Direct Heat Beef Back Ribs (Party Ribs-Style)
These direct heat party beef back ribs are cut into individual ribs and grilled over direct heat on the charcoal grill. With a simple barbecue sauce glaze that tacks up to the perfect sticky sweet consistency, these crunchy beef ribs are a fantastic flame-kissed meat treat to try!
Servings: 4 people
Equipment
- instant read meat thermometer
- aluminum foil pan
Ingredients
- 10-12 beef back ribs cut into individual ribs
- kosher salt *like Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
- coarse black pepper
For the Barbecue Sauce Glaze:
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce *I prefer a vinegar-based hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
Instructions
- Prepare the grill for direct heat cooking. Heat your grill to about 325-350°F with a direct heat cooking zone. *We used a Weber kettle charcoal grill, with the hot coals in an even layer for even cooking.
- Season the beef ribs. While the grill is heating, evenly season all sides of the ribs with salt and pepper. Allow the seasoned ribs to rest for about 20-30 minutes for the seasoning to penetrate the meat.
- Grill the ribs. Place the ribs on the grill grates directly over the heat source with the bone-side down. Close the grill lid and cook for about 20 minutes. Then open the lid, flip the ribs to the next side, close the lid, and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Continue cooking the ribs, flipping every 20 minutes, until they reach an internal temperature of about 190-195℉ (about 1 hour and 45 minutes for us). *TIP - When flipping, you can also move the ribs to different areas on the grill as needed to ensure they cook evenly.
- Make the barbecue sauce glaze. While the ribs are cooking, add all of the glaze ingredients (barbecue sauce, mustard, apple cider vinegar, and hot sauce) to an aluminum foil pan. Mix together well. Set aside.
- Glaze the beef ribs. Once your beef ribs reach an internal temperature of about 195°F, use a basting brush to glaze with the barbecue sauce mixture. Then continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches about 200-203°F, or until tender.
- Rest the beef party ribs in the foil pan with the remaining sauce. When the ribs are done cooking, toss in the remaining barbecue sauce in the foil pan. Then place the foil pan of ribs on the grill, close all the grill vents, and close the grill lid. As the grill calms down and the temperature drops, the residual heat will finish the cooking process, and your beef party ribs can rest on the grill.
- Serve your beef back party ribs. Serve the beef ribs after they have rested for about 45 minutes and the internal temperature has dropped to about 150°F.
Video
Notes
- Seasoning for direct heat ribs - Since direct heat ribs are cooked over higher heat, and often times an open flame, stick with a simple seasoning blend of kosher salt and black pepper. Other spices like garlic powder will burn more easily, creating a bitter taste.
- Cooking time - The cooking times in this recipe are provided as a guide only. Actual cooking times will vary based on the temperature of your grill, how large your ribs are, etc. Our beef ribs took about 2 hours to cook at an average grill temperature of about 340-350°F.
- Temperature management - Keep the grill lid closed as much as possible in between flipping to better control the fire.