Take your BBQ game to the next level with this recipe for the Yoder Smokers Loaded Wichita Offset Smoker. Delight your taste buds with fall-off-the-bone smoked beef short ribs, cooked simply and perfectly every time.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Mustard as the binder before seasoning: Slathering the ribs in mustard first gives the salt and pepper something tacky to cling to, so the seasoning stays put through hours in the smoker instead of falling off.
- Skipping seasoning on the bone side: Leaving the bone side bare isn't a shortcut that hurts the result — the membrane there blocks seasoning from penetrating anyway, so there's no flavor lost by skipping it.
- Spinning the ribs partway through the cook: Rotating the rack after 3-4 hours evens out browning across the whole rack, since one side otherwise sits closer to the heat source the entire time.
- Judging doneness by probe resistance, not just temperature: Checking that the thermometer slides in with little to no resistance confirms the connective tissue has actually broken down, rather than relying on a number alone that could still leave the ribs tough.
Easy Smoked Beef Short Ribs
Tom Jackson
Rated 4.7 stars by 3 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
8
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
7 hours
Calories
414
Chef Tom fires up the Yoder Smokers Loaded Wichita Offset Smoker for Easy Smoked Beef Short Ribs that are impressively simple and incredibly tasty!
Ingredients
-
1 rack Creekstone Farms Prime Beef Chuck Short Ribs
-
2-3 tbsp Kozlik’s Market Mustard
-
1/4 cup Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Sea Salt
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6 tbsp Jacobsen Salt Co. Tellicherry Black Peppercorns, fresh ground
Directions
- Light a chimney of lump charcoal in the fire box of the Yoder Smokers Loaded Wichita Offset Smoker. Dump the hot charcoal in the back half of the fire box. Add a couple of splits of oak wood to the charcoal bed, and stabilize the temperature at 275ºF-300ºF.
- Slather the beef ribs in mustard. Combine the salt and pepper. Season the ribs generously. Seasoning the bone side of the ribs is optional. The seasoning will not penetrate the membrane, so it’s not necessary to season the bone side.
- Place the ribs in the smoker. Smoke for about 3-4 hours, then spin the ribs to brown/cook evenly. Continue cooking until the ribs are fully cooked.
The internal temperature should be above 203ºF, and there should be little to no resistance when probing with a thermometer. Remove the ribs from the smoker and wrap in paper or foil, then rest in a warm place for 30-60 minutes before slicing.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why slather the ribs in mustard before seasoning?
Mustard gives the salt and pepper something tacky to grip, so the seasoning stays on through several hours in the smoker instead of falling off as the ribs render fat and shrink.
Why skip seasoning on the bone side of the ribs?
The membrane on that side blocks seasoning from penetrating into the meat, so skipping it doesn't cost any flavor — it's just seasoning that would otherwise sit uselessly on the membrane.
Why spin the ribs partway through the cook?
Rotating the rack after 3-4 hours evens out browning across the whole rack. Without spinning, whichever side faces the fire the entire time would brown more than the other.
Why judge doneness by probe resistance instead of just hitting a target temperature?
Checking that a thermometer slides in with little to no resistance confirms the connective tissue has actually broken down. A rib could technically hit 203°F and still feel tough if the collagen hasn't fully rendered.
What internal temperature should the short ribs actually reach?
This recipe pulls them above 203°F, well past the USDA minimum of 145°F for whole-muscle beef. That higher target is what breaks down the tough connective tissue in short ribs, not a food safety requirement — safety-wise, they clear the bar much earlier in the cook.
Why rest the ribs wrapped for 30-60 minutes before slicing?
Resting lets the rendered fat and juices redistribute through the meat, so slicing doesn't send them running out immediately onto the cutting board.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
1 out of 5 — this is a multi-hour offset smoker cook built around oak wood and charcoal smoke. An oven can render the ribs tender, but you'll lose the bark and smoke flavor that define this dish.
Recipe Highlights
Mustard binder: Holds the seasoning in place through a long smoke.
Bone-side skip: No flavor lost by leaving the membrane-covered side bare.
Mid-cook spin: Evens out browning across the whole rack.
Probe-resistance test: Confirms tenderness beyond what temperature alone can tell you.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 6.15 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 414
- Carbs
- grams
- Protein
- 25 grams
- Fat
- 34 grams
- Sodium
- 306 milligrams
