Hearty Beef Ribs on the Grill
Doug loves beef ribs, better than pork because of the red meat flavor. He says, “it is like your a caveman ripping the meat off a large bone.”
Grocery shopping for the weekend, I was surprised to find large beef ribs at my local Publix.
Packaged in small amounts, perfect for two people, I could not resist surprising Doug for a Friday night meal.
Back Beef Ribs
Beef ribs are from the upper, back of the cow.
Typically containing the same meat you would find from a ribeye steak.
These are rather larger (6″-8″ long). Since most ribeye steaks are sold boneless, it leaves the back rib bones available, to be sold separately.
The bones usually slightly curved, with very little meat on top and a strip of meat between them.
If the bone shows through on the rib, these are called “shiners,” a barbecue term.
Secret to these ribs
Doug usually smokes pork ribs on our Big Green Eggs; however, when we have beef ribs, we prefer them on the gas grill.
Yes, I know GAS GRILL?
Nothing wrong with using a gas grill when cooking at home and needing a quick cooking method.
For these ribs, I decided to use a soft flavor profile rub.
I really wanted the beef flavor to shine.
Prior to applying the rub, I allowed the ribs to sit on the counter for about 15 minutes, trying to bring the surface of the meat to room temperature.
I put about 4 heaping Tablespoons of rub in a separate glass container.
On each rib, I thoroughly coated with the rub.
Applying a pretty thick application, then slightly dusting off excess.
I placed all ribs in an air-tight container and placed back in the refrigerator for approximately 5-6 hours, prior to grilling.
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Cooking ribs on the grill
Remove the ribs from the refrigerator to allow them to acclimate to room temperature – which is as important here, as if you were cooking a steak:
READ MORE HERE: Acclimate for a good steak.
Prep the gas grill by turning up all burners to high to get the grill HOT!.
Once the grill is hot, turn down outer burners to high and middle burner off.
Take your olive oil damped paper towel and gently smooth oil onto grill grates.
This will prevent ribs from sticking when you sear them.
Now, place your ribs over the lit burners, meat side down.
Close grill and allow them to sear for about 1-2 minutes. Watch your grill because the ribs contain fat and could spark a flare up.
Once seared on both sides, turn burners down to medium.
Put ribs back on meat side down.
Baste on your sauce of choice to the bone side, which should be upward.
I place my sauce in a small cast iron pan, directly on the grill burner that has been turned off.
Once bone side is sauced, close lid and allow meat to cook for about 5 full minutes.
Return, turn ribs over to put meat side up.
Baste on sauce to meat side. Close lid, allow meat to grill for 5 more minutes.
Continue to turn ribs and baste one more cycle.
After final application, temp meat with a thermometer. I cooked our ribs to 130º.
Remove ribs and sauce from grill. Tent with foil and allow to rest for 7-10 minutes.
I served our beef ribs with my homemade Cole slaw. It was a crisp, fresh counter balance flavor to the rich, sauced ribs.
Those bones were picked dry! Must be delicious!
