Smoked Beef Short Ribs with Wine Braise

beef short ribs

🥗Healthier: pork ribs

💰Cheaper: beef chuck

Pork ribs are leaner, while beef chuck is more economical.

barbecue sauce

🥗Healthier: homemade sauce

💰Cheaper: ketchup + spices

Homemade sauce can be lower in sugar, and ketchup is more affordable.

Trim the fat and silver skin off the beef short ribs.

Add extra virgin olive oil to the short ribs to help the rub stick.

Mix half salt and half coarse ground pepper and coat the short ribs with the mixture.

Prepare the smoker (Weber Smokey Mountain) and fire up some charcoal.

Add a mixture of hickory and apple wood to the smoker and preheat to about 210 degrees.

Place the beef ribs on the smoker and let them sit for about two hours.

After two hours, spritz the ribs with a mixture of Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, and red wine to keep them moist and add flavor.

Maintain the smoker temperature between 225 and 250 degrees, and check the ribs after one hour for color.

After three hours, check the temperature of the meat; it should be around 155 degrees. Wait until it hits about 165 degrees before braising.

Prepare the braising liquid with red wine, beef broth, butter, salt, and pepper, and add the leftovers from the spritz bottle.

Once the ribs reach around 170 degrees, place them in the braising liquid and cover tightly with foil.

Let the ribs braise until tender, checking tenderness after about 20 minutes.

After a little over five hours total cooking time, check the tenderness and temperature of the ribs; they should be around 200 degrees and feel tender.

Remove the ribs from the heat and let them rest.

Separate the fat from the braising liquid and reduce it in a pot to create a thicker sauce.

Plate the ribs on mashed potatoes and pour the reduced sauce over the top.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: