I recently ordered the pastrami kit from Girls Can Grill and I knew I had to make Smoked Pastrami Beef Ribs. If you’re looking for a smoked beef ribs recipe that’s a little different from traditional BBQ ribs, this is the one to try. It’s perfect for weekend smoking, backyard BBQs, game day.
These aren’t your average smoked beef ribs. The pastrami seasoning creates a thick, savory bark that pairs perfectly with the rich marbling of beef ribs. After days in the brine and hours on the smoker, the meat becomes fall apart tender, while still holding onto that incredible smoky crust.
Looking for more smoked meats inspiration, check out my Double Smoked Had with Bacon Jam recipe or this tender Smoked Bottom Round Roast.
Why You’ll Love These Smoked Pastrami Beef Ribs
There are plenty of reasons to add these Smoked Pastrami Beef Ribs to your next BBQ.
- Bold pastrami-inspired flavor.
- Rich, juicy beef ribs.
- Incredible peppery bark.
- Low-and-slow smoked for maximum tenderness.
- Perfect for a pellet smoker, offset smoker, or charcoal smoker.
- Great for backyard BBQs and weekend cooks.
- No complicated ingredients.
- An impressive alternative to traditional smoked beef ribs.
What Are Pastrami Beef Ribs?
Pastrami is traditionally made from beef brisket, but the signature flavors of pastrami work incredibly well with other cuts of beef.
For this recipe, we’re taking beef ribs and giving them the classic pastrami treatment. That means a generous coating of savory seasonings before smoking the ribs low and slow.
The result is tender smoked beef surrounded by a dark, peppery bark with that unmistakable pastrami flavor.
Think of it as BBQ beef ribs meets classic deli pastrami.
And honestly, I don’t know why I didn’t try this sooner.
Start with the Pastrami Brine
Now, this Smoked Pastrami Beef Rib recipe is not something you can do last minute. This is a week long commitment so plan accordingly.
To eliminate the need to buy multiple seasonings and brine ingredients, I purchased a pastrami kit from Girls Can Grill. It comes with the a pre-measured brine, prep bag, and seasoning. All you need is the beef.
Start my removing all the fat and silver skin from the beef ribs. This will help the brine penetrate the meat to tenderize and flavorize it and build a nice dark bark on the outside.
Next, in a large bowl, mix the pre-measured brine ingredients with a gallon of warm water and mix.
Place the trimmed beef ribs into the prep bag and pour in the brine. I highly suggest you place the filled bag in a foil pan to avoid and accidental spills. It will also help store in the fridge.
Place the brining beef ribs in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Dad’s Seasonings
Must have grillin seasonings!
How to Smoke Pastrami Beef Ribs
After a week in the brine, it’s time to finally Smoke the Pastrami Beef Ribs.
First, carefully remove the raw ribs from the brine and rinse thoroughly in the sink. Skipping this step will result in very salty meat. When rinsing, please make sure to gently let the water run to avoid spilling raw meat water everywhere.
Rinsing the ribs will not remove any of the flavor. That’s already in the meat from brining for so many days.
Next, pat the ribs dry. You want to make sure they are very dry as this will help build a nice bark.
Coat all sides of the beef ribs with mustard and season heavily with the Pastrami Rub. It should be a coarse seasoning made up of pepper, mustard seeds, coriander seeds and garlic.
Preheat the grill to 250-275 degrees and place the ribs directly on the grates. Since these are Smoked Pastrami Beef Ribs, make sure the heat is indirect if are using a different grill other than a smoker.
These ribs should be treated on the smoker similarly to what you would do with a brisket. Low and slow until the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees Fahrenheit. This process can take up to 8 hours depending on the size of the ribs.
Once the reach the correct internal temperature, DO NOT remove the Smoked Pastrami Beef Ribs off the grill. Check for tenderness. These ribs should not leave the grill until they are fork tender. That means a fork or knife should go in the meat without any resistance. Like a hot knife going through butter.
If the meat feels slightly firm, close the grill and come back in 30 minutes and check again. During this time the internal temperature will rise very slowly and will not dry out the meat. The perfect range is anywhere from 200-205 degrees.
Should You Wrap Beef Ribs?
