods.
Smoke Wood for Beef Short Ribs
Here I want a more pronounced smoke flavor than for, say, fish or chicken. Oak and pecan work very well.
Hickory works too, but I’m more careful with the amount since it’s stronger. What matters is still clean, thin smoke – not constant white smoke.
If you want to compare woods in more detail, see our full guide to smoke wood.
How to Cook Beef Short Ribs
- Stabilize the grill at around 230–257°F with indirect heat.
- Place the short ribs bone side down, meat side up.
- Add a small amount of oak or pecan and let the meat take smoke during the first part of the cook.
- Let the bark build without opening the grill unnecessarily.
- Once the bark has the color you want, you can carry on without a wrap or wrap the meat in butcher paper or foil.
- Start checking for tenderness once the internal temperature has passed about 194°F.
- Take the meat off when the probe slides in with very little resistance, often somewhere around 198–205°F.
- Let the meat rest properly before serving.
Should You Wrap?
It’s optional.
Without a wrap you normally get the best bark, but the cook can take longer.
Butcher paper helps the meat through the stall and preserves the bark better than foil.
Foil is faster but softens the bark more.
I only wrap once the bark is already set. That way you don’t sacrifice too much of the surface just to save time.
When Are Beef Short Ribs Done?
The original recipe said 198–203°F, which is still a good guideline. But just like with brisket and pulled pork, tenderness matters more than the number.
Start feeling with a thin probe at around 194–198°F. When it slides in almost like into soft butter between the meat fibers, the ribs are done.
That can happen at 198°F. It can happen at 205°F. Two pieces are never identical.
How Long Does It Take?
Count on about 7–10 hours for a proper slab, but don’t treat the time as the answer. Thickness, starting temperature, how steady your grill is and whether you wrap all make a big difference.
Plan to finish early rather than late. Short ribs handle a proper rest much better than stress at the end.
Rest the Short Ribs
When the meat is done, I let it rest for at least 45–60 minutes. For a big slab, a longer rest works fine as long as the meat is kept warm in a safe way.
What I wouldn’t do is automatically wrap the meat in a towel and put it in a cooler without keeping an eye on the temperature. If the meat is going to be held for a long time, you need to keep it properly hot.
Serving
Beef short ribs don’t need much help. When they’re cooked right, you already have smoke, bark, fat and plenty of beefy flavor.
Cut between the bones and serve as they are, or with something sharp and fresh on the side – pickled onion, coleslaw or a simple vinegar salad, for example.
The Short Version
- 230–257°F indirect heat
- oak or pecan as smoke wood
- build bark first
- wrapping is optional
- start checking for tenderness around 194–198°F
- often done around 198–205°F
- probe tender matters more than an exact temperature
- rest properly before serving
Beef short ribs are not fast food. But done right, they’re among the best things you can put on a smoker.
