BBQ rib of beef recipe

Published 26 October 2026 · Last updated 26 October 2026 · Tested by Ben Austen

Ingredients

• A five-bone rib of beef, about 3.3kg
• Plenty of salt
• Some rosemary and thyme, for the rest
• A bit of butter, for the rest
• Some garlic, for the rest

Equipment

• A barbecue that can cook direct at about 180°C (356°F) with the lid down. I cooked on the Big Green Egg MiniMax, with no deflector. Any kamado, or a kettle set up for direct cooking, should do the same job, but I haven't tried it.
• Lump charcoal and firelighters. I used Big Green Egg's own lump with two big sticks of binchotan.
• An instant-read thermometer, and a leave-in one if the weather lets you use it.
• A bowl big enough for the joint, and foil, for the rest.

Method

1. Salt the beef heavily, about an hour before it goes on.
2. Light the barbecue for direct cooking at about 180°C (356°F).
3. Put the beef on bone side down and close the lid.
4. Take it off at 52°C (126°F).
5. Rest it for an hour in a bowl with the rosemary, thyme, butter and garlic, covered in foil.
6. Take the meat off the ribs, then carve.

Key takeaways

• Five bones sounds like a lot, but it isn’t a massive joint. The bones take up a load of the weight. Mine was about 3.3kg and it served six easily, with a load left over.
• If you’ve no deflector, let the bones do the job. Put it on bone side down and let them burn, which is the plan. Then take the meat off the ribs before you carve.
• I’d take it off a couple of degrees earlier next time. Mine came off at 52°C (126°F) and was medium after the rest. It was still delicious, but I’d have liked it a bit rarer.
• A leave-in thermometer makes this an easy cook. I couldn’t use mine because the transmitter would have been getting rained on, so I was checking it with an instant-read.

How to cook a rib of beef on the BBQ

This was a five-bone rib of beef from H.V. Graves in Briston, about 3.3kg, and I salted it heavily about an hour before it went on. I didn’t put any pepper or herbs on at that stage, because they would have burnt. I cooked it on the MiniMax, and we didn’t have a deflector, so the beef went on direct and the bones underneath did the deflector’s job. The bones burnt, which was the plan, and it worked perfectly. The Egg ran at about 180°C (356°F) with the lid down. It was absolutely pouring down, and even with the vents fully open it couldn’t get above 220°C (428°F). The beef came off after about 1 hour 50 minutes at 52°C (126°F), and I rested it for an hour under foil, in a bowl with rosemary, thyme, butter and garlic. After the rest it was at 60°C (140°F), and I took the meat off the ribs before carving.

For the fuel I used Big Green Egg’s own lump, lit with some firelighters from a shop, and two big sticks of binchotan, which I lit by putting them on top. You could really see how long it takes to come up to temperature. The lump was way quicker.

Rib of beef cooking time and temperature

My 3.3kg five-bone joint took about 1 hour 50 minutes, direct at about 180°C (356°F) with the lid down. It came off at 52°C (126°F), and after an hour’s rest under foil it was at 60°C (140°F), which was medium. I’d have liked it a couple of degrees less, so it was rarer. The Food Standards Agency says whole cuts of meat other than pork and poultry, like steaks and joints, can be served pink in the middle as long as the outside has been seared.

What I learned

Next time I’d take it off a couple of degrees earlier, because I wanted it rarer than it came out. It was still delicious. The cook also confirmed that binchotan isn’t the charcoal you want for low and slow, because it takes so long to get going.

What to serve it with

We had it with onions roasted on the barbecue, and sweet potato, kale and some really nice Italian pumpkin from the oven. The pumpkin has an amazing texture and tastes really creamy.

Variations

I’ve only cooked rib of beef this way, direct on a MiniMax with the bones as the deflector. Any barbecue that cooks direct at about 180°C (356°F) with the lid down should do the same job, but I haven’t tried it.

Related

• Venison loin recipe on the BBQ — cooked on the same MiniMax the night before.
• Tomahawk steak on the Big Green Egg Large — another beef cut I took off at a set temperature and rested.
• The best instant-read thermometer in the UK — the kind of thermometer this cook needs.
• The best BBQ charcoal in the UK — the Big Green Egg lump is on it.
• BBQ goose recipe — also from H.V. Graves, cooked a few days later.
• Thermapen ONE vs Classic — the two instant-reads I used on this cook.
• BBQ gifts — ideas for whoever does the barbecue this Christmas.
• Reverse sear côte de boeuf on the BBQ — another big beef cut, reverse seared and rested in foil.

FAQ

How long should I cook a rib of beef on the barbecue?

Mine was a 3.3kg five-bone joint and it took about 1 hour 50 minutes, direct at about 180°C (356°F) with the lid down. I took it off at 52°C (126°F) and rested it for an hour under foil.

How do you cook a rib roast on the barbecue?

I salted it heavily about an hour before, then cooked it direct with the lid down and the bones underneath doing the deflector’s job. It came off at 52°C (126°F) and rested for an hour under foil with rosemary, thyme, butter and garlic. Then I took the meat off the ribs and carved it.

Can you cook a rib of beef without a deflector?

Yes. I put it on bone side down and let the bones take the direct heat. They burnt, which was the plan, and it worked perfectly.

How many people does a five-bone rib of beef feed?

Mine was about 3.3kg and served six easily, with a load left over. Five bones sounds like a lot, but the bones take up a load of the weight.

Can rib of beef be served pink?

Yes. The Food Standards Agency says whole cuts of meat other than pork and poultry, like steaks and joints, can be served pink in the middle as long as the outside has been seared. Mine was medium: it came off at 52°C (126°F) and was at 60°C (140°F) after the rest.

Disclosure and provenance

The lump was from a bag Kate had been given through her work, and I bought the beef from H.V. Graves in Briston. None of the links here are affiliate links, so nothing here earns a commission.

Sourced from the 24 October 2026 cook log — a five-bone rib of beef cooked direct on a Big Green Egg MiniMax in heavy rain.