Smoked Beef Short Ribs finished with a Red Wine Braise are truly the ultimate beef short ribs (and one of my favorite meals ever)! Comes with wine pairing recommendations.
This recipe has dinner party or holiday meal written all over it!
Beef Short Ribs are my ultimate comfort food. This is *the* single cut that turned me from a vegetarian into a meat-lover. When done right it’s super tender and full of incredible beefy flavor and a rich butter-like texture.
What it comes down to for a memorable meal is technique and starting with high quality beef. We start with Snake River Farms beef, season them liberally with a simple rub, and then follow the technique below for the best results. It’s the technique and amazing marbling from beef short ribs that’s going to give you that melt-in-your-mouth buttery texture that I love about a slow cooked smoked beef short rib.
Types of Beef Ribs
Most commonly you will see beef short ribs and back ribs. Beef short ribs are also synonymous with plate ribs. The 13 beef ribs that extend from the spine would fall under the back ribs, and extending downward. The beef plate, or beef short ribs, will come from the lower portion of the ribs (similar to spareribs on a pig).
You can see our full plate rib recipe here.
How to Buy Beef Short Ribs
- Marbling: When buying beef short ribs, look for marbling throughout. At the minimum look for USDA choice. We proudly use Snake River Farms for American Wagyu and Double R Ranch beef for USDA prime.
- Size Matters: Make sure the bone length is consistent, like three or four inches AND the height. You will often see various sizes of height, and those will all cook at different times. To avoid an overcooking experience, tell your butcher that you want a specific length on the bone (roughly 3 inches) and that they all have uniform height. Consistency in size will ensure that they will all cook the same.
- Make sure they are SHORT ribs, not beef chuck back ribs! These are two different areas from the cow. You want “short ribs” for this.
How to Trim and Prepare Smoked Beef Short Ribs
Trim: Use a sharp knife to remove that silver skin membrane at the top of the rib. (Not the bone side) This is not fat. The silver skin is a tough membrane that should be removed. This does not remove flavor, it removes a tough membrane that is not pleasant to eat. A good short rib will have plenty of marbling throughout the cut.
This exposes the marbling and allows your rub to connect directly with the meat, and not fat or the silver skin. It also allows smoke to get at that meat easier than trying to work through the silver skin.
How to Season Short Ribs
With any meat, I add some kind of slather or liquid. This allows my rub to stick. In this case, I go simple with extra virgin olive oil and make sure I coat all sides of the beef rib. I then follow that with a generous amount of dry rub.
I love the natural beef flavor, so I stick with an equal mix of kosher salt and pepper in order to let the flavor of the meat shine. But if you have a favorite beef rub, feel free to use that instead. And be generous when applying the rub because as your meat cooks, it sweats out and you can lose some of that flavor. So don’t be shy.
We make a larger amount of rub in this recipe and if you don’t use it all, simply store the rest for the next beef cook.
How to Smoke Beef Short Ribs
We follow a simple method for smoking beef short ribs in the smaller cuts.
- Smoke – Smoking uncovered for a period of time to add the flavor.
- Spritz – Adding a liquid spray to coat the meat and allow extra liquid for the smoke to adhere to.
- Braise – Adding smoked short ribs into a liquid braise, or bath, to continue to infuse more flavor and render the meat to the desired finished temperature.
- Rest – Allowing short ribs to rest, off the heat, in order to allow the meat to slightly cool and maintain the tender texture.
- Smoking adds the initial smoked flavor to the short ribs as the smoke and lower temperature add flavor and start to cook out the intramuscular fat.
2. Spritz: Then spritz during the smoke process to add flavor and give the good smoke something to adhere to. You can use whatever liquid you like for this. For this recipe we’re going with savory flavors with red wine, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce in equal parts.
3. Braise (or wrap in liquid): In a baking dish (or foil pan), add wine, more broth, salt and pepper, and butter, and cover the dish. This adds extra flavor into the meat and finishes rendering out that fat.
4. Finish and Rest: Pull and rest the smoked beef short ribs once your meat thermometer slides into the meat like warm butter, it’s usually between 200 and 205 degrees F. We like a digital thermometer like this one. Here it is important to focus on the texture, not timing. As frustrating as it can be, the rendering is the most important step, so be sure to focus on how it feels when that thermometer probe eases into the meat.
Rest for 15 minutes allowing the juices to redistribute, then eat.
Best Charcoal and Wood For Beef
We use lump charcoal for all of our cooks. Lump charcoal has a more natural wood smoke flavor to it and has large chunks.
For wood, cherry is great for short ribs for color and a sweeter smoke flavor. Oak works well too.
- If using a pellet smoker like a MAK Two-Star General consider a blend of 60% cherry to 40% oak.
- For offset smokers, try starting the cook with lump charcoal and wood, then use logs or chunks for the remainder of the cook.
- For a Big Green Egg – mixing the lump charcoal and wood chunks works great and you won’t need to refill through this cook.
Beef Short Ribs Video
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Wine Pairing
The texture of Smoked Beef Short Ribs is so soft and tender with that amazing infusion. Much of the fat has rendered out, but what you are left with is juicy, melt-in-your-mouth meat. We also let the meat braise in that wine for awhile, picking up some of those concentrated rich and savory flavors. I’m looking for a red wine that has a somewhat rich and velvety texture, with medium to low tannins and deep fruity flavors (not ripe or overly sweet). I want something full-bodied, but not overly intense, and I want some acid to refresh the palate.
I like Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for this. Rich and bold, but not overly tannic, with deep blackberry, black cherry, and blueberry fruit, pepper, vanilla, and toasty notes. It really works well with the richness of the meat. The wine and meat are perfectly in tune and balanced with each other.
Smoked Beef Short Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 pounds short ribs
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup rub your favorite beef rub, or the one below
Beef Rub
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- ¼ cup coarse black pepper
Spritz
- ⅓ cup beef broth
- ⅓ cup dry red wine
- ⅓ cup Worcestershire sauce
For the Braising Liquid
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon rub (from above: salt and pepper combination)
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat smoker to 225 degrees with fruit wood.
- Trim silver skin off short ribs, coat with olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper (depending on the size of your short ribs you may or may not use all of the dry rub. Just make sure it’s applied liberally based on the size of your meat).
- Place short ribs on the smoker for two hours and prepare your spritz.
- After two hours begin spritzing ribs every 30 minutes for one to two hours. Look for the meat pulling back off the bone and a good mahogany color as the indicator it is ready for the braise.
- When the color looks good and meat is pulling back from the bone (internal temp of roughly 165 degrees F or 3 to 4 hours on smoke), add to an aluminum pan. In the pan add the braising ingredients: wine, beef broth, dry rub (or salt and pepper), and butter. Cover tightly with foil and put back into the smoker.
- After one hour, use a meat thermometer to probe short ribs, the ribs are done when you can insert the thermometer and the feel is like inserting into butter. There should not be much resistance, if it’s not like butter it is not quite done yet, and keep cooking until it is. Could be up to two hours in the braise.
- After you have determined it’s done (roughly 200 – 205 degrees Fahrenheit), remove from smoker and let sit covered for 15 minutes.
- Remove from bath and serve with your favorite side and a glass of delicious red wine.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post was first published in June of 2017, and updated in June of 2020 with additional process photos and recipe specifics in terms of time on the smoker.
*This post contains affiliate links for Snake River Farms and the ThermoWorks Mk4 Digital Thermometer. We only recommend products we use and love! And all of the products mentioned above are those we use regularly.
If you like this recipe we’d truly appreciate it if you would give this recipe a star review! And if you share any of your pics on Instagram use the hashtag #vindulge. We LOVE to see it when you cook our recipes.
Amanda says
These short ribs came out amazing! Thank you for the great recipe. These will be a staple in our household. We made a gravy out of the braising liquid with a cauliflower mash and roasted asparagus!
Sean Martin says
What a great idea to make the gravy. I bet that was delicious! Thanks for taking the time to drop a comment.
Roger says
I have been a BBQ enthusiast for awhile and just recently tried your short rib recipe using my brisket seasoning They turned out great! Doing a special Christmas Eve family dinner serving the short ribs smoked in my PBC smoker. I am also a fan of using wine! Thank you
Mary says
Roger, Thanks so much for your response! I’m so glad you enjoyed the short ribs (they’re my all time favorite cut!). I hope you have a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner with your family 🙂
Cheers, Mary
Kory Sorensen says
What kind of wine do you use?
Mary says
You can use any dry red wine you like. I suggest Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, or something along those lines (fruity but dry).
Kory Sorensen says
Thank you.
Jeremiah says
Simply amazing! I made this last year and it’s time to make them again.
Nai says
Do you think you could reduce the beading liquid on the stove after the ribs are cooked to use as a sauce?
Sean Martin says
Yes, absolutely. I would reduce the liquid in half and consider adding a thickening agent like a slurry (part flour and beef stock).
Chris W says
I usually don’t post comments on websites, but this one deserves a comment. I followed the directions exactly. Seasoned with salt and pepper only. Smoker set to 225, 2 hours on, then 2 hours with the mop sauce every 30 to 45 minutes, then 2 hours in the pan sealed to braise. They were done perfectly. These things were AMAZING. I wish I could post pictures for you. They look very close to yours. Well written recipe…you made it easy to follow. Thanks so much for sharing!!!
