Whats The Difference Between Beef Ribs And Beef Short Ribs
The back ribs are under the short ribs. The meat on beefback ribs is between the bones, while the meat on beefshortribs is atop the bones. Shortribs have a layer of fat on top of them. Beefback ribs are often referred to as beefribs because they are leaner than beef brisket.
The short rib is the most common cut of beef in the United States. It is also one of the leanest cuts of meat, with a lower fat content than other cuts such as chuck, chuck roast, rib-eye, or sirloin.
Grilled Boneless Short Ribs Faqs
How long can I keep short ribs in the refrigerator?
Store cooked leftover beef short ribs for up to 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. They are best kept in shallow, air-tight containers or wrapped tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
Can I freeze beef short ribs?
Yes, you can freeze beef short ribs! Store in air-tight containers, freezer bags, freezer wrap, or aluminum foil. If you want to be extra sure they freeze well, wrap them in foil or freezer wrap first, then add to a freezer bag or air-tight container.Cooked short ribs will freeze well for up to 3 months, but I guarantee you will eat them before then.
What temp should I grill beef short ribs at?
Beef short ribs grill best over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through. This produces a beautiful sear and juicy, perfectly cooked medium-rare middle.
Difference Between Beef Short Ribs And Beef Back Ribs:
Short ribs are smaller than beef back ribs and are located more to the breastbone or underside of the cow. Conversely back ribs come from the ribs nearest to the shoulder of the cow, closest to spine.
Visually, short ribs are smaller and the meat is on top of the bone. Back ribs are elongated / longer and the meat is in the middle of the bones.
Interesting enough, the cooking method is the same for both cuts because they’re a tough cut with bones, if that makes sense. Low and slow cooked in the oven or crockpot for both beef rib cuts.
Beef short ribs are also expensive. If you’re looking for a more economical cut, check out my BBQ oven baked Beef Back Ribs. These ribs are the bones that are cut off from a Prime Rib Roast. They may not be as meaty but they are just as delicious.
Lay the beef bone side down and fat side up while cooking in the oven. The bone is on the far left in this close up of a short rib. The left side with the bone will face down.
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Beef Short Ribs Recipe
- Prepare BBQ for indirect cooking, use a smoker or an indoor oven. Set the temperature of your BBQ kettle, pellet grill or smoker to 250f or your indoor oven to 302f .
- For gas BBQ’s with 3 or more burners, set for indirect cooking at 356f .
- Hood/lid/door will need to be closed for the entire cook whether you use a BBQ kettle, smoker, pellet grill, indoor or gas.
- You can add 2-3 chunks of wood to a BBQ Kettle for a smoked flavour.
Ingredients
3-4 bone-in trimmed beef short ribs Olive oil Enough 50/50 mix of beef stock/water, apple juice/olive oil or plain water to spray the ribs throughout the cook
For the seasoning:1 tablespoon ground sweet paprika 2 teaspoons dry mustard powder3 teaspoons garlic powder1 teaspoon of light brown sugar1/2 teaspoon celery salt1 teaspoon black pepper1 teaspoon sea salt
Triple the seasoning ingredients and place in a jar, store in the pantry for 2 months.
Method
Step one – Combine the sweet paprika, mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, pepper and sea salt in a bowl. Set aside until needed.
Step two – Trim ribs of excess fat and pat dry with paper towel.
Step three – Cover the ribs entirely with olive oil and the rub seasoning. Refrigerate for 2 -4 hours if you have time. Allow the ribs to reach room temperature before starting the low and slow cook. Coat the ribs again right before placing them in your preferred heat/cooking source.
Step four- Place the ribs on grill grates.
Step five – Spritz the ribs every 45 minutes.
Prep The Beef Short Ribs
With any piece of barbecued meat, it pays dividends to invest a few minutes up front into preparing the meat for a long cook. With BBQ beef short ribs, theres typically not too much work to do, but lets cover some basics.
First, check for any loose or dangling pieces of meat or fat. These are sometimes a byproduct of the butchering process, and can dry out or burn over the course of a long cook. No need to go crazy detailed on this, but if there are any obvious offenders simply remove them.
Next, your short ribs may have a small fat cap on the top this is good, as it will help baste the meat during the cook and keep it from drying out. Give the fat a quick once over to check for any obviously uneven areas. Again, no need to be perfect here, but trim down any parts where the fat is super uneven. This will ensure that you dont get any cuts of your finished product with way more fat than meat.
Lastly, the underside of your ribs may have a thick, white membrane over them. If you can, slide a butter knife under this membrane and using a paper towel for grip, peel it off. Just like with baby back ribs, this membrane wont render quite as well as the meat, and could lead to some tougher bites when all is said and done.
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What Temperature Should Short Ribs Be Cooked To
Beef short ribs are typically done between 200-210°F. I usually aim for the higher side, between 205-210°F.
I use my Thermapen ONE to check the internal temperature in multiple parts of the rib, and dont consider it done until everywhere is probing like butter.
At that point, the ribs should be almost falling off the bone.
Should Ribs Be Bloody
is it okay to under cook beef ribs so theyre a little pink-red? Health safety-wise, sure, medium rare is no problem. That said, the reason you cook beef ribs all the way the through is so that you can get them falling off the bone and fork tender. Your ribs will probably still be tough if you cook them to pink-red.
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How To Smoke Beef Short Ribs
These ribs are straightforward to make they simply require a bit of time and patience. Heres the basic timeline for smoking your beef short ribs. Scroll to the bottom of the post for a full, printable recipe card.
What Are Beef Short Ribs Used For
Since short ribs come from the area between the chuck and rib, they combine characteristics of both cuts. Short ribs get the rich marbling of rib steaks with the deep beefy flavor of chuck roast. In short, theyre an indulgent treat for anyone who loves beef and a real stick to your rib comfort food.
