If you’re after that proper “wow” factor BBQ dish – the one that has your mates drooling before it even hits the board – this is it. Jacob’s Ladder (aka beef short ribs) is already a beast of a cut, but when you take it low ‘n’ slow on the Kamado Joe, rub it down with an Aleppo-spiced bark, and hit it with a sticky bourbon glaze? Game over.
Sticky Bourbon Glazed Jacob’s Ladder
Ingredients
For the Beef Ribs:
For the Rub:
Binder:
For the Sticky Bourbon Glaze:
For the Spritz:
Instructions
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Prep the Day Before – Dry Brine & Flavour Build
Trim your beef ribs. Remove any silver skin or loose fat – don’t skip this, it’ll help the rub stick and let that glorious bark form. Slather them with yellow mustard (don’t worry, you won’t taste it – it’s just glue for flavour). Mix your rub ingredients and coat the ribs generously, like you’re seasoning with intent. Place on a rack uncovered in the fridge overnight. This helps dry-brine the meat and forms a killer surface for the smoke to cling to.
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Fire Up the Kamado Joe
Set your Kamado Joe for indirect cooking at around 120–130°C. Use the deflector plates and get a nice steady temp. Once your smoke is clean (blue, not white and billowy), throw in your wood chunks – cherry, oak, or hickory work beautifully here.
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Smoke the Ribs – Bark Time
Place the ribs bone-side down on the grill grates and close the lid. Let them soak in that smoke magic. After 90 minutes, start spritzing every 45 mins with your apple juice and cider vinegar mix. Add a splash of bourbon if you’re feeling fancy. This keeps the meat moist and helps build that sexy bark.
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Wrap It Up – Internal Temp Check (~75°C)
At around the 3.5–4 hour mark, check the internal temp – you're looking for about 75°C. The bark should be dark, firm, and not rub off. If it looks and feels right, it’s time to wrap. Tightly wrap the ribs in butcher’s paper or foil. Add a spoonful of that bourbon glaze and a splash of bourbon inside the wrap. Back on the BBQ they go.
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Cook Until Tender – Probe Like Butter (93–96°C)
Keep cooking until they hit 93–96°C internal temp. But more importantly – probe feel. You want zero resistance, like a hot knife in room temp butter. That’s when you know it’s showtime.
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Glaze and Caramelise
Unwrap the ribs and brush generously with that sticky bourbon glaze. Pop them back on the grill, unwrapped, for 20–30 minutes to let the glaze set and caramelise. Glossy. Sticky. Epic.
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Rest and Serve
Pull them off the grill and rest for at least 30 minutes, loosely tented in foil. Don’t skip this step – it lets the juices redistribute and keeps things juicy.
Equipment
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Note
Hot Hold: If you’re feeding a crowd, you can hot-hold these wrapped in a low oven (around 60°C) for an hour or two.
Don’t Skip the Rest: It’s tempting to dive in, but 30 mins rest time = maximum juiciness.
Serving Ideas: Pair it with pickled red onions for contrast, grilled corn or cornbread for sweetness, and a proper crispy slaw to cut through the richness. A cold beer or bourbon cocktail rounds it all off perfectly.
