Brisket and Dino Short Ribs are right next to each other on the cow.
The meat is very similar in taste which is why People call Dino Ribs, “Brisket on a stick.”
With that Said, Not Everyone Likes Fatty Beef
The biggest benefit of buying a packer brisket is that you can offer both lean (from the flat) and fatty meat (from the point).
Dino ribs are basically brisket point meat on a bone.
They’re fatty, rich, tender, succulent, etc.
All these qualities make for a wonderful bite of BBQ that everyone should experience at least once BUT most people can’t eat a whole dino rib and are satisfied with a single bite.
OR they’re likely taking a nap after they eat.
You Can Feed More People with Brisket for Less Money
A whole brisket will weigh 8-20 lbs and lose ~50% of it’s weight after cooking.
A 3-bone rack of dino ribs is usually around 5-6 lbs and similarly loses ~50% of it’s weight.
Using Wild Fork Foods Pricing
- 3-bone USDA Prime Beef Plate Ribs: $11.98/lb
- USDA Prime Brisket: $4.98/lb
So we have similar meat, that shrinks the same when it smokes.
Brisket will likely cost you the same or more upfront but yield more meat to eat.
You also get Lean and Fatty meat so there’s something for everyone.
Dino Ribs are the EASIEST Cut of Meat to Smoke in BBQ
The only reason people suggest Pork Butt is because it’s $1.98/lb.
If Dino Ribs were cheaper, everyone would say to smoke them first, but they’re 10x the price.
As a beginner you:
- Can’t really oversmoke them.
- Can’t really overcook them because they have so much fat.
- You want them to be basically fall off the bone tender.
- They’re thick enough so you can’t really over season them.
- Seasonings are simpler – kosher salt and pepper are more than enough.
- You can smoke these hot and fast 300-325F without drying the meat out.
- There’s no trimming required; Fat and silverskin don’t matter much at all.
- You leave the membrane on to keep the meat on the bone.
- Determining tenderness is easier – just probe till it falls through.
- You slice between the bone after they’re done.
- Resting 1 hour is usually long enough.
Overall Dino ribs are easier to smoke – from start to finish.
Brisket is a cut that most folks struggle with and usually it takes a few cooks to get down.
