East Meets West: Char Sui Beef Short Ribs

East Meets West: Char Sui Beef Short Ribs

Servings: 2 Total Time: 11 hrs 15 mins Difficulty: Intermediate Smoke & Sear Fav. Smoke & Sear Fav.
A Fusion of British BBQ and Beijing Street Flavours

Today, we’re embarking on a culinary adventure that bridges the smoky BBQ pits of Britain and the vibrant streets of Beijing. Poppy over at ‘Norfolk Smoke Pit‘ bought out her ‘China Town‘ rub, and although I’m a little late to the party, I bought some to try for myself. This little gem is packed with oriental flavours that promise to elevate our beloved beef short ribs to new, mouth-watering heights. So, whether you’re a seasoned BBQ pro or just looking to spice up your weekend grill, this recipe is set to be a game-changer. Let’s dive in and let the fusion of East meets West tantalise those taste buds!

East Meets West: Char Sui Beef Short Ribs

Prep Time 4.5 hrs Cook Time 6 hrs Rest Time 45 mins Total Time 11 hrs 15 mins
Difficulty: Intermediate Cooking Temp: 93  C Servings: 2 Estimated Cost: £ 40 Calories: Approximately 800 per serving Best Season: , Summer

Ingredients

For the Char Sui Beef Short Ribs:

For the Sticky Jasmine Rice:

For the Asian Slaw:

For the Chilli and Ginger Green Beans:

For the ‘China Town’ Infused Plum Sauce:

Instructions

  1. Trim and Brine:

    • Start by trimming most of the fat from the ribs. Save trimmings for later.
    • Score the membrane on the bottom of the ribs in a diagonal pattern.
    • Dry brine the ribs with good quality salt. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
  2. Rub and Prepare:

    • 30 minutes before smoking, take ribs out of the fridge to reach room temperature.
    • Apply the ‘China Town‘ rub generously to both sides of the ribs.
  3. Kamado Joe Classic 3 Setup:

    • Set up your Kamado Joe Classic 3 for indirect cooking with lump charcoal.
    • Slowly rise the temperature to 93°C (200°F) and add cherry wood chunks for smoke.
  4. Smoking:

    • Place ribs bone-side down on grill grates.
    • Place rib trimmings in a skillet/foil pan to render down for tallow.
    • Maintain consistent temperature throughout the cook.
  5. Spritzing:

    • Mix apple cider vinegar, water, and bourbon in a 40/40/20 ratio in a spray bottle.
    • Spritz the ribs when they hit 71°C (160°F) and continue every hour.
  6. Wrapping and Adding Tallow:

    • At 80°C (176°F), wrap the ribs in butcher paper with rendered tallow.
    • Return ribs to the Kamado Joe, meat side up.
  7. Finish and Rest:

    • Cook until ribs reach 96°C (205°F).
    • Remove, wrap in a towel, and rest in a cooler for 45 minutes.
  8. Sticky Jasmine Rice:

    • Combine rice, water, and coconut milk in a saucepan with a pinch of salt.
    • Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes, then fluff.
  9. Asian Slaw:

    • Mix cabbage, carrots, spring onions, and coriander in a bowl.
    • Whisk sesame oil, lime juice, and honey for the dressing. Toss with veggies. Season with salt and pepper.
  10. Chilli and Ginger Green Beans:

    • Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, and chilli.
    • Stir-fry green beans for 5-7 minutes until tender-crisp. Season with salt.
  11. ‘China Town’ Infused Plum Sauce:

    • Combine plums, rub, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and chilli in a saucepan.
    • Add water, bring to boil, then simmer for 20-25 minutes.
    • Blend sauce until smooth, strain if desired, and finish with lime juice.

Equipment

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Note

  • Rib Trimmings: Save and render down for tallow to add extra flavour and moisture.
  • Spritzing: Keeps the meat moist and enhances flavour.
  • Alternative Cooking Methods: Can also be cooked in an oven, but BBQ smoking is preferred for the best flavour.
  • Sauce Variation: Plum sauce can be made spicier with extra chilli or sweeter with more honey.
  • Holding: Can 'hot hold' ribs in a cooler after cooking to maintain temperature and reduce stress when serving guests.
Keywords: Char Sui, Beef Short Ribs, BBQ, British BBQ, Beijing Flavors, China Town Rub, Smoked Beef Ribs, Jasmine Rice, Asian Slaw, Green Beans, Plum Sauce
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Still buzzing from The Big BBQ Community Cookout at Millington Hall Farm, Cheshire 🔥

What. A. Weekend.

