Grilled Beef Ribs

There aren’t many occasions where anyone would turn down tender, fall of the bone ribs. Ribs, pork or beef, can be prepared year round but when Spring and Summer finally come around, it’s grilling time!
When selecting beef ribs, there are some options but the two most common beef ribs are plate short ribs and chuck short ribs. Both are great selections if you want a meaty flavorful rib. Try to find center cut racks if you can, most meat markets with butchers will be able to point you in the right direction.
Removing the membrane off of ribs is easier than you think. Flip the rips meat side down. On the back of the bones there is a thin membrane layer that makes even the most tender ribs tough to eat. Find where the membrane ends/begins and pull up a tiny piece of it. The trick to this slippery membrane is to use a paper towel to pinch and pull it off. Throw the membrane at a friend or in the garbage, whichever is closest.
Season your ribs by making a spice mix. In a mixing bowl, add paprika, black pepper, cayenne, sweet smoked paprika, granulated garlic, ground cumin, powdered mustard, and kosher salt. Mix the ingredients together and now you have a rub mix.
Generously coat each rack of ribs with the spice rub then set the ribs aside while firing up the grill.
Preheat the grill to 350 degrees. Propane is easier but charcoal tastes better, so choose your weapon wisely.
If you are using charcoal, light the coals with a charcoal chimney to avoid having to use matchlight or lighter fluid which are both bad for your grill and for your body if not burned off properly. Fill only half the side of the grill with charcoal once the coals are white hot.
Grill the ribs on each side for about ten minutes to allow them to form a deep sear and crust.
At this point you have some options. First, you can lower the grill temperature to 225-250 and cook for an additional two and a half hours over indirect heat (the side of the grill without coals or turn off one side of the grill if using propane). Another option, keep the grill temperature at 350, wrap the ribs in foil, and cook for two and a half hours over indirect heat. A third option, grill the ribs on each side, wrap them in foil, and bake in the oven for two and a half hours. Option three is frowned upon but sometimes grills don’t cooperate and you want to know the exact temperature of your heat source.
Your ribs are done when they are very tender and want to fall off the bone but don’t quite unless you give them a slight pull. A thermometer will help here, beef ribs between 195-203 are going to be very tender and willing to fall off the bone if you look at them wrong. Use a thermometer until you are comfortable using your other senses that will develop with experience.
Let the ribs rest for twenty minutes before eating to allow the muscle fiber to relax and redistribute the beef juices through the rest of the beef.
During the lengthy cooking process you will have plenty of time to work on this Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Sauce.
In a small sauce pot, over medium heat, sauté onion, garlic, and jalapeno until the onions have softened. Add all of the other barbecue sauce ingredients listed above, to the pot, and then whisk to combine.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the sauce becomes thick.
Remove the sauce from the heat until the ribs are done cooking.
Slather each beef rib with barbecue sauce then place the ribs back on the hot side of the grill to caramelize the sugar onto the rib. Remove the ribs from the grill and brush a bit more of the sweet and spicy barbecue sauce on them.
Roll your sleeves up, tuck a napkin in the neck of your t-shirt and dig in!