Sean Martin says
Chris, thank you so much for taking time to make a comment! We love it and appreciate the feedback, something tells me you may make these again!!
michael L Hayes says
I have looked everywhere and cannot find the video you say accompanies this recipe? Where is it.
Sean Martin says
Michael, perhaps you have an ad blocker on? The video should be embedded into the bottom of the post, if you still can’t see it let us know and we can find another way to get it to you.
David Saenger says
This has become one of my staples. I’ve made it several times for the last 2 years and it is absolutely my favorite. My only problem is the amount of time it takes to finish. It really takes about 9 hours. The recipe seems to suggest 6-7. This has caused some frustration.
Sean Martin says
Dave first, thanks so much for the feedback, and thanks for your experience regarding the time. We can update the post to reflect a number of factors including the type of meat you may be using (Select, Choice, Prime, Wagyo, Pasture raised) will absolutely impact timing and adjust as needed.
Elliot Fisch says
Made this last week and found there to be way too much salt and pepper. Love the method, but think I’ll change to a different seasoning (I make my own rubs).
Sean Martin says
Thanks for the feedback, we definitely like savory around here and the type of salt, even the type of kosher salt variations will change the flavor. Best part is next time you’ll be able to add your own rub!
Laurie says
Planning to make this over the weekend but the weather may not be cooperative. Have you ever tried smoking the ribs ahead of time and then braising later?
Sean Martin says
Laurie, we have not smoked in advance but the fat content should make that work just fine. In fact when we eat leftovers (yes we have them on occasion) it still tastes just as good. Let us know how it turns out and we can update the blog!
Laurie says
Making for company and decided to brave the rain and make the recipe as written. Thank you so much for the quick reply though!
Mary says
No problem! We live in the Pacific Northwest, so we totally get the rain part! Cheers to pushing through!!!
Anthony R Willemain says
Do you have a recipe for the parsnip and celery root puree?
Mary says
Not yet! But we’re working on one.
Laura L. Aubuchon says
a little liquid smoke in the braising liquid might give it a more smoky flavor
Mary says
That’s definitely a taste preference. We find we get plenty of natural smoke flavor from the cooking process. But if you want more you can always add that. We just don’t enjoy the flavor of liquid smoke, so we try to attain that flavor from the smoking process. 🙂
Alan says
Going to try your red wine braised smoked short ribs later this week. Just curious, – the wine that you mentioned – is that what you used in your braids or is that what you paired to drink with the meal??
Mary says
Alan, for that recipe yes, that’s what we used because that is what we had on hand. But you can use any rich red wine that you would otherwise plan on drinking. Avoid “cooking wines”.
Corey says
What smoker are you using? It looks like a Yoder but I’m not sure.
Mary says
Yes, you are correct. It’s a Yoder Chisholm.
Blair says
What are you putting the ribs on(whitish in my browser) when you serve them?
Mary says
Good question. We like to serve them over a puree (parsnip puree, celery root puree, or similar). Mashed potatoes would work well too. Just something to soak up the juices from the meat and wine sauce. Risotto would also work nicely. You honestly don’t need anything, but if you were looking to round out the dish, then something to soak up the liquid would be my recommendation.
Mike says
Hi Mary,
I’m a little confused about the comment to make sure you use short ribs and not beef ribs. I thought that short ribs are beef ribs which are cut from either the chuck or plate? Please clarify. Thanks!!
Mary says
Mike, we use the term beef short ribs as many of our readers are grabbing from a butcher counter those pre cut plate ribs versus going with the entire plate. You could use the full plate and get the same outcome. Thanks for the comment!
Les C. from woodland ca. says
After smoking what is your opinion on doing the braise in the oven?
Mary says
Very doable. We keep it on smoker as we have the wood burning, but you won’t get smoke through the foil. So you can definitely finish in oven.
Rob says
I tried this recipe this weekend and it was amazing. Thank you for posting! One question about the braise – in your video the liquid barely covers the bones but in many braise recipes the liquid covers most or all of the meat. Can you comment on if you have tried with more liquid?
Mary says
We don’t find it’s necessary for this particular recipe. This is because it’s smoked for so long that that aids in tenderizing the meat. When it is in the braise we do flip the meat so that each side gets some of that additional liquid braise.
If we weren’t smoking it first for so long, and instead doing it traditionally in a large stock pot, we would cover most or all of the meat like you see in most other recipes.
