Dino Ribs

Dino Ribs are basically bone-in beef brisket.

A local sort of fad thing is Dino Ribs, which comes out similar to bone-in beef brisket (though it's a different steer part). Highly marbled and requires a long cook, it can be nice.

ℹ️ Info

~ Aristotle Sabouni
Created: 2021-10-11

This is not a cheap cut because it is uncommon, so currently running over $10/lb. Brisket is cheaper. It's more for novelty -- like a Tomahawk versus a Ribeye.

Ingredients

Dino Ribs
Favorite Rub
Sauce (Optional)

Directions

Just cook it like a brisket or 3-2-1 ribs -- though with the bone, it'll cook a bit faster than either, especially if you run it is little hotter.

I tend to do brisket at 225-250° and run these at about 300° (but went a little slower and lower with my first try).

Trim fat - there's plenty of intramuscular fat.
Smoke @ 300° until it gets to 165
Wrap with a little pre-warmed beef broth and cook to 205° (if you like it softer/juicier)
If you like tougher bark, or wet glaze, pull out of wrap @ 190° and glaze with sauce and cook up to about 205°
Finish: Wrap in towels, and put in a cooler or an oven (that's off) and let it rest for an hour

Results

My first cook was my biggest failure to date.

They still looked fantastic and were quite edible (tasting like a tougher but fatter cut of brisket). And the friends/neighbors still liked them a lot. But I should have cooked to temp and not time/texture (they looked/felt done).

Because each one is nearly a pound of meat, and I don't eat that much, I sliced it lengthwise like Brisket.

Photos

Recipe/Dino Ribs • [2 items]

Side view: nice pull off the bone.

Slices: notice the juiciness and smoke ring + bark and shiny glaze.

Lessons Learns

I had gone for a massage at 170° or so, and so when I pulled the wrap, I lowered the temp from 275° to 225° to slow the cook down a little. It worked too well. When I got back, it was still only 180°. Then because it had been on for nearly 5 hours and I didn't want them to dry out (and they looked and felt right), I pulled early at 180° or so. They weren't inedible and were fall off the bone (or tug off). But in hindsight, they were still very wet and fatty, with a little bit tougher in the muscle. I should have let them render more to 200-205°
I did a traditional rub and added Tex Joy for some heat. I didn't realize how much salt Tex Joy had, and they came out way too salty on the skin/bark. If you sliced right, it was OK -- but if you got too much bark, it definitely caused a pucker.
I'd used a sweet raspberry jalapeno finishing glaze, that did mild it up a little, and that combo with the bark worked nicely. But I definitely will be less heavy-handed with the salt next time.

🔗 More

Recipes
A list of Recipes that I like or use.

🔗 Links

Tags: Recipes