Apple-Smoked Teriyaki Beef Short Ribs

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Meaty beef short ribs spend six hours over apple wood at 250°F, basted with a four-ingredient teriyaki mop that caramelises into a glossy, savoury-sweet bark. Pulled at 203°F internal, the meat shreds under a fork. It is almost entirely hands-off — you just top up the smoker and mop every hour.

Ingredients

• 4 lb bone-in beef short ribs (plate or English cut)
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 4 chunks apple wood chunks (or 3 cups apple wood chips)

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup mirin
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Set up your smoker for indirect cooking and bring it to a steady 250°F (120°C), adding two apple wood chunks (or a foil packet of soaked chips) once the fire is clean-burning and the smoke runs thin and blue. Fill the water pan if your smoker has one.
2. Pat the short ribs dry, trim any thick surface fat down to about 1/4 inch, and season all over with the kosher salt and black pepper. Let them sit at room temperature while the smoker settles, about 20 minutes.
3. Place the ribs bone-side down directly on the grate, close the lid, and smoke at 250°F for 3 hours without opening it. Add the remaining apple wood chunks after the first 90 minutes so smoke keeps rolling gently.
4. While the ribs smoke, simmer the soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and rice vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, until slightly syrupy. Set aside half in a bowl for glazing at the end.
5. After 3 hours, brush the ribs with the mop and repeat every 45 minutes. The bark should be deep mahogany by hour 4; if it darkens too fast, wrap the ribs tightly in foil with 2 tablespoons of the mop poured in.
6. Continue cooking until the internal temperature in the thickest meat between the bones reads 203°F (95°C) and a skewer slides in with no resistance, typically 6 to 6 1/2 hours total. Brush with the reserved glaze during the last 15 minutes.
7. Rest the ribs, loosely tented in foil, for 30 minutes before slicing between the bones. Spoon over any remaining glaze and scatter with sliced scallions.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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