Coffee-Crusted Barbecue Beef Ribs (With a Versatile Rub) Recipe on Food52 (2025)

Grill/Barbecue

by: Mandy @ Lady and pups

April20,2023

4

6 Ratings

  • Prep time 20 minutes
  • Cook time 12 hours
  • Serves 4

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Author Notes

A whopping 13-hour operation will reward you with sticky and fall-off-the-bone tender beef ribs. —Mandy @ Lady and pups

Test Kitchen Notes

Rub the ribs in a mixture of sea salt, paprika, ground coffee beans, and peppercorns. Sear them on high heat for a few minutes, tuck them into a foil packet and turn down your oven temperature, then check back in 7 hours later (you can do it; be patient!) for fork-tender meat. The result is fall-off-the-bone, super luxe beef ribs.

If we’re going to hold our breath for 7 (or 10, or 13) hours while dinner cooks, it better be darn good. These ribs live up to the expectations that build over the long wait: Thanks to the spice rub, they emerge from the oven deeply flavorful. When we have some time on our hands (or a big appetite), we’ll plan ahead and make these for a tailgate, a cold night, or a down-home dinner party.

The coffee rub works in two ways here: First, the acidity of the beans activate and start to break down the proteins of the meat (this is what creates that tender, melt-in-your-mouth finish) so when they hit the heat, they're primed to take on flavor and color from the grilling process. Second, the coffee acts similarly to the way tannins in wine do, and this helps cut through the fatty richness of the ribs, allowing you to savor the dynamic flavor of every bite. —Food52

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Watch This Recipe

Coffee-Crusted Barbecue Beef Ribs (With a VersatileRub)

Ingredients
  • 1/3 cupdark roast coffee beans
  • 1/4 cupblack peppercorns
  • 4 tablespoonssea salt, plus more for serving
  • 4 tablespoonshickory-smoked sea salt
  • 2 tablespoonssmoked Spanish paprika
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
  • 5 poundsbone-in beef ribs (approximately 4 racks)
  • Dijon mustard, for serving (optional)
Directions
  1. Heat the oven on 500°F (260°C).
  2. Coarsely grind the coffee beans in a spice grinder (to about the same coarseness as you would for a French press grind), then set them aside. Grind the black peppercorn and sea salts together until the biggest piece of peppercorn is halved or quartered. Mix the coffee, peppercorns, and seat salt together with the smoked paprika.
  3. Lay the beef ribs on a baking sheet and rub with a thin coating of olive oil, then coat with the spice mix. Use your hands to press the spice mix into the ribs, making sure every inch of surface is covered and the spice mix is glued nicely onto the ribs. The ribs should have a thick, “crusty” coating. Roast in the 500°F (260°C) oven for 10 minutes, or until you have a nice sear on the ribs. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, then turn the heat down to 300°F (150°C).
  4. Transfer all of the ribs onto doubled-up sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Wrap the ribs in the foil and make sure there are no openings anywhere. Place the entire pouch on top of a baking rack and score a few slits on the bottom of the pouch with a small knife. Place the baking rack on top of a baking sheet to catch the drippings. Place the entire thing back in the oven and roast for 4 hours.
  5. After 4 hours, turn the heat down to 220°F (100°C) and slow-roast for another 7 hours. During this time, feel free to check the tenderness of the ribs once or twice. If by the end of 7 hours a fork cannot be easily inserted into the meat, I would suggest turning the heat back up to 300°F (150°C) and cooking for an additional 1 to 2 hours. The final product should be sticky, tender, and gelatinous. A darker shade of pink should develop along the outer surface of the muscle tissue.
  6. When your ribs are done, sprinkle with fine sea salt and eat with a bit of Dijon mustard. You could chop the meat up into pieces, or just dig into it in true carnivore-style.

Tags:

  • American
  • Rib
  • Mustard
  • Coffee
  • Paprika
  • Beef
  • Bean
  • Grill/Barbecue
  • Summer
  • Food52 Spirit Week
  • Entree
Contest Entries
  • Your Best Barbecue

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20 Reviews

Stu F. October 2, 2021

I will try this seasoning but not the method for two reasons. the first is: this is way too much cook time for ribs, and if you’ve already oven seared them, it’s not really necessary to cook at two temps-you could cook them at 220 the whole way. The other reason I wouldn’t cook them that long is because they are ribs. Your guests would want to enjoy them on the bone. That’s the whole point. Ribs should not “fall off the bone” - they should be tender and the fat should be rendered enough but they should be a bit “al dente” I.e., you should be able to pick them up and bite them off the bone easily - but not too easily. That’s how rib people like ribs.

gwennw July 22, 2021

I cannot believe how easy these ribs were to make AND how flavorful and delicious they are. Followed the recipe exactly. Checked on the ribs after 4 hours at 220 and they were perfect...tender and falling off the bone.

Lucy April 26, 2020

Delicious ribs! Not having time to slow cook, after searing them in oven I tossed them in Instant Pot, added some beer and brown sugar and they were amazing!

Lucy April 26, 2020

Delicious ribs! Not having time to slow cook, I tossed them in Instant Pot, added some beer and brown sugar and they were amazing!

Shana@FolksGottaEat February 15, 2015

Made these today - our grocer had a sale on prime rib and so because they were also selling the roasts with bones removed beef ribs were on sale (lucky us!). What a great recipe - very very close to the beef ribs I love at a local craft beer bar. I made a homemade ketchup based BBQ sauce with some of the leftover rub and this was a perfect compliment to the ribs (and close to what they serve at the resto). What a winner. The only bad thing is the time they take - and the fact that the beefy smell in the house while they cook will drive you mad all day!!!

