Trim the thin silver skin from the back of the ribs and any loose meat. Pat dry with paper towels.
Mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika in a bowl. Apply generously to all sides of the ribs, pressing the rub in firmly.
Set your smoker to 225°F and preheat for 30 minutes. Use oak, hickory, or a mix for smoke wood.
Place ribs bone-side down on the grates. Smoke for 3 hours without spritzing, letting bark form.
After 3 hours, spritz the ribs with beef broth every 45 minutes. Continue smoking until the internal temperature at the thickest part (not touching bone) reaches 203°F. This typically takes 5–6 hours total from start.
Once the meat probe slides through easily and the temp hits 203°F, remove the ribs and wrap them tightly in butcher paper.
Rest the ribs for 20–30 minutes in a warm cooler. During the last 5 minutes, brush lightly with melted butter mixed with honey.
Slice between the bones and serve hot. The meat should pull clean with minimal effort.
Choose Proper Beef Ribs
Dino ribs come from the chuck section (65-inch ribs) and are much thicker and meatier than short ribs. Look for ribs with at least 1.5 inches of meat on top of the bone. Don't be fooled by short ribs, which are smaller and cook faster—dino ribs are the real deal for this recipe and need the full 5–6 hours.
FAQ
What's the difference between beef dino ribs and short ribs?
Dino ribs (65-inch chuck ribs) are massive single bones with thick meat, typically weighing 1–1.5 lbs each. Short ribs are smaller, meatier cut from the bottom of the rib cage. Dino ribs require longer smoking (5–6 hours) and pull to 203°F; short ribs finish faster at 4–5 hours. Ask your butcher for chuck ribs if you want true dino ribs.