Name: Texas-Style Smoked Beef Ribs
Total time: 7 h 45 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons kosher salt; 3 tablespoons pepper; 2 (4- to 5-pound) racks beef plate ribs , 1 to 1½ inches of meat on top of bone, trimmed; 5 (3-inch) wood chunks; 1 (13 by 9-inch) disposable aluminum pan

Why This Recipe Works

The best versions of these massive Texas-style smoked beef ribs have a dark, peppery crust and a pink smoke ring surrounding succulently tender beef. We were inspired to create our own recipe in the test kitchen after trying them at Desert Oak Barbecue in El Paso, Texas (read about our visit here). We started with a special order at the butcher, requesting two racks of beef plate ribs, each with 1 to 1½ inches of meat on top of the bone to ensure they wouldn't shrivel down during cooking. To smoke them on a charcoal grill, we used a grill setup called a charcoal snake. This C-shaped array of smoldering briquettes provided low, slow, domino-like indirect heat to the meat for upwards of 6 hours. Arranging five wood chunks on top of the charcoal snake provided steady smoke to infuse the meat with flavor. Cooking the ribs all the way to 210 degrees ensured ultratender, juicy beef.

Before You Begin

We developed this recipe using a 22-inch Weber Kettle charcoal grill. We call for beef plate ribs here; you may need to special-order these. We recommend reading the entire recipe before starting.

Instructions

Combine salt and pepper in bowl, then sprinkle ribs all over with salt-pepper mixture.

Open bottom vent completely. Set up charcoal snake: Arrange 60 briquettes, 2 briquettes wide, around perimeter of grill, overlapping slightly so briquettes are touching, leaving 8-inch gap between ends of snake. Place second layer of 60 briquettes, also 2 briquettes wide, on top of first. (Completed snake should be 2 briquettes wide by 2 briquettes high.)

Starting 4 inches from 1 end of snake, evenly space wood chunks on top of snake. Place disposable pan in center of grill so short end of pan faces gap in snake. Fill disposable pan with 4 cups water. Light chimney starter filled with 15 briquettes (pile briquettes on 1 side of chimney to make them easier to ignite). When coals are partially covered with ash, pour over 1 end of snake. (Make sure lit coals touch only 1 end of snake.)

Set cooking grate in place. Clean and oil cooking grate. Position ribs next to each other on cooking grate, bone side down, crosswise over disposable pan and gap in snake (they will be off-center; this is OK). Cover grill, position lid vent over gap in snake, and open lid vent completely. Cook undisturbed until rack of ribs overhanging gap in snake registers 210 degrees in meatiest portion, 5½ to 6¼ hours.

Transfer ribs to carving board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 30 minutes. Cut ribs between bones and serve.