Beef spare and back ribs get short-shrift in the PR department. Pork ribs, beef plate ribs, (those “dinosaur” ribs you see,) and beef short ribs always get the big love on pics and posts. But I’m here to tell you when you cook beef ribs into Beef Rib Bites as I do in this recipe, the flavor is amazing. For this Beef Rib Bites Recipe, I used Beef Spare Ribs, and they are delicious, if rather sparse on meat.
Why cook Beef Rib Bites
I love to cook Beef Rib Bites as an appetizer. Frankly, beef ribs just look terrible, even when they’re cooked properly. Unlike pork ribs, they render fats and contract in different places at different rates along the rib. This means you end up with some bones with no meat around them, some with gaps, etc. The meat that remains is extremely tasty, however. I just don’t want you would serve a slab of beef spare ribs to someone you were trying to impress at dinner.
But, we can avoid that poor appearance by cutting them into one bone sections, saucing them, and serving them as appetizers, or “bites.” They are so flavorful, you’ll really enjoy them.
How to Prepare Beef Rib Bites
For these ribs, I first removed the membrane from the back. You don’t have to remove it at this point. When the rib is cooked, the membrane will be much easier to remove. However, the membrane will not allow flavor or smoke to get through it. Removing it before cooking allows you to flavor both sides of the rib.
Using a piece of paper towel, grab some of the membrane and pull it up. Run your finger underneath the membrane in order to fully separate a section, then pull it off. A bit of work, but worth it.
Next, lightly rub each rib with my Woo Woo Sauce, then sprinkle with my Coal Play. Woo Woo Sauce is a deeply flavorful Worcestershire sauce, blended with garlic, herbs, and spices for an amazing flavor. My Coal Play is a salt-forward beef seasoning blend with activated charcoal. This gives a great appearance to briskets, ribs, and steaks. Plus, it tastes awesome.
Smoked Beef Rib Bites
For this recipe, I cook at 275 degrees. I fired up a pellet grill for this for ease of use. But, I wanted a richer smoke flavor than most pellet grills give, so I added a Diamond King Smoke Box with pecan wood. As you can tell in the ingredients picture above, the chunks I chose are pretty small, which tend to work better in the smoke box. I used Vaughn Craft Wood Chunks, and they are always good. I’ve been using Vaughn wood products for years on the competition circuit, and when we opened The BBQ Allstars, one of the first calls we made was to Justin Vaughn to make sure we could carry his product.
These smoked for about a total of 3 hours. After 2 hours, I wrapped the ribs in foil to let them steam and get more tender. Other than that, pull them when you like the texture, slice into one-bone sections, and serve. Easy Peasy!
Now, y’all get out there and fire up that grill!
Want to enjoy some more delicious beef recipes? Try my Wagyu Asian Beef Quesadillas with Wasabi Crema or my Easy Smoked BBQ Meatloaf recipes!
Print
Smoked Beef Rib Bites
Description
These super-tasty beef rib bites take a bit of time, but are easy to prepare. Just slather with my Woo Woo Sauce, then rub with my Coal Play seasoning and smoke for about 3 hours. Cut into individual bites and serve at the next game!
Ingredients
2 slabs beef spare ribs
1 TBS Woo Woo Sauce, or Worcestershire sauce
2 TBS Coal Play Seasoning, or your favorite beef rub
Instructions
Remove membranes from back of ribs.
Lightly rub fronts and backs of each rib with Woo Woo, then sprinkle thoroughly with Coal Play
Place in 275 degree smoker for 3 hours. Wrap in foil after 2 hours to help tenderize the ribs.
Remove from foil and cut into 1 bone sections. Lightly sauce and serve.
