Barbecue Class

Nicholas Gavin is the Culinary Creative Director of ChefSteps, where he develops recipes and is responsible for making all the food look beautiful. Nick has worked at ChefSteps for over a decade; he and ChefSteps co-founder Grant Crilly worked together at Modernist Cuisine. Nick has worked in professional kitchens both in the United States and abroad, most notably at Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Spain.

Nicholas Gavin

Short rib is one of the most flavorful <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/cuts">cuts of beef</a>: Lots of bold, beefy flavor and super tender and juicy when cooked properly. 
 
For us—and for some purists these will be fighting words—short ribs are a much better cut for barbecue than brisket, as long as they’re treated right: Cooked low and slow in a moist environment until all the connective tissue converts to gelatin. (It’s also a superior option for other brisket preparations, like <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/recipes/sous-vide-pastrami">pastrami</a>!) 
 
Not convinced? Try out this recipe for barbecue short ribs. You can finish them on the smoker, or you can use our <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/recipes/bark-builder">Bark Builder</a> and finish them in an oven and still get a deliciously browned and smoky crust. 
 
EDITORS’ NOTE: We’ve completely updated this recipe after considering reader feedback and conducting further testing. The short ribs are now seasoned with a dry cure and brushed with a molasses and liquid smoke glaze before they’re cooked sous vide. We lowered the sous vide cook temp to [f 154] and extended the cook time from 12 to 16 hours to make the recipe more user-friendly (12 hour cooks are a bit of a pain if you want to prep and eat at reasonable times). We also did away with the post sous vide mop from the original recipe. Instead, after the short ribs finish cooking sous vide, we season them with our <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/recipes/texas-black-pepper-barbecue-rub">Texas Black Pepper Barbecue Rub</a> before smoking. If you don’t have a smoker, don’t worry! We also give the option of dusting the short ribs with <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/recipes/bark-builder">Bark Builder</a> and finishing them in an oven.

Sous Vide Barbecue Beef Short Ribs