These Smoked Beef Short Ribs are so good you are going to want to make them for everyone you know! They are tender and juicy, and the smoky flavor they have is unbelievable. Not only are these fantastic ribs smoked, but they are braised as well. This recipe really is the best of both worlds when it comes to beef short ribs! 

Looking for some other ideas for your smoker? These Italian Marinated Smoked Steaks using a New York Strip cut are off-the-chart delicious and are ready in about an hour! Or maybe you are looking for something from a Smokehouse menu like these incredible Beef Brisket Burnt Ends!

Beef short ribs are such a special treat! I love smoking and braising them when I have the time! Although if you are “short” on time (see what I did there, LOL), this Instant pot recipe for braised beef short ribs is amazing too!

WHAT KIND OF MEAT ARE SHORT RIBS

What kind of meat is braised short ribs? Short ribs are beef which is a more expensive cut from the chuck, plate, rib, or brisket section of a cow. They are meatier than other rib varieties. They turn out amazing because of their tenderness when you smoke them first and then braise them.

What Do you need to make Smoked Beef short ribs?

Smoking beef short ribs

Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F. I like to use apple or cherry wood (or a mixture of both) for these beef short ribs. If your short ribs still have the membrane attached to the back of the ribs, I suggest you remove it. It is tough to bite through and doesn’t soften when you cook the ribs. Use a paper towel to grip the membrane and use a steady pressure pull to remove it.

In addition, I like to also trim off any excess fat. Short ribs are inherently fatty, but sometimes there is a little too much for my liking. Use your judgment; you may not need to trim your ribs at all. 

Coat the ribs with olive oil and then apply a good coat of Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Place the ribs into the smoker directly on the grate and smoke for 3 hours.

Mix the apple juice and apple cider vinegar in a food-safe spray bottle. You are going to want to spritz the ribs every half hour while they are smoking.

While the ribs are smoking, prepare the braising liquid. Mix together the red wine, beef broth, diced onion, balsamic vinegar, butter, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, brown sugar, rosemary, and thyme.

Whisk together in a bowl until the brown sugar has dissolved. Set aside until the ribs have finished smoking for 3 hours.

Braising your Beef short ribs

After 3 hours in the smoker, it’s time to finish the beef short ribs in the braising liquid. Remove the ribs from the smoker and place them in a shallow metal pan or a disposable foil pan.

Pour the braising liquid over the ribs. Cover the pan tightly with foil and return the ribs to the smoker. Continue to cook the ribs for an additional 3 – 4 hours at 225 degrees F.

Cook the ribs until they have an internal temperature of 203 – 205 degrees F using an instant-read thermometer. If the meat feels a little rubbery, it’s not quite done. You want the meat just about but not quite falling off the bone.

The thermometer should slide into the meat like you are inserting it into a jar of smooth peanut butter. Or room temperature butter.

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I always use my trusty Thermapen One instant-read thermometer for an accurate and quick read of internal temperature.

Once done, remove the ribs from the braising liquid and place them in a casserole dish. Cover with foil and place in a warm oven (180 degrees F.) while you make the gravy.

Preparing the Gravy for Beef Short ribs

Strain the braising liquid through a fine sieve into a medium saucepan. Skim off as much of the fat from the liquid as you can. Simmer the gravy over low heat.

In a small bowl, combine the butter and flour. Add 1 Tbsp at a time to the gravy until you have the consistency you like. Taste the gravy for seasoning and add additional Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper as needed.

Serving the Smoked Beef short ribs

These smoked beef short ribs pair perfectly with mashed potatoes and just about any veggies you like. The braising liquid creates the perfect gravy! I know you are going to love the results of this recipe!

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Yield: 6 Servings

Smoked Beef Short Ribs

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These beef short ribs are smoked and braised, creating an amazing smoky flavor yet making them super tender. The beef is so juicy; one bite, and I know you will love them!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 7 hours

Total Time 7 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 pounds beef short ribs (6 – 8 large ribs)
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp Kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp fresh ground pepper

Spritz

• ½ cup apple juice
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar

Braising Liquid

• 1 cup good red wine
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 onion diced
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 6 Tbsp butter, divided
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp rosemary
• 2 tsp thyme
• 4 Tbsp flour

Instructions

1. Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F. and load with cherry or apple wood for smoking.
2. Remove the membrane from the underside of the ribs. Use a paper towel to grip the membrane and simply pull it off using steady pressure, regripping as needed.
3. Remove any excess fat from the ribs and coat the ribs all over with olive oil, then with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
4. Place the beef short ribs in the smoker and smoke for 3 hours.
5. Mix the apple juice and apple cider vinegar in a food-safe spray bottle and spritz the ribs every half hour during the first 3 hours.
6. While the ribs are in the smoker, mix the braising liquid.
7. In a large disposable or recyclable foil pan, add the red wine, beef broth, diced onions, balsamic vinegar, butter, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, brown sugar, rosemary, and thyme. Whisk to combine.
8. After 3 hours in the smoker, place the ribs into the braising liquid and cover the pan tightly with foil. Place back into the smoker and continue to cook for another 3 – 4 hours.
9. Continue to cook until the ribs reach an internal temperature of 203 -205 degrees F. You want the meat to be very tender. You don’t want it falling off the bone but almost falling off the bone. If the meat is rubbery, continue to cook it as it is not quite done. When you insert an instant-read thermometer in the meat, it should read 203 – 205 and should slide in like you are inserting it into a jar of smooth peanut butter or room-temperature butter.
10. Remove the ribs from the braising liquid and place them in a casserole dish. Cover with foil and place in a warm oven (180-degree F.) until ready to serve.
11. Strain the braising liquid through a fine sieve into a small to medium saucepan and skim off as much of the fat from the liquid as you can. (I used a gravy separator, and it works great!)
12. Simmer the gravy over low heat.
13. In a small bowl, combine the butter and flour; I started out by mixing 2 Tbsp each of butter and flour and adding that to the gravy. You can add an additional Tbsp of the butter and flour mixture into the gravy at a time until you get the consistency of the gravy that you want.
14. Taste the gravy for seasoning and add additional Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper as needed.
15. Serve the smoked short ribs over mashed potatoes spooning the gravy over the top.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 974Total Fat: 72gSaturated Fat: 31gTrans Fat: 4gUnsaturated Fat: 39gCholesterol: 257mgSodium: 2349mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 60g

Recipe calculation was provided by Nutritionix and is estimation only. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust