Description
Big, meaty beef ribs, seasoned with salt and pepper and spun on the rotisserie over medium heat with a little hickory smoke until they have a crisp, browned crust.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds beef ribs
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 fist-sized chunk of smoking wood (preferably hickory)
Instructions
- Season the ribs: 2 to 4 hours before cooking, sprinkle the ribs evenly with the salt and pepper, and refrigerate. 1 hour before cooking, take the ribs out of the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature, and put the wood chunk in water to soak.
- Spit the ribs: Weave the ribs onto the rotisserie spit, poking the spit through the meat every two bones and alternating sides.
- Prepare the grill: Set up your grill for rotisserie cooking on indirect medium heat, with a drip pan in the middle. On a charcoal kettle, light a chimney starter half full of charcoal, and when the coals are covered with ash, pour them into two equal piles on either side of the drip pan. Put the wood chunk on one of the piles.
- Cook the ribs: Put the spit on the grill, start the rotisserie spinning, and cook with the lid closed for about 1 1/2 hours, until the ribs are well browned and the meat has pulled back about 1/2 inch from the ends of the bones. Keep the grill at about 300°F to 350°F; on charcoal, add 8 coals to each pile after the first hour.
- Rest and serve: Remove the ribs from the grill, and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut between the bones, and serve.
Notes
Equipment: A grill with a rotisserie (I use a Weber kettle with the Weber kettle rotisserie) and a 9x12 inch aluminum foil drip pan. I use a Weber chimney starter to light the charcoal.
See my rotisserie basic technique for more about setting up the grill.
Beef ribs are huge - my kids call them dinosaur ribs. Plan on about 3 ribs per person.
Look for meaty ribs, with the bones mostly covered. Avoid "shiners" - ribs with the meat trimmed down to the bone.
If your ribs come in two smaller slabs, a short slab may not weave onto the spit. Secure it with one of the rotisserie forks instead.
Dry rub barbecue ribs: Season the ribs with barbecue rub along with the salt, and sprinkle with a little more rub when they come off the grill.
Wet barbecue ribs: Season with barbecue rub, baste the ribs with barbecue sauce for the last 10 minutes of cooking, and baste again when they come off the grill.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Dry brine: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes