Published July 1, 2004.
When developing our barbecued beef ribs recipe, we wondered what to do with the fatty membrane that runs along the backside of the beef ribs. As it turned out, we achieved the best results—the juiciest meat with the most flavor—through the simplest means: leaving the fat in place, to baste the ribs as they cooked. We determined that the ideal cooking temperature for our beef ribs recipe was a range of 250 to 300 degrees and the ideal time was about 2 1/2 hours, which caused some, but not all, of the fat to render, making the ribs juicy, tender, and slightly toothy.
It is important to use beef ribs with a decent amount of meat, not bony scraps; otherwise, the
rewards of making this recipe are few. Because the ribs cook slowly and for an extended
period of time, charcoal briquettes, not hardwood charcoal (which burns hot and fast), make
a better fuel. That said, do not use Match Light charcoal, which contains lighter fluid for easy
ignition. For the wood chunks, use any type of wood but mesquite, which can have an
overpowering smokiness. It's a good idea to monitor the grill heat; if you don't own a reliable
grill thermometer, insert an instant-read thermometer into the lid vent to spot-check the
temperature. Except when adding coals, do not lift the grill lid, which will allow both smoke
and heat to escape. When barbecuing, we prefer to use a Weber 22-inch kettle grill.
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