Andrew and Michelle Muñoz's Barbecue Beef Ribs
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Beef ribs, says Andrew Muñoz, co-founder with wife Michelle Muñoz of Moo’s Craft Barbecue, are a Saturday special at their Lincoln Heights restaurant. “We can’t make enough of them,” he says. Those ribs are cooked in a smoker customized for the Moo’s team over California white oak. But the couple has developed this home-cook recipe that, as they demonstrated in the Times Test Kitchen, produces beautifully burnished ribs in an ordinary kitchen oven. “We realize not everyone has a smoker,” says Michelle Muñoz, “but everyone has an oven.” And, yes, Andrew Muñoz adds, you can get bark — that layer with earthy smoky notes — on these beef ribs in the oven.”
These ribs are terrific sliced (across the grain) right off the bone and served with traditional barbecue sides, but Michelle and Andrew Muñoz often like to let the ribs cook a little longer and then shred the meat for tacos. Michelle makes fire-roasted salsa with tomatillos, serranos and chile de árbol, but you can use any salsa you like.
Andrew and Michelle Muñoz's Moo's Craft Barbecue Beef Short Ribs
Make the spice rub: Combine the salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, ancho and guajillo chile powders, cumin, Mexican oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, coriander and cinnamon in a container and set aside until ready to use. Makes about 1 pint.
Trim and season the ribs: Remove the silverskin and excess fat from the bone-in short rib plate, but leave some of the fat to retain moisture.
Season the ribs by coating all sides of the bone-in beef plate with the spice rub.
Let the seasoned ribs rest at least 1 hour or overnight, uncovered, in refrigerator to dry brine.
Roast the ribs: Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Place ribs on a wire rack placed over a sheet tray. Cook ribs in oven uncovered, 4 1/2 to 6 hours (depending on size) until the internal temperature reaches 200 to 205 degrees for shreddable ribs or 190 to 195 degrees for sliceable ribs.
Alternately, for a juicier result, wrap the ribs in foil and cook longer in the oven at 165 degrees until desired temperature (see above) is reached.
Remove from oven and let meat rest, loosely tented, at least 30 minutes. Slice meat across the grain and serve, or shred the meat if making tacos.
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