Beef ribs are a delicious and flavorful cut of meat that can be the star of any barbecue or dinner. When cooked properly, beef ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender and packed with bold, meaty flavor. However, preparing beef ribs does require some technique to get them just right. This ultimate guide will teach you everything you need to know to cook succulent, restaurant-quality beef ribs at home.
Choosing the Right Cut of Beef Ribs
There are a few different cuts of beef ribs to choose from:
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Back Ribs – This is the most popular cut for beef ribs. They contain a good amount of meat and fat marbling The ribs are attached to a long length of backbone
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Short Ribs – Short ribs contain less meat than back ribs but are very flavorful. They are cut across the bone into short segments.
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Dinosaur or Brontosaurus Ribs – These huge ribs come from the primal rib section. They contain the most meat but are harder to find.
For oven or grill cooking, look for racks of back ribs around 5-6 pounds each containing at least 8 ribs Choose ribs with good marbling and meat distribution along the bones The bones should be pearly white, not yellowish.
Prepping the Ribs
Properly preparing the ribs before cooking is crucial for making them tender:
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Remove the membrane – Ribs have a thin, papery membrane on the backside that can get rubbery when cooked. Use a knife to loosen it then pull it off with a paper towel.
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Season generously – A spice rub adds tons of flavor. Use a homemade blend or store-bought rib rub. Coat the ribs all over and let sit for at least an hour before cooking.
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Marinate (optional) – For extra flavor marinate the seasoned ribs overnight in the fridge. Use an oil-based marinade or something acidic like wine vinegar, or citrus juice which helps tenderize.
Choosing Oven or Grill
You can cook beef ribs to tender perfection either in the oven or on the grill:
Oven Method
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Preheat oven to 225-250°F.
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Wrap each rack tightly in foil and place on a baking sheet.
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Cook for 3-4 hours until tender, checking occasionally.
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Unwrap, brush with BBQ sauce and broil to finish.
Grill Method
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Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for low, indirect heat around 225-250°F.
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Place ribs over indirect heat, away from direct flame.
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Cook with the grill lid closed for 3-4 hours, adding wood chunks for smoke flavor.
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Move over direct heat to char and caramelize the sauce.
BBQ Sauce Options
Painting the ribs with sauce before serving adds delicious sticky glaze:
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Use a bold, tomato-based barbecue sauce. Sweet and tangy flavors complement beef.
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For variety, use specialty sauces like Korean BBQ, coffee molasses, or spicy chipotle.
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Make your own homemade BBQ sauce. Simmer ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, garlic, and spices.
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For convenience, use a high-quality store-bought brand. Sweet Baby Ray’s is a popular choice.
Serving Suggestions
Complete your barbecue feast with classic sides:
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Baked beans, corn on the cob, or cornbread are perfect matches.
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Cool, creamy coleslaw or potato salad balance the rich ribs.
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Grilled vegetables like zucchini and squash add color.
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Mac and cheese or garlic mashed potatoes make indulgent additions.
With this complete guide, you’ll be able to cook incredible oven-baked or grilled beef ribs to share with family and friends. Mastering this barbecue staple is easier than you think!
Need delicious side dish ideas for these beef ribs?? Check them out here!
That girl gets on my nerves sometimes!! LOL Gotta love her!! I think we use to hate making the beef ribs because we really didn’t have a tried and true recipe to work off of.
Yes, I have another oven-baked beef rib recipe on my site but I grew tired of that one. It was a little too saucy and time-consuming. Not to mention, it wasn’t doing the best job at making my husband do the “pretend booty slap dance” after he ate them. Which is what he does when I make something amazing.
I wanted an oven-baked beef rib recipe that was simple, easy, and made the best beef ribs consistently. Well, I decided to do what any girl does when she needs a tried and true recipe to wow ’em, I called grandma!!!
Ms. Barbara never disappoints honey. She made my hubby and me some oven-baked BBQ beef ribs when we went to visit (yes she cooks a full spread for ANYBODY who tells her they are coming over. Like seriously. She is insanely sweet like that) and he raved about how good they were. I love when my food makes my man happy so I was determined to recreate my grandma’s ribs for him.
