Smoked Beef Back Ribs

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I’ve been on a major beef kick lately. I love the flavor that comes out of beef with a simple rub and some time in the smoker. One of the cuts that really tastes great after taking on smoke, is beef back ribs. In this post, I’m going to share how to cook beef back ribs on a smoker and share a simple smoked beef back ribs recipe.

What Are Beef Back Ribs?

In my post about Smoked Beef Chuck Ribs, I broke down the differences between Beef Back Ribs, Beef Chuck Ribs, and Beef Plate Ribs. In a perfect world, I’d eat Beef Plate Ribs every day. I’d also be wealthy enough to purchase beef plate ribs every day…

By the way, another reason I like beef ribs, and any type of rib for that matter, is because they are great for a tailgate party. I’m super competitive, and love playing tailgating games! Some of my favorite tailgating games are cornhole, and ladder toss. When I was younger I might have included beer pong in this list, but I’m a “responsible” adult now.

One of the reasons that I really like beef back ribs is the price! Beef Back Ribs don’t typically have a lot of meat on them, and you can get them for a steal at the grocery store.

How to Prepare Beef Back Ribs

Preparing this smoked beef back ribs recipe is really easy.

The first step to prepare beef back ribs is to remove the silver skin on the underside of the rack. In my experience, the silver skin on beef ribs is a little more difficult to remove than the silver skin on pork ribs. Use the back side of a butter knife to help peel the skin back, and then use a paper towel to grab the skin and peel it away. After you’ve removed the silver skin rub both sides of the ribs with olive oil. I use olive oil as a binding agent for my rub, but some people use mustard or avocado oil. I don’t think the type of binding agent you use makes a difference. Some people may think otherwise.

Applying the Rub to Beef Back Ribs

Once you’ve applied the binding agent generously apply your rub. Be sure to get the rub on both sides of the rack. Most of the meat on beef back ribs is between the bones. Make sure those parts of the rack are thoroughly covered by the rub.

You can get as fancy as you want with the rub, but my go to is a Salt, Pepper, Garlic, and Coffee rub that I make at home. I also really like all of Traeger’s rubs. Traeger’s Big Game Rub has a great flavor that compliments beef nicely.

How To Cook Beef Back Ribs on a Smoker

Cooking beef back ribs on a smoker is easy, as long as you have a good meat thermometer. There are two options I recommend; if you cook a lot of food, or you just want the best, the Thermapen MK4 is the way to go. If you just want a thermometer that does what it’s supposed to and is easy to use, the Thermopop is the one you need. I smoke beef back ribs at 225 degrees. It should take about 6 hours in total to cook the ribs, but checking the temp of the meat is crucial as you get close to the end of the cook.

After 4 hours I start checking the temp of the meat in between the bones. Then check the temp again each hour until you’re close. The ribs are ready to rest when they get to 200 degrees. Wrap them with foil and throw them in a good cooler for twenty minutes, and then dig in!