If it’s said that good things come to those who wait, then immaculate, jaw-dropping flavor is sure to accompany this flavorful, coffee-crusted barbecued beef rib recipe courtesy of Food52.
The time spent waiting for the perfect texture and flavor with bated breath won’t be for naught, as these coffee crusted ribs fall-off-the-bone ribs certainly live up to the expectation you set hours ahead of time. Accompanied by a spice rub combination of coffee and spices, these meticulously-prepared barbecue delights are perfect for a down-south dinner party or cold evening in. Although, you might want to wake up early and prepare these for your next tailgate, where you’re certain to be the celebrated victor.
Ingredients for coffee crusted ribs:
⅓ cup of dark roast coffee beans
¼ cup black peppercorn
4 tablespoons sea salt
4 tablespoons hickory smoked sea salt
2 tablespoons smoked Spanish paprika
Olive Oil
5 pounds bone-in beef ribs (approximately 4 racks)
Dijon mustard, for serving (optional)
Recipe:
- Begin by preheating your oven to 500° F.
- Then, coarsely grind your coffee beans in a spice grinder. Grind them to about the same coarseness as you would for a French Press Grind, setting them aside afterward. Next, grind together your black peppercorn and sea salts until the largest single piece of black peppercorn is halved or quartered. Mix together the ground coffee, peppercorns, and sea salt with the smoked paprika.
- Lay the beef ribs atop a baking sheet and rub them with a thin coating of olive oil, followed by your spice mix. Use your hands to firmly press the spice mix into the ribs, making sure that every inch is covered and that the spice mixture is glued nicely onto the ribs. Once finished, the ribs should have a thick, “crusty” coating. Roast the racks in the 500°F oven for 10 minutes. Afterward, remove the baking sheet from the oven and lower the heat to 300° F.
- Transfer all of the coffee crusted ribs onto doubled-up sheets of aluminum foil, wrapping them completely. Make sure that there are no openings anywhere, and then place the entire pouch on top of a baking rack, scoring a few slits on the bottom of the pouch with a parry knife. Then, place the baking rack on top of a baking sheet to catch any drippings that fall. Afterwards, place it all in back in the oven, roasting it at 300°F for 4 hours.
- After 4 hours have passed, turn the heat down to 220°F, and slow roast it all for an additional 7 hours. During this time, you should feel free to check the tenderness of the ribs once or twice with a fork. If a fork cannot be easily inserted into the meat after 7 hours, turn the heat back up to 300°F and cook it for an additional 2 hours.
- The final product of your coffee crusted ribs should be sticky, tender, and somewhat gelatinous. A darker shade of pink should develop along the outer surface of the muscle tissue. If this is the case, sprinkle fine sea salt atop it all, and if you’d like, eat with a bit of Dijon mustard.
There’s nothing quite like slow-cooked coffee crusted ribs, as the time spent perfecting their flavor profile, texture, and sauce is never spent in vain- as long as the chef is patient.Try this unforgettable recipe today and be prepare to be rewarded after your dutiful 13 hours of preparation and cooking with sticky, fall-off-the-bone tender beef ribs that are assured to delight taste buds, impress your dinner guests, and score you some serious points at the tailgate.
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