Short rib time

A few months ago I bought one of those enormous packages of plate ribs at the Costco Business store. 

Also known as Dino ribs in some parts of the country, these are massive beef bone in short ribs.

I had never bought bone in ribs this big before and cut them up so that the package would fit in my freezer.

Tremendous amount of meat per rib.

Normally I braise short ribs in the Dutch oven but Leslie doesn't like it when I heat up the house in the hot summer, says that is winter food.

I decided to smoke the ribs last night, something I never do. Went home early to start things off, put out the new fireproof mat under the Weber. Understand, I have very little experience smoking, never been my thing. New territory.

I  patted them dry and did a heavy pepper, salt rub with a bit of garlic but not too much. Kept it simple. Threw some hickory wood in and started my briquettes. 

I placed the ribs on the indirect side of the kettle, bone side down.

An hour went by.

And then another.

And another.

And  my temperature was static. 

I needed 190 to 200 degrees and was stuck around 170.

I was in something that I had read about. 

The dreaded brisket stall. 

Large hunks of meat often hit a crescendo around 170 and just won't budge. 

I decided to take evasive action. 

I stuck them directly on the fire and seared all four sides, about a minute and a half per side. 

I had built a nice bark by then and the searing sort of  made the perfect crust less pretty but all in all things were still looking good. 

There is a lot of info out there on smoking short ribs but very little on grilling them. 

Those that do take them to 140 but this is not enough heat for the connective tissue to break down and make them super tender.

I waited for another hour, still stalled, regularly spritzing them with water so they wouldn't dry out.  I ended up wrapping them in foil, got them to 189 and that would have to do. 

About a five hour cook.

We ate two small ribs and grilled organic summer squash as well.

Really delicious, everything was great. But we got really full.

Tonight  I shredded the fattest remaining rib and made a short rib pappardelle ragu.

I chopped carrots and garlic and sauteed them. Leslie made mushrooms. 

We cooked it all up and put some fatty short rib pieces in as well.

I added red wine, tomatoes paste, cherry tomatoes which I smooshed down, thyme and rosemary.

Added all the  beef back and simmered it up for about ten minutes with the cover on.

Leslie made the noodles and we added a ladle of pasta water to the ragu, then mixed it all together.

Topped it off with fresh parmesan.

Absolutely scrumptious.

I have two more sections of plate ribs stuck in the freezer somewhere.

I am going to do this again.