Main course
Smoked Beef Short Ribs with Apple Pear Mop Sauce
Ingredients
Beef
- 2 racks beef short ribs (preferably AAA or Prime)
Dry Rub
- 25 g kosher salt
- 10 g freshly ground black pepper
- 9 g turbinado sugar (raw sugar)
- 8 g granulated garlic
- 4 g onion powder
- 3 g freshly ground white pepper
- 2.5 g fennel seeds, crushed with a mortar and pestle
BBQ Sauce
- 250 mL (1 cup) ketchup
- 160 mL (2/3 cup) Rougemont Apple Pear Juice
- 125 mL (1/2 cup) corn syrup
- 60 mL (1/4 cup) brown sugar
- 60 mL (1/4 cup) apple cider vinegar
- 15 mL (1 tbsp) honey
- 15 mL (1 tbsp) Worcestershire sauce
- 10 mL (2 tsp) lemon juice
- 10 mL (2 tsp) ground black pepper
- 7.5 mL (1/2 tbsp) garlic powder
- 7.5 mL (1/2 tbsp) onion powder
- 7.5 mL (1/2 tbsp) chipotle seasoning
- 5 mL (1 tsp) salt
- 2.5 mL (1/2 tsp) vanilla extract
Mop Sauce
- 80 mL (1/3 cup) beef broth
- 80 mL (1/3 cup) apple cider vinegar
- 125 mL (1/2 cup) Rougemont Apple Pear Juice
Directions
- In a bowl, combine all the dry rub ingredients. Set aside.
- There are two membranes underneath the short ribs. Remove only the outer membrane, as it is the toughest. Slide a butter knife between the membrane and the bones, lift it, then pull it off.
- Each rack contains four ribs. Between the third and fourth ribs is a large section of fat. Trim away as much fat as desired.
- Coat the short ribs evenly with a light layer of the dry rub. Set aside.
- In a saucepan, combine all the BBQ sauce ingredients. Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. Keep the sauce below 100°C (212°F)—ideally around 95°C (203°F)—to preserve the flavours. Remove from the heat.
- Preheat the barbecue or smoker to 135°C (275°F).
- Combine the mop sauce ingredients with 80 mL (1/3 cup) of the prepared BBQ sauce.
- Place the short ribs on the barbecue or in the smoker. Smoke for about 3 hours, spraying or brushing the meat with the mop sauce every 30 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F).
- Wrap the ribs in aluminum foil with a little mop sauce. Continue cooking for about 2 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 95°C (203°F).
- Remove the ribs from the barbecue or smoker and let them rest, still wrapped, for about 30 minutes. This allows the intramuscular fat to fully render and the juices to redistribute.
- If desired, brush the ribs with a little BBQ sauce before slicing and serving. Serve with the remaining BBQ sauce on the side.