Well, guess what happened? My husband liked this oven-baked BBQ rib recipe better than Grandma Barbs!! The only thing I did differently was added more spices to the rib spice rub recipe. I think this kicked up the taste of the BBQ sauce and even helped to tenderize them a little more.
Now I ONLY make this oven beef rib recipe and after you try it, you may never make it any other way either. Hubby says I’m not allowed to experiment with other recipes because these beef ribs took him on a journey somewhere and he couldn’t stop eating them. He seriously almost ate the entire pan. I won’t lie, they are amazing! Juicy, fall off the bone tender, well- seasoned, perfectly saucy, and sticky! Everything I look for in a good oven-baked BBQ beef rib.
Ok, enough blabbering about these doggone beef ribs. Go make them for your man. For your wife. For yourself. For your kids. Somebody! Just make them. And devour them one by one until you push back from the table totally stuffed. I may or may not have done that. I served these oven-baked BBQ beef ribs with sweet corn, steamed broccoli, garlic Texas toast, and cinnamon mashed sweet potatoes…and of course sweet ice tea!
Watch Me Make These Oven Baked BBQ Beef Ribs From Start To Finish!
For some reason, it never fails that my sister and I get stuck making the beef ribs for family functions. Maybe it’s because we make really great oven-baked beef ribs. Truth be told, we have no clue what we’re doing and our oven-baked ribs are, use to be really hit or miss.
Here’s how the conversation would go. My sister calls me up:
Sister: Mama wants you to make beef ribs for {insert any occasion}.
Me: No she doesn’t. You know good and well she asked you to make them.
Sister: Yes, but I don’t want to. So, I’ll buy them and let you make them ok.
Me: Umm…no ma’am!
Sister: Ok I’ll drop them off.
Me: Shon don’t bring those ribs over here, seriously! I’m not even at home. (total lie)
Sister: Ok then I’ll just leave them by the door m-kay. Byeee. Thanks boo!!!!!! (and she hangs up before I have a chance to respond)
Cook the Perfect Juicy Beef Ribs Every Time | Dino Ribs
FAQ
What is the best cooking method for ribs?
Rib meat is fairly tough, and it needs a long time to break down and become tender. The oven is actually an ideal environment for this kind of slow and steady cooking. Lifting the ribs above the baking sheet on a rack also lets the heat circulate on all sides. After a few hours, the meat is juicy and tender.
How should rib of beef be cooked?
… an initial 20 minute blast on a high heat (220℃) and then 20 minutes per 500g for medium, 15 minutes per 500g for medium-rare, and 10-15 minutes for rare, …
How long do you cook beef ribs in the oven for?
Preheat oven to 160°C (140°fan-forced). Bring ribs to room temperature. Cover with foil and roast for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until tender.
How long does it take for beef ribs to be tender?
Put ribs back in at 250 degrees and set a timer for approx 2 hours. Take cookie sheet out and pull back one corner of the foil (careful of the steam!). Poke a fork at one of the ribs — the meat should easily come off the bone.
How do you cook a beef rib?
Mix in the mustard and 2 teaspoons of salt. Wipe the meat with damp kitchen paper and rub with the mustard mix. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan that’s large enough to take the rib of beef. Add the beef and quickly sear until lightly browned on all sides.
How long do you cook ribs?
Place the pieces in a foil pan with a little sauce and more rub and cook it for an hour or two longer and you end up with something that is is nice and crispy on the outside while soft, delicious and amazingly delectable on the inside. Try this and you’ll be saying, “ Burnt ends.. where have you been all my life!
How do you cook cheap beef back ribs?
This is what you need: cheap beef back ribs and your favorite BBQ sauce. This is what you do: Stick the beef ribs in the oven. Wait. Put some BBQ sauce on there. Wait a little longer. Eat. It doesn’t get any simpler than that. The worst part is cutting the ribs apart if you buy a rack and waiting while they cool before you start devouring them.