These are the long-cook ribs I do in the Borniak, rather than the wine-braised Wagyu version. When I can get them, I prefer Costco’s Irish beef short ribs — they’re my favourite starting point for this cook. I like an Argentinian-style seasoning with a proper dark bark, plenty of smoke and a slow finish until a probe goes in with almost no resistance.
SERVES 6–8 · PREP 30 min + dry brine · COOK 9–13 hr + rest
I use my Borniak UW-150 for this cook, with an Inkbird Wi-Fi thermometer to keep an eye on the internal temperature of the ribs. The smoker temperature tells me what the cabinet is doing; the probe tells me how the beef is actually progressing, especially during a stall. You can make these in any smoker capable of holding a steady low temperature.
Ingredients
- 2.5–3.1 kg meaty beef short ribs
- 25–31 g fine salt (about 1% meat weight)
- Coarse black pepper, generously
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp beef tallow (optional)
- 60–100 ml unsalted beef stock, optional wrap
- Oak chips; beech/apple as alternatives
- Unwaxed pink butcher paper
- 2 leave-in probe thermometers
Before smoking: salting and drying the ribs
I dry-brine the ribs with salt before adding the pepper and oregano. Giving them time uncovered in the fridge lets the salt season the meat and helps dry the outside, which gives me a better starting surface for the bark. These two preparation photos are from my August 2026 cook; the later finished-rib pictures show other batches.
Method
- I set up before lighting: check the smoker manual, ventilation, drip tray, clean racks, fuel, an independent rack-height thermometer and a sanitised meat probe. Keep raw food refrigerated until the smoker has stabilised. Record starting temperature and time.
- THE DAY BEFORE: dry the ribs with kitchen towel. Trim only hard surface fat and loose silverskin; leave marbling intact. Sprinkle salt evenly on all sides, refrigerate uncovered on a rack for 12–24 hours.
- THE NEXT DAY: mix coarse black pepper and oregano. Press onto the meat 30–45 minutes before smoking. No garlic here, so the beef can suit the garlic-avoiding guest.
- I preheat Borniak to 110–115°C. Check the smoke generator and ventilation against your exact model’s manual. Put a probe in the thickest muscle, clear of bone. Smoke bone-side down.
- Feed oak smoke for roughly the first 2–4 hours, aiming for a clean smell, not harsh, stale smoke. Keep chamber temperature steady; avoid repeated door opening.
- Leave UNWRAPPED until the exterior is dark, dry and set and internal temperature is usually around 75–82°C. This can take 5–8 hours; bark appearance matters more than the clock.
- Wrap tightly in unwaxed pink butcher paper, optionally with a little beef tallow or stock. Return to the smoker at 110–115°C; raise modestly only if timing requires and your manual allows it.
- Begin checking tenderness around 92°C internal. Finish typically at 93–97°C, when a probe slides into the meat with barely any resistance, like softened butter. Temperature alone is NOT the finish line.
- Vent the wrap briefly to stop carryover, then rest wrapped at least 1 hour, ideally 1–2. Hold safely at or above 63°C if delaying service; monitor the meat, not merely the cabinet setting.
- Separate bones carefully, cut across the grain and serve with garlic-free red-wine gravy. Chill leftovers promptly—they deteriorate if mishandled.
- Write down the actual smoker-air temperature, centre temperature, total time, smoke duration and final texture. If the food is finished early, either keep it properly hot at 63°C or above under monitoring or chill it promptly; do not leave it sitting lukewarm in a turned-off smoker.
