Cooking Rib Of Beef On A Bbq: Tips And Tricks

how to cook rib of beef on bbq

Cooking a rib of beef on a BBQ is a great way to add flavour to your meat. The process involves cooking the beef slowly and then searing the outside to achieve the same level of doneness throughout. Before cooking, you can rub the beef with a spice mix or a paste made from oil, herbs, salt and spices. When cooking, it's important to use a reliable meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat.

shungrill

How to prepare your beef rib for the BBQ

Choose Your Beef Rib

Beef ribs are an expensive cut of meat, so it's important to choose wisely. You'll need a full-sized grill to accommodate a three-bone rib roast (5-6 pounds), and larger roasts will take up even more space. Consider the size of your grill before purchasing your beef rib.

Prepare the Meat

You can ask your butcher to trim the roast for you, or you can do it yourself. Trimming the roast involves exposing more of the meat so that seasonings and smoke can reach it. This will ensure that your meat is well-flavoured.

Make a Spice Rub

A spice rub is essential to adding flavour to your beef rib. A good starting point is a paste made with oil, herbs, salt, and spices. You can customise the spices to your taste, but make sure to use enough salt, as this is vital to bringing out the flavour of the meat.

Apply the Spice Rub

Once you've made your spice rub, apply it generously to the meat, centring it on the meat itself rather than the fat. Be gentle with the roast to keep the rub in place. Leave the rub to work its magic overnight in the fridge, wrapped in cling film.

Prepare Your Grill

Before placing the meat on the grill, ensure that the cooking grate is very clean. Place a disposable aluminium pan underneath the grate to catch the drippings, and fill it with water to prevent them from burning. Set up your grill for indirect cooking, with the heat source on either side of the meat, rather than directly underneath it.

Cook the Beef Rib

Place the beef rib on the grill, fat-side up, and cover the barbecue with the lid. Adjust the vents to control the temperature inside the grill, aiming to keep it between 160-180°C. Cook for a minimum of 2-2.5 hours, or until a thermometer pushed into the centre of the meat reads your desired level of doneness.

Rest the Meat

Once your beef rib is cooked to your liking, remove it from the barbecue and rest it, covered with foil, for 15-20 minutes. This allows the meat to relax and the juices to distribute, ensuring a juicy and tender result.

Carve and Serve

Use a sharp, long knife to slide the meat off the bone, keeping as much of the meat on the roast section as possible. Then, cut the roast into slices. Thicker cuts will be tougher, while thinner cuts will be drier, so consider your preference and audience when deciding how to cut your beef rib. Place the slices on a warmed platter and serve immediately.

shungrill

How to season your beef rib

Seasoning your beef rib is a crucial step in achieving a delicious barbecue. Here are some detailed instructions on how to season your beef rib like a pro:

Step 1: Prepare the Spice Rub

Creating a spice rub is an essential step in adding flavour to your beef rib. The type of spices you use will depend on your personal preference and the desired taste profile. For example, a Texas-style spice rub might include coriander seeds, yellow mustard seeds, black peppercorns, and demerara sugar. To make the spice rub, toast the spices in a frying pan over medium heat until they become fragrant. Be careful not to overdue it, as spices can turn bitter if burnt. Once toasted, transfer the spices to a bowl to cool, then grind them using a pestle and mortar or spice mill. You can also add other ingredients like garlic powder, salt, or sugar to enhance the flavour.

Step 2: Apply the Spice Rub

Once you have prepared your spice rub, it's time to apply it to the beef rib. Use approximately 1 tablespoon of rub for every 500 grams of meat. Massage the spice rub all over the meat, ensuring it penetrates the surface. For best results, wrap the seasoned meat in cling film or place it in a sealable plastic bag, and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. This step will allow the flavours to penetrate the meat deeply and create a delicious crust on the surface, known as "bark" in barbecue circles.

Step 3: Prepare the Meat

Take the beef rib out of the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature before cooking. This step is important as it ensures the meat cooks evenly. Depending on the size of your beef rib, this process can take up to three hours. While the meat is coming to room temperature, you can preheat your barbecue and prepare any other ingredients or sides.

Step 4: Cook the Beef Rib

When your barbecue is preheated and the meat is at room temperature, it's time to start cooking. Place the beef rib on the barbecue rack, fat-side up, over indirect heat. Close the lid and cook according to your desired doneness. For a rare cook, aim for an internal temperature of 50°C; for medium-rare, 55-60°C; and for well done, 60-70°C. Use a meat thermometer to monitor the temperature and adjust the barbecue temperature as needed.

Step 5: Rest and Serve

Once your beef rib has reached the desired internal temperature, remove it from the barbecue and let it rest. Cover the meat loosely with foil and let it rest for at least 15 minutes. This step is crucial as it allows the juices to redistribute, ensuring a juicy and tender final product. After resting, carve the meat and serve it with your choice of sides and sauces.

shungrill

How to grill your beef rib

Preparation

Firstly, you will need to decide whether you want to trim your beef rib yourself or ask your butcher to do it for you. If you want to do it yourself, you will need to trim the fat cap over the top of the roast to expose more of the meat so that seasonings and smoke can reach it. If you ask your butcher, they may remove the bones from the roast and then tie them back on, allowing you to add seasonings between the bones and the meat.

