Pastrami Beef Short Ribs

If you love BBQ short ribs, this recipe for Pastrami Beef Short Ribs is sure to delight. The special kick from the spicy, tangy pastrami spices is a unique flavor that aims to please!

This recipe is the genius brainchild of Ken Hess, who fused two smoky ideas to create this crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients

1 Whole Beef Short Rib
Corning Brine
Pastrami Rub

Instructions

Combine all of the brine ingredients in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes, then cool and store overnight in the refrigerator. Place the whole short rib in a 2 gallon zipper bag. Then pour the cold brine in the bag. The bag should hold the full gallon of brine. Let the rib brine for a minimum of 48 hours. Flip the bag over each day.

Grind the peppercorns and coriander seeds in a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder for the best results. Start with a full cup of each before you grind them. After grinding, combine the peppercorns and coriander seeds with the onion powder, garlic powder and the ground Juniper berries.

Remove the short rib from the brine. Pat dry with a paper towel. Liberally coat the rib with the pastrami rub. Do not be afraid to go heavy with this rub!

Set your EGG for indirect cooking with the convEGGtor; bring the EGG to 275°F/135°C.

Place the short ribs meat side up in the smoker. Smoke the ribs for two hours at 275°F/135°C. Next, reduce the temperature to 250°F/121°C. Smoke until the rib reaches an internal temperature of 185°F/85°C.

At this stage, wrap ribs in butcher’s paper, or place in a large paper grocery bag. Once wrapped, place back in the smoker until the ribs reach an internal temperature of 203°F/95°C. Remove from the smoker and allow the rib to rest in the paper for 20-25 minutes before serving.

Corning Brine Ingredients

1 gallon water
1½ cups Kosher salt
¾ cups granulated sugar
¾ cups brown sugar
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp Pink Salt
4 bay leaves, crushed
1 Tbsp juniper berries, crushed
10 cloves, whole
1 Tbsp black peppercorns, crushed
1 Tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
1 Tbsp mustard seeds
5 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ cup honey

Pastrami Rub Ingredients

1 cup black peppercorns, coarsely ground
½ cup coriander seeds, coarsely ground
½ cup onion powder
½ cup granulated garlic powder
¼ cup juniper berries, ground

Recipe and photo from Big Green Egg and credit: Ken Hess of Snake River Farms