Wrapping is completely optional. I did not wrap them and loved the dark bark and smokey flavor. Smoking the ribs unwrapped gives you the darkest, firmest bark and the strongest smoke flavor. Butcher paper is my preferred option when I want to speed up the cook while preserving the bark. Foil traps more moisture and can help tenderize the beef faster, but the bark may soften.
For Smoked Pastrami Beef Ribs, I’d recommend smoking unwrapped until the bark is set and then using butcher paper if the ribs need help finishing.
Don’t Forget to Rest the Ribs
Another very crucial step to these Smoked Pastrami Beef Ribs is the resting process. Once the ribs are tender, remove them from the smoker and let them rest. I recommend resting them for at least 30 minutes.
For larger beef ribs, you can rest them longer if needed. Keep them loosely wrapped and place them in a cooler or warm oven if necessary. Resting gives the juices time to redistribute and allows the meat to relax.
This step is especially important with large cuts of smoked beef.
What to Serve with Smoked Pastrami Beef Ribs
Because these ribs are rich and heavily seasoned, I like serving them with sides that provide freshness, acidity, or creaminess.
Sides include:
And don’t forget the mustard.
Final Thoughts
These Smoked Pastrami Beef Ribs are what happens when two BBQ favorites collide. You get the rich, juicy texture of slow-smoked beef ribs combined with the bold pepper, coriander, and garlic flavors of classic pastrami.
The long smoking process creates an incredible bark while slowly breaking down the connective tissue inside the ribs. Once they’re tender, slice between the bones and serve them alongside your favorite BBQ sides—or pile that smoky beef onto rye bread with mustard and pickles for an unforgettable pastrami-inspired sandwich.
If you’re looking for a unique smoked beef ribs recipe, this one deserves a spot on your smoker. It’s bold, beefy, smoky, peppery, and exactly the kind of BBQ that gets people asking, “What did you put on these ribs?” Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I make pastrami beef ribs without a smoker? Yes. You can cook them on a charcoal using a two-zone setup and wood chunks for smoke. Maintain a cooking temperature around 250°F and cook them indirectly.
What temperature should beef ribs reach? There isn’t one exact finishing temperature. Beef ribs are often tender around 200-210°F, but the most important test is how easily a probe slides into the meat.
If you tried this Smoked Pastrami Beef Ribs or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments. I love hearing from you!
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Smoked Pastrami Beef Ribs
Make Smoked Pastrami Beef Ribs for you next backyard BBQ cookout. It's packed with flavor, tender and unique.
Course dinner, party food, barbecue, main
Cuisine American, Barbecue, Grilling, Tex-Mex
Keyword tender, smoked pastrami beef ribs, smoked ribs, beef ribs, pastrami, brine, kit, smoked beef, low and slow, grillin with dad recipes., low and slow, outdoor cooking, meat lover
Prep Time 5 days days
Cook Time 8 hours hours
Servings 4 People
Calories 5kcal
- 1 rack Beef Ribs (at least 3 ribs)
- 1 pkg Pastrami Kit
- 1 gallon Warm water
- 2 tbsp Mustard
Start my removing all the fat and silver skin from the beef ribs.
Next, in a large bowl, mix the pre-measured brine ingredients with a gallon of warm water and mix.
Place the trimmed beef ribs into the prep bag and pour in the brine. Seal it and store it in the fridge for 5- 7 days.
Carefully remove the raw ribs from the brine and rinse throughly in the sink.
Next, pat the ribs dry. Coat all sides of the beef ribs with mustard and season heavily with the Pastrami Rub.
Preheat the smoker to 250-275 degrees and place the ribs directly on the grates over indirect heat.
Smoke up to 8 hours or more or until the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees. Do NOT remove from the grill. Check for fork tenderness first. If still firm, continue smoking until it's ready.
Remove the Smoked Pastrami Beef Ribs from the smoker and rest 30 minutes to 1 hour in a warm oven or sealed in a cooler.
Slice and enjoy!
Use pastrami kits. It’s convenient, simple and easy.
Make sure to thoroughly rinse the brined beef ribs to avoid over salty flavor.
Do not remove the smoked ribs if not fork tender.
Calories: 5kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.4g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 12mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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