Old mates, new friends, non-stop food, live fire, beers, banter, and some of the best people you could ever meet. From the butchers demos to the fire stage, the wing challenge, and the teepees glowing late into the night — this one had it all.

Huge shoutout to @charredfoodco & @cheshire_grill for pulling off something incredible for their first event 👏 

Rumours are already flying for next year, and I can’t bloody wait.

Big love too to everyone I got to hang with, but special shoutouts to — @jons.bbq , @wazs_sauce_hut , @alfresco_chapel_bbq , @meatf_reaks & the lads, @banquet1415 , @liamthecateringbutcher , @firetitsbbq , and Tom from @kendogrills — absolute legends every one of you 🙌 

The BBQ community in the UK is strong, growing, and full of heart. Many friends for life made this weekend ❤️

#BBQCommunity #LiveFireCooking #UKBBQ #BBQFamily #SmokeAndSear #BBQLife #Cookout #MillingtonHallFarm #BBQEvent #Pitmasters #FoodFamily #GoodVibesOnly
Shot on Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra 🎥🔥

I had some fantastic dino ribs from idevour that needed smoking — so I decided to put the new Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra through a proper real-world test while cooking.

Producing BBQ content solo is hard work — juggling tripods, chasing angles, and trying to film when your hands are covered in seasoning is honestly the most stressful part of sharing the journey.

But this gimbal genuinely made life easier.

🙌 Gesture control to start/stop recording and enable A.I. tracking worked a treat — reliable every time.

📸 The built-in tripod meant I could drop it exactly where I was cooking.

💡 The variable light module helped even out those tricky shadows.

🎮 And that removable remote with live-view screen . . . game-changer. I can finally use my phone’s rear camera for proper quality and still see exactly what I’m filming. A quick tweak on the joystick and framing’s sorted.

I’m still exploring the different gimbal modes and plan to dive deeper into the Hohem app, but for a first run it was seriously impressive — smooth, stable and intuitive.

Admittedly, filming myself using the gimbal filming me cooking got a little confusing at times (had to prop up an iPad to catch the chaos 😂) — oh, the joys of content creation!

In short: if you’re a solo content creator who wants to simplify your workflow while levelling up filming quality and creative angles, the Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra is an absolute winner.

🔗 Check it out via [link in bio]

#Hohem #iSteadyV3Ultra #HohemV3Ultratryout #Videography #ContentCreation #BBQ #SmokeAndSear #SoloCreator #BBQCommunity

@hohem_global @hohem_na 

⸻

⚠️ Gifted Item Disclosure:

The Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra was sent to me by Hohem to try out and review. Opinions and content are my own.
🔥 This is probably the thing I’m most proud of in my BBQ journey.

I’m not a pitmaster or pro chef — just a geek who started cooking outside during lockdown and wanted to remember what I’d learnt.

So I built Smoke & Sear - a site that’s now packed with:

✅ 100+ step-by-step BBQ recipes
✅ Honest reviews of grills, gadgets, and gear I’ve actually used
✅ A full UK BBQ Events calendar
✅ Top UK BBQ Instagram accounts
✅ Rub competitions, pitmaster map & more
✅ Sizzle – my own AI BBQ assistant (yep, I went full nerd)

All built to support the UK BBQ community — nothing fancy, just useful stuff from someone who lives and breathes it.

📍 114,000+ have found it via Google
📈 27,000+ users in one week (at peak)
🌍 Visitors from 170+ countries — but always flying the UK flag

—

💬 If you’ve ever used the site, let me know what helped.

If you haven’t yet, go have a mooch - it’s all free.

👉 https://www.smokeandsear.world

What else would you like me to add or do?

I’m a geek — and if it helps the UK BBQ community, I’ll see what I can do.

— Lee | Smoke & Sear

"Just a bloke with a BBQ obsession and a dodgy memory."
"Low ‘n’ slow till it falls apart in your hands – @ninjakitchen Woodfire pulled pork that’s smoky, juicy and dangerously moreish 🐖🔥"

Here’s the move:
🐖 Pork collar rubbed, scored and (optionally) injected for max flavour
💨 Smoked at 120°C until the bark is set and the colour’s spot on
🥤 Foil-wrapped with cider vinegar, BBQ sauce… maybe even a cheeky splash of Dr Pepper
🔥 Cooked through till probe-tender at 95°C, then rested so it pulls like butter
🥪 Load it into buns, pile it on fries, or stuff it into a jacket spud – it’s BBQ gold

No shortcuts, just patience and smoke working their magic.