Mandy @. February 15, 2015

Shana, so glad you enjoyed it!! I actually just throw the ribs in the oven then go to sleep. Then yes, waking up to the insane beefy smell the next day makes you wanna eat them for breakfast... which is to say... what's wrong with that? :)

Brian M. December 7, 2014

I made these the other day, and they are wonderful! I have never tried beef ribs before. This is a keeper!

Alice A. November 6, 2014

Coffee with barbecue???? Which I've never done before. Looks so tempting and can't wait to try this recipe.tvm.

Sue October 4, 2014

Are we supposed to coat both sides with the rub?

Mandy @. October 5, 2014

Sue: Yes! Coat both sides and all surface of the ribs :)

pat September 25, 2014

These look absolutely delicious! Going to make them this Sunday with a Caribbean cold slaw. Thanks so much.

victoria S. September 24, 2014

Could you suggest some sides with the ribs?

Mandy @. September 25, 2014

Victoria, the ribs itself are pretty rich, I some cooling cold slaw is always welcome. Slice them in chunks and sandwich between rye bread and mustard is also great.

Susan W. September 24, 2014

Can't wait to try these.

QueenSashy September 24, 2014

How is it possible that I did not see this before? Thank God for the Wildcards, as it helped me discover it. And of course, congratulations!!! I am really excited about making this dish.

Quincy July 2, 2013

Are these ribs beef short ribs?

Mandy @. July 2, 2013

short ribs on the bones yes

Tim M. September 24, 2014

Back ribs no?

Susan W. September 24, 2014

Yes, these look like beef back ribs, not short ribs.

Chuck G. October 4, 2014

These are definitely beef back ribs.

Coffee-Crusted Barbecue Beef Ribs (With a Versatile Rub) Recipe on Food52 (2025)

FAQs

How to cook tough beef ribs? ›

Moist, gentle heat and a wet vinegary sauce can save dry ribs. Here's what to do: Make a 50/50 mixture of your favorite BBQ sauce and apple cider vinegar and coat the ribs in this mixture. Then wrap the ribs tightly in foil and put them in a low oven (say 300°F) for about an hour.

How to season beef ribs before smoking? ›

Apply yellow mustard all over the ribs that will work as the seasoning binder. Season both sides with a 50/50 mix of salt and pepper. Apply an even amount all over the beef. Smoke for at 250-275 degrees until the meat is probe tender, anywhere between 205-210 degrees internal.

How to grill beef ribs direct heat? ›

Instructions. Drizzle olive oil over the ribs and season with your choice of BBQ seasoning. Heat up the grill to 400 degrees for direct heat. Grill the seasoned ribs 2 minutes per side.

Do beef ribs get more tender the longer they cook? ›

These ribs are chunky, with plenty of meat surrounding the bones and dense fat marbling throughout. This flavoursome fat and connective tissue means that beef short ribs need long, slow cooking in order to become tender.

What is the secret to tender ribs? ›

The secret to incredibly tender ribs is baking them low and slow. Baking ribs in the oven is so easy.

What is the difference between beef ribs and dino ribs? ›

Plate short ribs come from the lower portion of the 6th – 10th ribs that sit between the brisket in front and the flank steak behind it. These ribs are long and meaty, at about 12 inches in length (some people refer to these as 'dinosaur ribs' or 'dinosaur beef ribs').

Should you rinse beef ribs before cooking? ›

Don't rinse meat before cooking.

Many people believe you should wash or rinse raw poultry, beef, pork, lamb or veal before cooking, but it's actually not necessary. Any bacteria that might be on it will be killed during the cooking process. In fact, rinsing meat before cooking it can actually do more harm than good.

Is it better to boil beef ribs before cooking? ›

Beef ribs need a fair amount of cooking time to break down the collagen and tenderize, so you do want to pre-cook them before grilling. But simply boiling won't add flavor and you'll end up with a blander result. Instead, braise them in a flavored liquid or spice then slowly roast them before finishing on the grill.

Is it better to cook ribs in the oven or grill? ›

Slow-roasting your ribs in the oven before finishing them on the grill is the best method we've found for juicy, fall-off-the-bone ribs that don't require an expensive smoker or low temperature grill setup.

Should I pre cook beef ribs before grilling? ›

Baking ribs in the oven before grilling them is a great method for achieving fall-off-the-bone tenderness. The low and slow baking process allows the flavors of the seasoning and rub to penetrate deeply into the meat, resulting in more flavorful tender ribs.

What to serve with barbecue beef ribs? ›

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Why are my beef ribs always tough? ›

If they aren't braised long enough, they can be super tough to eat; if they are cooked too long, the meat will just fall apart. The key to preparing short ribs is to cook them until they reach a point that is just before they would fall apart.

How to cook tough ribs? ›

Rib meat is fairly tough, and it needs a long time to break down and become tender. The oven is actually an ideal environment for this kind of slow and steady cooking. Lifting the ribs above the baking sheet on a rack also lets the heat circulate on all sides. After a few hours, the meat is juicy and tender.

How do you tenderize already cooked beef ribs? ›

Simmering in a little bit of liquid or broth is a great way to tenderize. Acidity can also be your friend here. A little bit of vinegar and lemon juice in the liquid can help you tenderize the meat. It adds moisture, but it also cooks the meat.

Why are my ribs tough and chewy? ›

Meat Thermometer

A quality, instant-read thermometer will give you a great deal of information on what's happening inside those ribs during the cooking process. The light connective tissue in ribs begins to break down around 195 degrees F. Anything under that temperature and your ribs will be chewy, stringy, and tough.

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