Beef ribs can be intimidating to cook at home. Getting them fall-off-the-bone tender without drying them out seems like an impossible feat. But with the right technique, it’s easy to achieve fork-tender beef ribs every time.
In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn all the tricks from preparing the meat to choosing the cooking method for making incredibly tender beef ribs. Follow these simple steps, and you’ll be biting into juicy, succulent ribs in no time.
Why Proper Cooking is Key for Tenderness
Tough, chewy ribs are nobody’s idea of a good meal. The connective tissues in beef ribs must break down during cooking for the meat to become tender. When cooked too fast at high heat, the ribs get dry and stringy.
Low, slow cooking gives connective tissues time to dissolve into gelatin. This tenderizes the meat, leaving it moist and literally falling off the bone. Tenderizing techniques before cooking help speed up this process.
Prep Ribs for Maximum Tenderness
Getting beef ribs ready to cook is an important first step for tenderness, Here’s how to prep ribs like a pro
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Remove membrane – That papery layer on the back of the ribs needs to go. Use a knife to loosen it, then pull it off with your fingers.
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Trim excess fat – Leave a thin layer of fat for moisture Slice off any large chunks that may prevent smoke absorption
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Season overnight – Rubbing ribs with spices and letting them rest overnight allows seasonings to penetrate deep into the meat.
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Pierce the meat – Use a fork to poke holes all over the ribs. This creates channels for seasonings and smoke to access the interior.
Low and Slow Cooking is Vital
As you may have guessed, slow cooking is absolutely essential for tender ribs. The connective tissues need sufficient time to break down and lubricate the meat.
Cook between 225-250°F to give ribs 3-5 hours for becoming fork tender.
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Wrap in foil to trap in steam and accelerate the tenderizing process.
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Add apple juice or other liquid to the foil packet. This keeps ribs from drying out.
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Cook first wrapped, then finish unwrapped to allow the sugars to caramelize on the exterior.
Easy Tenderizing Techniques
In addition to low-temp cooking, you can use mechanical techniques to help tenderize ribs before or during cooking:
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Marinate overnight in an acidic liquid like wine, vinegar, lemon juice or yogurt. Acid works to soften meat.
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Velvet the ribs by tossing in a slurry of cornstarch and water before cooking. This seals in moisture.
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Tenderize with a mallet – Gently pound the ribs before cooking to break down tough connective tissues. Don’t overdo it.
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Sear then simmer – Browning forms a flavorful crust. Follow with gentle simmering in broth for up to 3 hours until fork tender.
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Use a pressure cooker – The intense pressure ruptures collagen bonds in record time, cutting cook time to 1 hour.
Best Cooking Methods for Tender Ribs
The cooking technique you use can make or break the tenderness of beef ribs. Here are some excellent options:
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Oven – Bake low and slow at 225-250°F, wrapped in foil. The steam works its magic.
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Smoker – Nothing beats real wood smoke flavor. Cook indirect heat at 225-250°F for maximum tenderness.
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Grill – Go low and indirect around 250°F. Add soaked wood chips to infuse smokey taste.
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Instant Pot – Pressure cook ribs for 1 hour with seasoning and broth for fall-apart texture.
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Slow cooker – Chuck ribs in a crockpot with sauce and cook on low 8+ hours until meat shreds easily.
Know When Ribs Are Perfectly Tender
Don’t risk drying out your ribs by overcooking. Check for these signs of perfect tenderness:
- Meat pulls cleanly away from the bone when twisted with tongs
- Meat starts to split visibly between ribs
- Juices run clear when poked with a fork
- Meat shreds easily when poked
- Bone loosens in socket when rack is picked up
Enjoy Succulent, Juicy Beef Ribs
After all that, it’s time to dig in! Slice ribs between bones and serve with tangy barbecue sauce, buttery mashed potatoes, mac and cheese or crispy fries.
With the right prep and cooking method, you can enjoy restaurant-quality beef ribs without ever leaving home. Just remember to start with the membrane removed, cook low and slow, and use a few mechanical tenderizing tricks.
In 3-5 hours, your patience will be rewarded with the most succulent, juicy, fall-apart ribs worthy of any barbecue joint.
Follow these tips for melt-in-your-mouth tender beef ribs every time!
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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)
How to make the perfect Smoked Beef Ribs with LesBBQ
FAQ
What is the best way to tenderize beef ribs?
The best way to maximize tenderness and juiciness is to braise your ribs, which means cook them in a liquid. This liquid needs to be salty to not draw the juices out of the ribs through osmosis. The liquid has to not be too salty though, or else it will end up salting the meat more than you want.
How do you make ribs more tender?
Bake low and slow: Baking the ribs at a low temperature for a longer period of time is a fool-proof method for tender ribs. Preheat your oven to 275°F (135°C) and bake the ribs, covered, for 2 1⁄2 to 3 1⁄2 hours. This slow cooking allows the meat to become tender and juicy (1).
How to cook tender beef ribs?
- Gather all ingredients. …
- Season ribs with salt and pepper. …
- Heat olive oil and butter in a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium-high heat. …
- Add onion and garlic to the pot; cook and stir until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. …
- Cover and simmer over low heat until ribs are very tender, about 2 hours. …
- Serve and enjoy!
Do beef ribs get more tender the longer you cook them?
