Tender Slow-Grilled Beef Ribs - The Spruce Eats

• These beef ribs turn out tender and flavorful using an easy, no-fuss grilling method.
• A simple marinade with garlic, thyme, red wine, and soy sauce adds deep flavor to the meat.
• You can finish the ribs with barbecue sauce in the last 15 minutes if you want extra flavor.

Although not as popular as pork ribs, beef ribs are a great alternative and cook similarly to a rack of pork ribs. The secret to mouthwatering beef ribs is to cook them low and slow over indirect heat; this not only makes them tender and very flavorful, but it helps prevent them from drying out.

What Kind of Beef Ribs to Use

There are two cuts of beef ribs: back ribs and short ribs. For this recipe, you want to use back ribs, as short ribs (with the bone) benefit from a different cooking method, such as braising. As a bonus, back ribs are also less expensive.

What's the Difference Between Beef Back Ribs and Short Ribs?

These two parts of the cow cook very differently from each other. The back ribs remain when the boneless rib-eye steaks and roasts are removed, so they will taste very much like steak. They cook similarly to a rack of pork ribs.

The short rib is from a part of the cow's ribs called the plate, which makes up only about 13 percent of the entire rack of ribs. It does have more meat than the back ribs and is, therefore, a more expensive cut. Short ribs benefit from a cooking method that includes some kind of liquid; if you want to grill them, it is best to buy boneless.

No Fussy Tricks—It's All in the Marinade

A good marinade will help create fall-off-the-bone meat, and this very simple one adds flavor from garlic, thyme, red wine, and soy sauce. Some people wonder if you need to boil ribs before grilling, wrap them in foil during grilling, or follow other barbecue rib-related tips, but none of these steps are necessary for this easy and effective recipe.

Tips for Making Beef Ribs Recipe

• Beef back ribs are what's left after the butcher removes a ribeye roast or steaks from the bones, so there is some meat in between the ribs, but not a lot. Plan on about 1 1/2 pounds per person (adult).
• If your beef back ribs are still connected, you should remove the membrane from the underside of the rack. Start a corner with a knife and use a paper towel to grip the loose corner. The membrane should peel off easily.
• If you don't see beef ribs in the meat section of your supermarket, ask the butcher, who may have a rack of frozen or fresh beef ribs that can be cut up.
• When grilling, use a drip pan under the grill grates to prevent flare-ups because beef ribs have a lot of fat that will burn quickly. Keep an eye on the ribs and move them around the grill if flare-ups occur.
• When marinating, a large zip-top plastic bag is a great alternative to a baking dish. Just be sure to place the bag on a rimmed baking sheet or in a bowl in case the bag leaks. Move the ribs around in the bag every hour or so to make sure all of them get some time in the marinade.

What You'll Need to Make This Grilled Beef Ribs Recipe A Big Baking Dish A Great Grill An Accurate Meat Thermometer

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