Well, nobody jumped on this one yet, so, I'll tell you what I can...not a huge amount of beef rib experience here, but a little is better than none...mostly a pork rib smoker, myself, but the basics are the same.
OK, for starters, understand that I really can't say there is a
best rib (unless you're speaking of the actual cut of rib, then, I have my favorite), at least not in the sense of a rib that everyone who would be eating it would say is
the best. There are different methods to achieve different textures/tenderness of the meat and formation of the bark. You can make a rib with a nice bite, tender chew and a bit of tug...the meat won't separate from the bone without a bit of effort. Or, you can turn out a rib which is nearly fall of the bone tender with a very light chew, or somewhere between the tug/chew and fall apart tender...(I'm talking about being so tender the bone will pull out clean from the slab, or pop out of the slab when handling it).
The bark can be well developed and heavy, slightly to moderately crisp, or, going to the other extreme, it can be made very soft and moist.
Your prep and smoke methods will also depend greatly on the rib section and method used for removing the ribs from the side of beef. Mechanically separated beef ribs (typically sold at grocery stores) won't have much meat, mostly bone, and won't take as long to cook, but will also have less fat to render out during cooking. Less fat and meat on ribs can translate to drying out more quickly. One trick to overcome this problem is a bit lower smoking chamber temps, say 215* instead of 225-235*.
If you have the opportunity to visit a meat market and specify what you want for ribs, they can cut them to your liking, weather it's spares, loin-backs, etc, and they can leave a fair amount of meat on the rib slab. It will take some extra coin to get these ribs vs grocery store, but well worth the extra investment.
I've only smoked beef loin backs purchased from the store which had a fairly good amount of meat on them, and those I've separated from a 7-bone whole beef rib eye roast (prime rib), which I deliberately cut into a thick slab...that story is part of
THIS THREAD.
So, I guess from this point, I would have to ask you what you want from your ribs? The texture of the meat, the style of the bark? Also, consider where you will be getting your ribs (meat market or grocery store) and which cut of rib. I will say this: the spares will have huge bones and less meat, regardless of where they are bought. Loin-backs are fairly thick and meaty...I really enjoyed smoking and eating them...very hard to mess these up, IMHO. Loin-back pork ribs are great, too, btw.
Keep in mind, with seasoning of beef, simpler is generally better...KISS method. Beef has a great flavor, so salt, pepper, garlic, and onion if you like. Brown sugar? Depends...it helps to develop bark, but too much sugar can scorch in time, and depending on the cut of meat and total smoking time can be an issue. Also, consider if there will/could be any diabetics dining on the ribs...added sugars, especially processed sugars can cause problems for them.
Smoke woods: hickory and cherry blend is very good for ribs and many other cuts of beef. Some pecan along with either or both is very good as well. Mesquite is good in low moderation...can be very heavy and overpowering, so use it sparingly.
Check out your stores and local meat markets and see what they can do for you for cuts of ribs. Then, let us know some more specifics about what you'll be smoking and we can band together on a good plan of attack for your smoke...sound good?
Hope I didn't throw too much out there at you all at once and confuse the daylights out of you, but, all things you should consider, and when we know more about the specifics, we can get down to the nitty-gritty business end of how to smoke your ribs. Techniques can vary greatly, depending on the cut and what you want from it...lot's of variables, but it can all be worked out.
Eric