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Illustrated placeholder of beef short ribs on a cutting board, not a photo of this recipe

Charcoal-Finished Beef Short Ribs

Bone-in short ribs braised low in the oven until tender, then finished over charcoal for smoke, bark and a sticky BBQ glaze.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ribs
  • 4-5 lb bone-in English-cut beef short ribs about 8 pieces, 2½-3 inches long
Rub
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt Diamond Crystal; use 2 teaspoons if Morton
  • 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder or ½ teaspoon cayenne for more heat
Braise
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 small onion thickly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic smashed
Glaze
  • 1/2 cup braising liquid strained and defatted, from the pan
  • 1/2 cup BBQ sauce your favorite
  • 1 tablespoon honey optional
Grill
  • 1 full chimney charcoal lump or briquettes
  • 1-2 chunks hickory, oak or cherry wood fist-sized; optional, for smoke

Method
 

In the oven
  1. Trim and season: Trim the thick fat cap down to about ¼ inch and remove any silverskin on top. Pat the ribs dry. Mix the rub and coat the ribs on all sides. For best results, refrigerate uncovered on a rack overnight (a dry brine); otherwise let them sit 30 minutes.
  2. Set up the braise: Heat the oven to 275°F. Scatter the onion and garlic in a 9x13 baking dish or roasting pan and set the ribs on top, bone side down, in a single layer. Pour the broth, Worcestershire and vinegar into the pan around (not over) the ribs. The liquid should come only about ½ inch up the sides.
  3. Braise: Cover tightly with foil and bake 3 to 3½ hours, until a probe or skewer slides into the meat like soft butter (about 200-205°F internal). The meat should be pulling back from the bone but not falling off.
  4. Make the glaze: Pour the pan juices into a fat separator or measuring cup and spoon off the fat. Simmer ½ cup of the juices with the BBQ sauce (and honey, if using) in a small saucepan for 5 minutes, until it coats a spoon.
  5. Rest: Let the ribs rest uncovered while you light the grill. Make-ahead: you can stop here, cool, and refrigerate up to 2 days. Cold ribs hold together better on the grill; give them an extra 10-15 minutes on the indirect side to warm through.
On the charcoal grill
  1. Light a two-zone fire: Light a full chimney of charcoal. When the coals are covered in gray ash, dump them all on one side of the grill. That side is the direct (hot) zone; the empty side is the indirect (cool) zone. Add the wood chunks on top of the coals. Set the lid vents over the indirect side and aim for 300-325°F on the lid thermometer.
  2. Smoke indirect: Place the ribs bone side down on the indirect side, close the lid, and cook 20-25 minutes to take on smoke and dry the surface into a bark.
  3. Glaze: Brush the tops and sides with glaze, close the lid, and cook another 5-10 minutes until it sets and turns tacky.
  4. Sear direct: Move the ribs over the coals for 1-2 minutes per side, brushing on one more coat of glaze, just until it bubbles and lightly chars at the edges. Watch closely; sugar burns fast.
  5. Serve: Rest 5 minutes, then serve whole on the bone with the remaining glaze on the side.

Notes

Doneness cues: Out of the oven, the ribs should be probe-tender (about 200-205°F) with the meat shrinking back from the bone end. Off the grill, the glaze should be set and lacquered with lightly charred edges, and the inside back up to at least 150°F (higher if you grilled them from cold).
Buying: Ask the butcher for bone-in English-cut short ribs (single bones with 2 or more inches of meat on top), not flanken-cut.
All-grill option: Skip the oven and smoke the ribs on the indirect side at 275°F for 6-8 hours (a "snake" of briquettes along one side keeps the heat steady), wrapping in butcher paper or foil around 170°F, until probe-tender. It's a full day of tending the fire, so the oven method is the easier version.
Plain Texas-style: Skip the glaze and just do the indirect smoke and a quick sear for a salt-and-pepper bark.
Leftover braising liquid makes a great gravy or a dip for French dip-style sandwiches.