👉 Full recipe here:
https://www.smokeandsear.world/BBQ-recipes/perfect-pulled-pork-in-the-ninja-woodfire/

#SmokeAndSear #PulledPork #NinjaWoodfire #LowAndSlow #BBQPork #UKBBQ #BBQComfortFood #SmokeGameStrong
"Golden fries drowned in melty cheese, topped with smoky shredded beef cheeks that fall apart with a fork. Comfort food, BBQ style 🍟🔥🥩🧀"

The play-by-play:
🥩 Ox cheeks smoked in the @ninjakitchenuk Woodfire, then braised till buttery tender
🍟 Fries cooked crisp and golden, ready to carry the load
🧀 Cheddar, mozzarella & parmesan melted into gooey goodness
🌶️ Garnished with red chilli, spring onion & coriander for a fresh kick

It’s indulgent, messy, and exactly the kind of food that makes a BBQ table go quiet for a few minutes.

👉 Full recipe here:
https://www.smokeandsear.world/BBQ-recipes/shredded-beef-cheeks-and-cheese-loaded-fries/

#SmokeAndSear #LoadedFries #BeefCheeks #CheeseGoals #BBQComfortFood #NinjaWoodfire #UKBBQ #MessyEats
"Rotisserie Picanha with a fat cap sizzling, gooey Brazilian cheese bread, smoky sweet potato wedges and a mango-pomegranate salsa that hits like Rio Carnival 🎉🥩🧀"

This cook’s a full-on flavour trip:
🐂 Picanha steaks skewered and spun over live fire until medium-rare perfection
🧀 Pão de Queijo (Brazilian cheese bread) – crispy outside, chewy, cheesy middle
🍠 Sweet potato wedges with smoked paprika, grilled till fluffy inside and crisp outside
🥭 Carnival salsa with mango, pomegranate, coriander, lime & a kick of chilli

Stick it all on a big board, crack a cold one, and you’ve got yourself a proper celebration of fire and flavour.

👉 Step-by-step feast guide here:
https://www.smokeandsear.world/BBQ-recipes/picanha-steak-pao-de-queijo-carnival-sides/

#SmokeAndSear #BrazilianBBQ #Picanha #PaodeQueijo #BBQFeast #CarnivalOnAPlate #UKBBQ #RotisserieMagic
"Forget your meal deal – this is the kind of sandwich that needs two hands and a bit of silence while you eat 🥩🥖🔥"

Here’s what makes it special:
🐂 Prime rump joint from Village Butchers, dry brined & cooked rotisserie-style over coals
🔥 Rested, sliced thin, juicy and tender
🥖 Artisan baguette toasted over the fire for that charred crunch
🌿 Fresh rocket for peppery bite
🥵 Slathered with a mustard-horseradish-mayo sauce that packs just the right amount of punch

It’s messy, it’s meaty, it’s smoky – basically the ultimate steak sandwich.

👉 Full step-by-step recipe here:
https://www.smokeandsear.world/BBQ-recipes/prime-beef-rump-joint-sandwich-with-zesty-sauce/

#SmokeAndSear #SteakSandwich #BeefDoneRight #BBQSarnie #UKBBQ #RumpSteak #FireCooking
First night away in the @tentbox I bought from @nomadtrailers ✅

Kept it local and, despite a few niggles, I loved it. 

Stayed at the @theglampingpub pub & campsite — can’t fault it at all. Friendly owners, loads of chats with locals and other guests, self-serve beer pumps (dangerous 😂), and the food was spot on after hiking the Footsteps of Kolkr.

Lessons learned:

	•	I need a @jackery.uk or similar . . . power is everything ⚡️

	•	Waterproof jacket = essential for packing away in the rain 🌧

	•	Snacks . . . don’t forget the snacks 🥨

	•	Mobile reception is rubbish — might have to treat myself to portable Starlink 📡

Wins:

	•	Two plastic tubs system worked perfectly (one for tent & dog bits, one for comfort gear — @chillbeamofficial lights, speaker, chargers etc).

	•	My double sleeping bag was a game-changer — best night’s sleep ever. 😴

	•	TentBox setup was smooth, even if pack-down in the rain took me 15 mins instead of 5.

Overall: cracking little adventure, and I can’t wait for the next one… which just happens to be the Big BBQ Community Cookout next weekend 🔥🍻