Boneless Barbeque Beef Short Ribs: A Recipe for All Seasons

Few foods are more satisfying than Beef Short Ribs. When properly prepared, each bite is rich on the palate and delivers a complex, pronounced flavor.

Our appetite for them never seems to tire although our sources tend to be seasonal. We order them all year-long when dining out, but only prepare them ourselves in cooler weather. This is largely due to the amount of cooking time required.

Short Ribs are considered a tough cut of meat. They require long exposure to low temperatures to make them tender. Braising is our preferred method. The moist heat breaks down the connective tissue and collagen that makes them tough.  “When the temperature drops outside, the Short Ribs go on inside. When the mercury hovers around ninety-nine, reservations are made for us to dine.”

This long-standing rule was dashed last week when I came upon perfect specimens of boneless Beef Short Ribs at Delicious Orchards, our local farm market extraordinaire. They called out to me from the refrigerator case as I passed by. I had to stop and take notice. They looked too good to pass up. But did I really want to turn the stove on for hours in the late summer heat?

Then I remembered reading an article in the July 2012 issue of Bon Appetit Magazine.   It described a barbeque technique for Pork ribs that stuck in my memory. The recipe applied a spice rub to the ribs, wrapped them in Aluminum foil and precooked them in a moderately hot oven before finishing them on a grill.

No liquid of any kind was added beforehand. At first the ribs were roasted during the precooking process, then braised once moisture collected inside the aluminum foil wrapping.

The ribs could be precooked in advance and kept in the refrigerator.  All that was needed before service was a brief sear on the grill and a slather of barbeque sauce

The simplicity of the preparation was intriguing. Instinct told me the technique would work well with Beef Short Ribs, so into the basket went the objects of my desire.

I precooked the ribs early the next day to avoid having the oven add to the late afternoon heat.   The grill was fired up right before dinner time. Approximately ten minutes of grill time was needed to finish the dish.

The final results exceeded my expectations. The meat was mouth-watering tender. The grill added a smoky flavor element and the texture of caramelized proteins that are so appealing with good barbecue.

Now when the mercury hovers around ninety-nine, cooking short ribs is just fine.

Adapted from the July 2012 issue of Bon Appetit Magazine

Ingredients –

• 1 Tbs Kosher salt
• 1 ½ Tsp Dry Mustard
• 1 ½ Paprika
• 1 Tbs Chili Powder
• ¼ Tsp Ground Black Pepper
• 1, 2 lb boneless Short Rib
• 1 Cup bottled barbeque Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well.

Coat the Short Rib evenly with the spice mixture.

Wrap the Short Rib in a double layer of aluminum foil. Poke a small hole in the top to allow steam to vent. Set the wrapped Short Rib in a roasting pan and place in oven.

Cook for approximately two hours and fifteen minutes until the meat can be easily pierced with a small knife or tines of a fork.

Unwrap the short rib over the roasting pan to collect any jus that has accumulated.  Pour jus into a small bowl , de-grease and remove any sediment that may have accumulated. There should be about ½ a cup. Cover and set aside for later use.

Re-wrap Short Rib in a fresh piece of aluminum foil and set aside to cool.

Note: The Short Rib can be precooked a couple of days in advance and finished on the grill right before being served. Refrigerate both short rib and the accumulated jus until just before you plan to serve them.

Remove Short rib and jus from refrigerator and allow both to come to room temperature before grilling.

Preheat grill.

Add jus from Short Rib to barbeque sauce. Stir to combine.

Remove Short rib from aluminum foil. Coat lightly with Olive Oil.  

Place rib on grill and Sear each side until caramelized grill marks appear. Coat each side with the barbeque sauce/meat jus mixture until the entire rib is nicely glazed.

Remove from grill and let stand a few moments before serving.

Enjoy!