We’ve been messing around with Chinese Five Spice recently which commonly includes a balanced mixture of star anise, cloves, fennel, cinnamon, and Sichuan pepper. Inspired by Stephen Raichlen’s BBQ Bible recipe for Dinosaur Bones with our own twist, these beefy ribs don’t look like much at the grocery store and I was skeptical. But after a slow cook, they were amazing and fork tender. By foiling the ribs you effectively braise the ribs and retain moisture, enabling the fats to break down and baste the beef from inside out. So here’s our take on Dinosaur Beef Short ribs
BBQ Hawks Asian Beef Ribs
- 2 racks of Beef Chuck Short Ribs ~ 7″ long. 2-3 mini bones per person is about right.
- 1 part Chinese Five Spice
- 3 parts coarse kosher or sea salt
- 2 parts granulated garlic
- 1/2c of beef broth
- 1/2c Hoisin Sauce – basically chinese BBQ sauce
- 1/4c Dry Sherry as needed to thin
- 3 minced garlic cloves, germ removed
- 1 Tsp Cayenne pepper or to taste
The Rub
Generously rub the ribs until covered. A tip is to toss them in a Ziplock bag until covered, then remove the excess air and let rest in the fridge four a minimum of 1hrs, or up to 4hrs.
The Cook/Braise/Baste
Set up the grill for indirect heat, about 225-250deg with a drip pan. We used a Weber Performer grill for this cook. Put some oakwood chips or wine barrel oak chunks on the fire and put the ribs on, meat-side up and smoke for 2hrs @ 250deg.
When the meat temp hits about 160deg, pull and foil the ribs, each rack with about 1/4c of beef broth. The meat should pull back about 1/4in from the bones at this point. Foil them tightly and cook for another 1.5-2hrs or until 190deg. This will braise the beef and break down the fats while yielding an unbelievably moist product that is fork tender.
Then remove from foil and baste for about 20 mins over medium indirect heat. Let rest for about 10 mins before serving. Add pepper as you like.
