Smoked Beef Short Rib Stew

Smoked Beef Short Ribs. How to smoke short ribs and incorporate them into an incredible, rich, stew

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5 from 2 votes

Smoked Beef Short Rib Stew

How to cook incredibly tender beef short ribs on the smoker and finish them in a rich and indulgent stew.

Prep Time20

Cook Time3

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American, barbecue, bbq, stew

Servings: -6 people

Author: Mary Cressler

Cost: $40

Ingredients

For the Short Ribs:

2 pounds beef short ribs
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons pepper

For the Spritz:

1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
Combine in a food safe spray bottle

For the Stew:

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 slices bacon, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1 rib of celery, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup red wine
3 cups beef broth (more or less depending on pot as the liquid needs to cover the ribs)
1 bay leaf
Reserved Smoked Beef Short Ribs, from above
10 sprigs thyme, wrapped in kitchen string
1 lb cremini mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons butter (separated into 1 tablespoon for mushrooms, and 2 to finish the stew)
1 ½ tablespoons flour

Instructions

To Smoke the Beef Short Ribs:

Preheat smoker to 225 degrees Fahrenheit (we used cherry wood).
Trim excess fat and membrane off of the ribs, coat in olive oil and salt and pepper. Be sure to get all sides of the beef.
Place beef on the smoker for about 3 hours, until the color is mahogany and a nice crust has set. After the first hour during the smoke period, start spraying the meat every 15 minutes with your spritz. When the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 degrees pull it from the smoker (it will continue cooking in the stew to 203 degrees, our desired final temperature).

For the Stew:

Preheat a large ovenproof pot (like a cast iron Dutch oven) to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil then the bacon. Cook until bacon is crispy (8-10 min) then remove bacon and discard most of the bacon drippings.
Add onions, carrots, and celery to that same pot and cook for 8-10 min, to soften. Add garlic and cook for 1 additional minute. You want the veggies softened, not caramelized.
Next add the tomato paste, wine, and enough broth to cover the short ribs. Add your reserved smoked beef short ribs, bay leaf, thyme and reserved bacon. Bring to a simmer and cover.
In a separate medium saucepan, set to medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of butter and the mushrooms and cook for approx 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. You may need to do this in two batches. When cooked add the mushrooms to the pot of stew and cover again.
After about 90 minutes, in a small bowl mash together 2 tablespoons butter and the flour. Mix into the stew. Continue simmering the dish on the stovetop for an additional 10 minutes to thicken.
You know the meat is done when it reads 203 degrees Fahrenheit internal temperature. If the meat isn’t to your desired tenderness feel free to continue simmering in 20 minute increments until you get to the tenderness and texture you’re looking for. If it reduces too much, add more beef stock.
Just before serving, pull out the thyme and bay leaf and season with a little salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with your favorite puree to soak up the juices (we like parsnip puree, but celery root puree or even mashed potatoes work great).

Notes

For more servings (6-8 people) adjust meat to 3-4 lbs. Figure roughly 1/2 lb per person. The stew is enough for up to 8 people, but the meat will shrink down. The meal itself is quite rich. We've found about 2 short ribs per person, served with the stew and side (like a puree) is a hearty serving.

Nutrition