How to Cook Beef Plate Ribs

Beef plate ribs are one of my favorite proteins to cook on the smoker. They have all the delicious beef flavor of a brisket, but the cook time is a bit shorter. Let’s talk about how to cook them!

What are Beef Plate Ribs

First, let’s talk about what beef plate ribs are. They are the thickest and meatiest ribs from the cow. You may have heard these ribs go by different names such as “Dino ribs”, “plate ribs”, and “plate short ribs” just to name a few.

Plate ribs are cut from the short plate primal section; this is the lower belly of the cow above the flank. These beef ribs are meaty, beefy, and they have some incredible marbling! They are a fantastic beef plate ribs option for low and slow cooking on the smoker!

What Should You Season Beef Plate Ribs With

When preparing to cook beef plate ribs, you have many seasoning options to choose from.

If you are a minimalist, you only need two ingredients: Salt and Pepper. This is the BBQ seasoning that many pitmasters prefer. 16 mesh pepper will attract the smoke and produce the bark, and the salt will dry brine the meat. This is an amazing flavor combination for almost any cut of beef!

Now, I like to use Butcher BBQ Steak and Brisket Rub. This rub is a little different than the traditional Texas Style BBQ. Butcher BBQ Steak and Brisket Rub was inspired by Texas brisket with a bit of a twist - some sugar, for a touch of sweetness, and lemon pepper for a twist!

Lemon Pepper on Beef Ribs

You might be thinking, “Lemon pepper on beef ribs?” and if not, you are now! Hang with me. I thought the same thing, but when I first tried it, the ribs were delicious!

My wife is not a fan of beef ribs, until I used Butcher BBQ Brisket and Steak Rub. The first time I used the rub, I told her this was a different recipe and I think she will like it. The rest is history!

So if your wife is not a fan of Texas style beef ribs, this BBQ rub could be a winner for you as well!

Let’s Get to Cooking

Ok, I know, let’s get back to how to cook beef plate ribs.

Now, beef ribs don’t require a lot of trimming. Remove any pieces that are hanging off that are thin. These are parts of the ribs that will burn up during the cook.

Dust your ribs evenly with Butcher BBQ Steak and Brisket Rub. Then press the rub into the meat and let them sit in the fridge. I let mine rest for an hour with the rub on while I fire up the smoker.

What Temp to Cook Beef Ribs

The preferred method to cook beef plate ribs is “low and slow”. I shoot for a grate temp of 225°F and not going over 250°F.

Why Low and Slow

Beef plate ribs are meaty and thick! They have a lot of intramuscular fat, and the meat is pretty tough when raw.

You want to slow smoke the ribs until they hit an internal temp of 165–170°F. This gives the meat time to absorb the smoke and form bark! The internal temp varies depending on if the rub has set and how the bark looks.

I have had times where I go upwards of 175–180°F before I wrap ribs because the rub has yet to set.

You will want to wrap these monster ribs as tight as you can in butcher paper. Put them back on the pit and let them continue to cook until the internal temp hits 200–205°F.

Temperature is somewhat irrelevant at this point because you want that “knife in hot butter” feeling. Take a probe thermometer or toothpick and probe your beef ribs. You want very little to no resistance when probing the ribs.

With my most recent cook, the internal temperature was 207°F before I pulled them to rest.

Let the Beef Plate Ribs Rest

Now the rest begins! Your beef ribs have been cooking for several hours and they need to rest for 30–60 minutes. This is an essential part of the process, as the meat cools it will absorb some of the juices around the meat.

Pro tip – I like to wrap my ribs in aluminum foil and place them in a cooler. The addition of the aluminum foil around the butcher paper helps to keep all the juices contained for easier cleanup.

In Conclusion

So there you have it—now you know how to cook beef plate ribs. It’s very easy; it just takes some preparation and a little patience. These beef ribs cooked in roughly 6 and a half hours.

Butcher BBQ Steak and Brisket Rub did a great job with the bark and my family loved them!

We put together a YouTube video showing the cooking process from start to finish!

Now it’s your turn. You have the knowledge, get the tools, and let’s get to cooking!

Also, please post a comment below and let us know how your cook turned out! We love to hear from our customers!