Basic Beef Ribs, Great Ribs Courtesy of the Brother

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disco

Epic Pitmaster
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Oct 31, 2012
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Canadian Rockies
My brother was coming to visit. He knows I have difficulty getting some cuts of meat here in the mountains. Fortunately, he lives in Northern Alberta. Even more fortunately, my brother is generous and brought me several varieties of beef ribs, a full packer brisket, and a large piece of side pork to make breakfast. All this meat came from Love's Meats in Vegreville, Alberta. 

As soon as I opened the box, you could tell this was high quality beef. The ribs had a nice layering of fat but lots of meat on them. The brisket is a thing of beauty. Great brother, huh!

The only downside is my brother and his lovely wife don't care for very spicy food so I would have to do a smoke that was not too highly seasoned for them. This was not a great sacrifice when you are dealing with great beef. It has a wonderful taste of its own.

For the meal I was serving him, I chose a wonderful rack of beef ribs. I had to just stare at them for awhile. If this isn't a work of art, nothing is.


I cut the rack in two so it would fit in a pan for the way I foil. I sprinkled them with SPOG (salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder).


I put them in the pellet smoker preheated to 210 F with oak pellets.


I smoked them for 3 hours.


I put some onion, celery and carrots in a roasting pan and added 175 ml (3/4 cup) beef stock. I put the ribs in and covered them with foil and put them back in the smoker.




I smoked for an additional 2 hours.

I put the ribs back in the smoker for one hour to crisp up.


I defatted the liquid from the roasting pan and added 175 ml (3/4 cup) beef stock, 50 ml (1/4 cup) soy sauce, 50 ml (1/4 cup) red wine and 10 ml of Worcestershire sauce to the liquid in a saucepan. I brought it to a boil and made a slurry of 15 ml (1 tablespoon) cornstarch and 15 ml (1 tablespoon) cold water. I added this to the liquid and cooked until thickened and shiny.


Here are pictures of the finished ribs.




The Verdict

Really good beef isn't just well marbled and pretty, it has a rich beefy flavour just like these. The smoke added a great compliment and the SPOG didn't overpower that great flavour, just added to it. If I didn't love it here in the mountains, I would have to consider moving to Vegreville just to have access to a butcher as high quality as Love's. As it is, I may have to visit my Brother more often. Only because he is a great guy. The fact he is near a great butcher has no impact whatsoever.

Disco
 
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Your right, they are beautiful ribs and you cooked them to perfection.

Well done.
 
 
Your right, they are beautiful ribs and you cooked them to perfection.

Well done.
Thanks, Adam! However, working with a quality product like these makes getting great result pretty easy.
 
 
Gorgeous ribs Disco. I may have to take the 45min drive down the Yellowhead to Vegreville to get some of these beauties. 

Nice job!
Thanks, Duke. You should see the brisket. I am thinking it is too pretty to cook but I am sure I'll get over it.
 
Nice Job Disco!!
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They look Mighty Tasty!!
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The only way I can get nice Meaty Beef Ribs that I like is to cut my own from my Prime Ribs.

It's bad enough that they have to cut the meat right to the bones, but then they even have to cut little triangles in between the bones before they sell them to you---To me that's just Greed!!

Bear
 
 
Nice Job Disco!!
icon14.gif
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points.gif


They look Mighty Tasty!!
drool.gif


The only way I can get nice Meaty Beef Ribs that I like is to cut my own from my Prime Ribs.

It's bad enough that they have to cut the meat right to the bones, but then they even have to cut little triangles in between the bones before they sell them to you---To me that's just Greed!!

Bear
I can't argue with you, Bear. I blame a lot of the problems on mass marketing of meat in supermarkets. When I was growing up, my parents went to a local butcher who was a craftsman at his trade and had pride in producing a good product. This butcher has his own abattoir and custom cuts. I am willing to pay a bit more for good quality meat that has been well prepared. Selling bones trimmed to the max is greed and a lack of pride. No good butcher would want to attach his name to a product like that.
 
Those ribs look fantastic, Disco!

Nice and meaty, and you did a great job cooking them!

Point!

Al
 
Those ribs look fantastic, Disco!

Nice and meaty, and you did a great job cooking them!

Point!

Al
Thanks, Al. I had a favourite Chinese restaurant in Vancouver when I lived there. I asked the owner why their food was always a touch above the competition. She said they would only use fresh market vegetables and the best meats they could find in making their dishes. She was right. Good quality ingredients make good food easy.

Thanks for the point!

Disco
 
Looks fantastic disco! You can send your brother to my house anytime!

Beef ribs and SPOG one of my favorite smokes!

Points!
 
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Very nice bones Disco. Point! B
Thanks, Brian. I appreciate the points.
Looks fantastic disco! You can send your brother to my house anytime!

Beef ribs and SPOG one of my favorite smokes!

Points!
Thanks, Case. I have to admit, I like a little spice on my beef ribs but I may be wrong as these were awfully good.

I'd be careful, my brother loves Oregon (as do I). If he reads this, you could be in jeopardy of a visit.

Disco
 
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