Once you have a trimmed rib, you will need to season it. The most vital ingredient is salt, but you can also use olive oil, herbs, and spices. You can rub the oil, herbs, salt, and spices into the meat to form a paste, or you can use a spice rub. If you use a spice rub, you should leave the meat to sit overnight in the fridge, wrapped in clingfilm.

Cooking

Before you start cooking, you will need to measure your grill to ensure it is big enough for your beef rib. Most full-sized grills can accommodate a three-bone rib roast, but a larger roast will take up a lot of space. You will also need to ensure your grill is clean, and you have a disposable aluminum pan to catch the drippings.

When you are ready to cook the beef rib, set up your grill for indirect cooking at a temperature of around 180 °C. Place the beef rib on the rack, fat-side up, over the drip pan, away from the direct heat, and close the lid. You will need to adjust the vents to control the temperature inside the grill.

The cooking time will depend on the size of your beef rib and how well you want it cooked. For a rare rib, you will need to cook it for around 80 minutes, for medium, around 100 minutes, and for well-done, around 120 minutes. You can also use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat. For rare, the internal temperature should be 55-60°C, for medium-rare, 50-60°C, for medium, 65-70°C, for medium-well, 70-75°C, and for well-done, 75°C.

During cooking, you will need to turn the beef rib periodically to ensure even cooking. You will also need to monitor the level of the water in the drip pan and add more water if necessary.

Resting and Carving

Once the beef rib is cooked to your liking, remove it from the grill and rest it, covered with foil, for 15-20 minutes. This will allow the meat to relax and the juices to distribute.

After resting, you can carve the beef rib. Take a sharp, long knife and slide it along the bone, keeping as much meat on the roast as possible. Then, cut the roast into slices. Thicker cuts will be tougher, and thinner cuts will be drier.

shungrill

How to smoke your beef rib

Preparation

Firstly, you will need to decide on your seasonings. A good rub will add flavour and texture to your beef rib. A Texas spice rub, for example, might include coriander seeds, mustard seeds, peppercorns, and demerara sugar. You can also add olive oil, herbs, salt, and spices to your rub. It is recommended to use roughly 1 tablespoon of rub for every 500g of meat.

Once you have decided on your rub, prepare your beef rib by trimming the fat cap. This will expose more of the meat so that your seasonings and smoke can reach it. You can ask your butcher to do this for you, or you can do it yourself.

Now, rub your chosen seasoning mix all over the meat. Leave the beef rib overnight in the fridge, wrapped in cling film or in a sealable plastic bag. This will add depth of flavour and form a good crust on the meat.

Smoking your Beef Rib

When you are ready to begin, set up your barbecue for indirect cooking. If you are using a charcoal barbecue, you will need to prepare a chimney starter of lit briquettes. Place the beef rib on the rack, fat-side up, over a drip pan, away from the direct heat.

Close the lid of the barbecue and adjust the vents. Closed vents will extinguish the fire, while fully open vents might make it too hot. You want to maintain a temperature of around 160-180°C.

Smoke the beef rib for a minimum of 2-2.5 hours, turning the meat periodically to ensure even cooking. You can check the temperature of the meat using a reliable meat thermometer. For rare beef, you are aiming for an internal temperature of 50-55°C; for medium-rare, 55-60°C; and for well-done, 60-70°C.

Resting and Serving

Once your beef rib has reached your desired level of doneness, remove it from the barbecue and rest it, covered with foil, for 15-20 minutes. This allows the meat to relax and the juices to distribute.

Finally, carve the meat and serve.

shungrill

How to carve your beef rib

Once your beef rib is cooked to your liking, remove it from the barbecue and let it rest, covered in foil, for 15 to 20 minutes.

To carve your beef rib, use a sharp, long knife and slide it along the bone, keeping as much of the meat on the roast as possible. This should be an easy cut, as the bones are smooth.

With the roast section separated from the ribs, it's time to cut into slices. Not all beef ribs are the same, so decide whether to go for thick or thin cuts. If you opt for thick cuts, each person will get a single slice, while thin cuts will allow each person to enjoy a few pieces of meat. It is important to keep in mind that thicker cuts will be tougher, and thinner cuts will be drier.

Place the slices on a warmed platter and immediately wrap up the bones and any portion of the roast you are not serving right away.

Frequently asked questions

It depends on the size of the beef rib and the level of doneness you are aiming for. A good rule of thumb is to allow 15-20 minutes per pound of meat. For example, a 4kg beef rib cooked to medium-rare should take between 4 and 6 hours.

Set your BBQ to cook at a temperature of around 160-180°C for indirect cooking. If you are cooking the beef directly over the heat source, searing at 250°C for a few minutes will give a crispy finish.

Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the beef. For rare beef, the internal temperature should be 55-60°C, for medium-rare 60-65°C, and for well-done 75°C. You can also test the doneness by gently prodding or squeezing the meat – rare beef will feel very soft, while well-done beef will be very firm.

Written by
Reviewed by
Share this post
Print
Did this article help you?

Leave a comment