Jim says
I’ve never tried making short ribs before, but saw this recipe and just had to try it. We used this recipe for Father’s day, and they were incredible. I came back to here, because I’m working this weekend to incorporate these ribs and flavor into a chili for a chili cook-off at the end of October. Let the testing begin.
Mary says
OMG I have to think a short rib chili will be amazing, we’d love to hear your recipe or at least the main star ingredients…cause we don’t want you to give away any award winning secrets :), send photos on Facebook!
Joann says
This looks fabulous! What kind of Wood did you use, and once the ribs are wrapped do you need to continue using wood chips?
Mary says
Joann, we use fruit wood. Predominantly cherry or apple, and yes you can wrap and use just charcoal. No need for wood at that point.
Ashlee Cutrer says
I wish I had a smoker or even a grill! Is there an alternative to cooking these in the oven at all ?
Mary says
Ashlee, first, consider getting a weber kettle grill. Even a smaller size, you can smoke and then put into your oven at an affordable price. But if you can’t or don’t have the facilities to do this, you can slowly braise the short ribs in the sauce. Technique is a little different as you would brown them in a dutch oven and then put liquid and simmer in the oven. Lot’s of option there too online. But maybe check out the Weber kettle!
Michelle says
Is there some other liquid besides the red wine that you can suggest to go with the broth and Worcester?
Mary says
You could just go extra on the broth if you wanted, and season it until you like the flavor. You could also add just a little juice if you wanted it a little fruity and sweet (like apple juice or other).
Jim says
Looks good!!! I have a vertical (water) smoker. Do you think I’d still need to spritz, we just keep a rich liquid in the water bowl
Mary says
Jim,
If you find that the moisture and humidity in your water smoker is sufficient, then no, we don’t think you need to spritz.
CASSANDRA says
I WOULD LOVE TO TRY THIS RECIPE AND MANY MORE
Jill BARTH says
Short ribs are one thing I just can’t turn down. This looks incredible and I love the clear directions. Cheers!
Craig says
Quick question – do you have the bath in the smoker during the initial smoke phase? My smoker (Masterbuilt electric) has a water pan to keep the humidity up during a typical smoke. I figured I would just put in a foil pan with the bath liquid in instead.
Mary says
Craig we don’t. We add the batch after the food is smoked. One item we are careful with is cross contamination….with raw meat cooking, that juice we avoid dripping into anything (or splattering) into liquid becoming a health issue. If your water pan is separate from meat, you could totally try that, but just be careful of cross contamination.
Lauren Walsh says
Excellent tutorial on the ribs. I’m going to put it to the test! Looks delicious!
Mary says
That’s awesome to hear! Please report back when you make them 🙂
jeff says
As always, your short ribs look great. I can see the wine was perfect with the ribs. Since diving more deeply into low & slow, I’ve found those big flavored lush American wines are often the best pairing, even though they’re typically not my normal favorites in other circumstances. Congrats on the viral video, amazing!
Mary says
Totally agree! I’m not one to drink lush wines on their own, BUT with the right pairing, heck yes!!!
Nancy|PullThatCork says
Wow, these ribs look amazing. Bet they just melt in your mouth. Lovely wine paring.
Mary says
Thanks so much 🙂
Pech says
Droool so much beautiful meat in this post – great point about making sure you get consistent meat from the butcher so it all cooks well
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says
When that first picture finished loading my first thought was immediately “Holy sh*t!” Because it looks SO delicious and this is my DREAM dish! I love short ribs and usually braise in a slow cooker with a rich red wine but smoked looks event better. Seriously your posts, and this one in particular, REALLY make me want to invest in a smoker someday soon.
Mary says
Awe thanks so much 🙂 When you’re finally ready to take the leap let me know! We can walk you through all of your options so you can find the best one for you and your family 🙂
John says
I just use a smoker box from Weber or elsewhere. Works with my gas grill beautifully. It’s my new favorite way to cook.
Betty says
Can you tell me how you can do this in a slow cooker, love short ribs soooo yummy, loved this recipe used in this, but know we are in a garden home and have no place to have a smoker, deck is very small, have a bbq on it but have a slow cooker, nothing any better than ribs. Thanks, if you have the time.
Mary says
Betty, you can definitely do this on a slow cooker. It won’t have the smoke flavor, but I would start by seasoning the short ribs. Then get a sear on them in a dutch oven or pan so you have a crust or bark. Then I would place into the slow cooker with your liquids, taking care to modify the liquids so the ribs are relatively covered. You could add a touch of BBQ sauce that may add a touch of the BBQ flavor, but if you are doing the wine braise, I wouldn’t. Just sear, place in slow cooker, add liquid and slow cook until fork tender. Hope that helps!
Bill Volckening says
That looks amazing. I think I know what’s for dinner Friday night.