A super easy, foolproof way to cook short ribs of beef – simmer in the oven with a braising liquid of homemade BBQ sauce until the meat falls apart and is deliciously juicy inside, browned and chewy on the inside. ‘outside. Also known as ribs, this is a popular cut for slow cooking!
Bonus: It’s all in one pan, it’s perfectly prepared and 100% freezable, and makes your own barbecue sauce (which could be the best you’ll ever eat!).
Slow cooked BBQ Beef Ribs
Beef short ribs are the king of all slow-cooked beef (and my red wine short ribs, of course). They are juicier than brisket and brisket (there will always be lean spots, that’s how the cut is). The beef cheek was close, but the rib had one big thing the cheek didn’t:
THE BONE.
I don’t know what meat falling apart on the bone means, but it hits me every time. Therefore, I am collecting more and more lamb shank recipes.
And ribs. Looks like I’ve switched to prime ribs now!
If you are new to prime rib this is a great way to introduce it into your life and I bet it will become a regular. The sweet and salty taste of the BBQ sauce complements the meaty side of the ribs.
This is actually a foolproof recipe – just make sure it’s cooked long enough for the beef to come out like this:
BBQ Beef Ribs Rub
That’s the friction you need. There are many possible replacements, so don’t worry if you don’t have everything:
BEEF RIBS
There are many cuts of beef ribs, but I use the most common cut (in Australia), also known as short ribs. It is a thick rectangular block, cut with individual bones, and very meaty.
They are about 30% smaller, so try to buy larger meats. But if you can only get the small ~250g/8oz, that’s fine!
RACK: Sometimes you will see steaks as ribs.
They usually have less meat on them. They also work great in this recipe – see recipe card for instructions. However, make sure you don’t use vacuum-packed racks of ribs – they are brined and will be too salty (read the ingredients, if it’s anything other than beef it’s brined, ie i.e. infused with salt).
Other Beef Cuts: Beef cheeks and beef cuts (cut into baseball-sized pieces) work well here. For the beef brisket, use the BBQ Brisket recipe.
Other Meats: For ribs use this recipe and for chicken use this recipe.
Ruble Substitutes:
- Brown sugar – sub white
- Garlic powder – 1 tsp minced garlic (using press) per 1 tsp powder
- Onion powder – garlic powder
- Mustard powder – dijon or standard mustard
Garlic 4 Standard mustard 4 pcs rong or 4 garlic 4 standard mustard or mustard, then rub these wet ingredients first before pressing them into a dry rub.
Beef Ribs braising liquid / homemade BBQ sauce
Here’s what you need for a homemade BBQ sauce that doubles as a braising liquid for the beef ribs (so it absorbs the flavors as it simmers, so we don’t need to marinate these ribs) : marinate these ribs):
- Ketchup is the main aromatic base of homemade barbecue sauce. You’ll find it in all of my BBQ sauce flavored recipes, including this (easy!) Midweek Roast Chicken, BBQ Ribs, Pulled Pork in BBQ Sauce, and Stewed Breast in BBQ Sauce. Served with Aussie tomato sauce – almost as good;
- Apple cider vinegar – chicken wings with homemade BBQ sauce. Add white wine vinegar, sherry or champagne vinegar or 1/3 cup plain white vinegar;
- Brown Sugar – Barbecue sauce is sweet.
If you don’t like sweets, you can reduce the quantity. - Garlic – I like to use fresh, but powder is also good;
- Onion powder – garlic powder;
- Mustard Powder – replaces Dijon or regular yellow mustard (not the hot English mustard! unless you want to heat it up!)
- Worcestershire Sauce – salt element. Soy sauce (only or light) is an acceptable substitute (does not make it an Asian sauce);
- Cayenne – warm buzz. It’s not too spicy. If you are concerned about this, start with a small amount and then you can adjust as you finish. If keeping warm, start with the recipe amount and add the hot sauce at the end.
How to make BBQ Beef Ribs
It’s super easy – it all goes in the pan and you cook it slowly in a moderate oven until the meat is slightly falling apart. It really is foolproof as there is a huge window before the meat starts to dry out from overcooking – I left it out for 1.5 hours too long and it was still juicy! It’s so easy – it all goes in the pan and you slowly cook it in a moderate oven until the meat is slightly falling apart. It’s super easy because there’s a huge window before the meat starts to dry out from overcooking – I leave it out 1½ hours too long and it’s still juicy!
PRO TIP: Make in advance
If you’re a beginner or worried about the cooking time of a scheduled meal (re: does beef take longer to tenderize), do it earlier in the day or even the night before…or the day before ! As with all slow-cooked foods (eg stews, shanks), flavor improves over time and reheating is easy.
This makes for a great dinner option! It borders on the very posh, upscale restaurant style – I’ve provided some fine dining type options below, not the hearty, finger-licking types pictured here (coleslaw and steamed corn, BBQ sides classics)
Here’s a look at the homemade barbecue sauce you end up with in the pot. The beauty of this cooking method is that the juices from the ribs are mixed into the sauce, so you’re doing it with the ultimate beef stock that money can’t buy!
Grilling option!
In the recipe video, I do it entirely in the oven, including the final caramelization. But if it’s warmer, I’ll finish it on the grill! I have included cooking instructions in the recipe.
What to serve with BBQ Beef Ribs
As promised, I’ll serve my steak a variety of ways – rustic finger-licking grill style or elegant gourmet restaurant style (yes, steak is definitely on gourmet restaurant menus, at the cost of juicy properties, as it can be gracefully mashed ):
RUSTIC FINGER LICKIN’ GOOD BARBECUE SIDES
I don’t know what it is about sides with mayo based dressings, but they just go so well with anything glazed with barbecue sauce!
Whichever way you go, it will be a hit. I know it, you know it!
