Smoked Ribs - Dino Style

What Are Dino Ribs?

Are you looking for an absolutely stunning, eye-popping, meaty dish for that holiday cookout? Look no further than "Dino Ribs." Essentially they are a set of beef ribs, cooked low and slow, complete with their own handles. While it might take a little advance planning to source the ribs, the actually preparation and grilling process couldn't be simpler.

Ingredients

• A beef plate consisting of the largest four ribs*
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Your Favorite Rub (we used Sassy Steak Rub from AmberFyre Foods)

Tools

• Aluminum Foil
• A sharp knife (essential, we use this boning knife)
• A steam table pan if using a smoker
• Grill or Smoker

*A whole beef plate is not something your average chain grocery store will carry, so it pays to enlist the help of your local specialty butcher. If they don't offer "dino ribs" or "bronto ribs" simply call ahead and ask for the largest four ribs of a beef plate, connected and untrimmed. Be prepared to call two or three days in advance, since this part of the cow is normally divided up for other cuts. A photo is included to help communicate to the butcher what you are looking for.

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Preheat your grill or smoker to around 225-250 degrees Fahrenheit. If smoking with wood chips, be sure to have soaked them in advance.

You may need to separate the ribs into two pieces to fit them into your smokebox, as we did. If you are smoking on top of your grill, you can omit this step.

In order to prepare the ribs, trim off as much excess fat as you can, leaving between 1/2 and 1/4-inch on the ribs. Also trim the tough material on top of the rib bones on the back side, called a silverskin, it makes separating the ribs and enjoying them more difficult after they are cooked.

Salt and Pepper the ribs as you would a steak, then apply your favorite steak rub...liberally. It may look like a lot, but after several hours in a smoker or on a grill, the rendering of fat as well as the shear mass of this hunk of meat, is going to need every bit of that seasoning.

Wrap the ribs in foil and you are now ready to put them in the smoker or on the grill.

Smoke the ribs for about 6-8 hours, turning them every 2 hours when you normally check your wood chips. If you are using a box smoker like in the picture, be sure to place a steam table pan in between the heat source and the ribs. There is a lot of fat on this type of cut that will render out when cooking, and the risk of fire becomes great. In the picture above, the ribs on top and the brisket underneath produced about two quarts of liquid fat. Not the sort of thing you want igniting before your cookout.

When the ribs are done, slice them into individual portions and serve.

As you can see from the picture above, the meat on the dino ribs contracts as it cooks, creating it's own carrying handle. We like to serve them with sliced brisket and a little cherry bourbon bbq sauce for dipping. Be sure to save those bones, as they make great stock.