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What To Serve With These Short Ribs
The options for serving with these are many, but I would keep whatever else you are serving in a few categories. You either want it light and fresh like a salad like maybe this creamy kale slaw. The other option would be to pair them with something rich that would cut through some of the meatiness of the short ribs. Basically, Im thinking of mac and cheese here like maybe this One Pot Spinach Mac and Cheese.
Or you could kind of combine both concepts with something like this Charred Scallion Macaroni Salad!
Time To Grill The Beef Ribs
Place your beef ribs bone-side down on the grill opposite to the heat source if you have two burners and in the center if you have three.
Allow ribs to cook undisturbed with the lid closed for 30 minutes. This keeps both heat and smoke inside the grill. Adjust your grill so the temperature stays between 200 and 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grilling Boneless Ribs
The method to grilling boneless short ribs, for example, is the same as for bone-in beef ribs. Apply your rub to all sides of the meat.
Cook with indirect heat at 225 degrees Fahrenheit with your wood chunks and drip pan set up. Count on approximately four hours per pound for the ribs to be ready to eat.
*Pro-tip Without the bone, you can grill a pound of boneless ribs for two hours or until it reaches a core temperature of 150 degrees Fahrenheit and it is similar to a steak.
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Score Some Boneless Short Ribs
Sure, bones add deep flavor when you’re slow-cooking short ribs. But when you’re sizzling them in a flash, it’s all about exposed surface area. When the robust direct heat of the grill meets the abundant fat in beef short ribs, you’ll get irresistibly crispy bits on the outside. Even better, the marbling means that the interior stays juicy after it’s hit with medium-high heat.
Things To Remember For The Ultimate Bbq Beef Short Ribs
Beautifully trimmed raw plate short ribs from Ashburton Meats in Melbourne
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Why Grill Short Ribs Like An Argentine
The truth about these ribs are they are not for the faint of heart. These guys are for meat lovers. Short ribs are a fatty, tough cut of meat which is why they are traditionally braised for many hours. The Argentines push all of that aside though and grill them up for just a few minutes which results in a flavor-packed piece of meat which is very chewy, but in a good way.
Its strange to say, but I think it brings out the carnivore in people. Its impossible to eat these without literally knawing on the bone, and most people dont even notice they are doing it. Its not something you would want to serve at a fine dinner, but man is it good.
In Argentina when you order really anything at all, you are given a big bowl of chimichurri. As far as I can tell there are about a million different versions of chimichurri, but here is a pretty good one.
How To Cook Beef Ribs On A Charcoal Grill: A Step
This recipe will turn out the best beef ribs youve ever tasted. Weve even included the recipe for a glaze that can be easily made from pantry staples, so you wont have to rely on commercially prepared barbecue sauce .
Our smoked beef ribs rub contains chili powder and cumin for spice and dimension, as well as brown sugar to help give the ribs that all-important sticky char. This recipe should feed four to six hungry people. Dont expect to have many leftovers, but if you do, theyll make a great barbecued beef sandwich the next day .
To make the best beef ribs on a charcoal grill, youll need two aluminum pans: One to catch the drippings during cooking so the coals dont flare up, and one to fill with water.
Ingredients
- 2 whole slabs beef back ribs
For the Smoked Beef Ribs Rub:
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Mexican style chili powder
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
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Grilled Short Ribs With Smoked Spanish Paprika Rub
Published: by Mike Vrobel · This post may contain affiliate links ·
Im a sucker for grilled short ribs. I saw these beauties in the meat case at my local grocery store – flanken cut beef short ribs, lined up in their trays – and I had to buy them. Had to, I tell you!
Flanken style short ribs are the style used in Korean grilled beef short ribs, cut across the bone, about ¼-inch thick. I wasnt in the mood for Korean, though We had stir fry for dinner last night. I had a taste for something a little more American, so I went with Smoked Spanish Paprika rub.
What does Flanken mean, anyhow? Its derived from the Yiddish and German word for flank, because the ribs are cut from the flank of a side of beef. Flanken was a cheap cut, because short ribs are tough and chewy. Normally it takes long, slow cooking to tenderize it. But, if the short ribs are cut thin enough, against the grain of the meat, they become perfect for grilling, with a big beefy taste.
Resting And Serving Your Beef Ribs
This is where all your patience pays off. The probe goes in like butter and measures 200-205°F.
Carefully pick the ribs up and wrap them in aluminum foil or butcher paper to rest.
Be careful not to damage the bark. A good tip I got from Aaron Franklins video is to pick the ribs up with a damp towel so you dont accidentally damage the bark.
When resting smoked beef ribs make sure to give them at least 30 minutes, or preferably an hour.
- If you need to serve them to your guests sooner, let them sit uncovered for 30 minutes before slicing into them.
- If you have longer to wait, wrap them in butcher paper and then a towel and place them into a cooler.
If youre serving these ribs at a party you can using the faux cambro technique will keep the meat warm for a few hours and you will benefit from a longer rest time. This allows the juices to redistribute back into the meat.
Once your ribs have rested for at least an hour slice them into individual ribs with a good slicing knife. Dont forget to grab a rib by the bone for the ultimate caveman experience.
And thats it! If youve followed this guide your ribs should be tender, with a rich smoke ring around the outside.
Bbq beef ribs like these really dont need any kind of barbecue sauce, but if you really like sauce use something that goes well with beef like this Texas mop juice
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How To Get A Great Bark
Getting a good bark on bbq beef ribs involves a few easy steps. The first step is to apply enough rub to the meat. Because beef ribs are a huge cut, feel free to season them liberally.
You will need to put a nice even layer on to help the bark formation. Use a rub with a coarse blend of seasonings instead of finely ground which will just absorb into the meat. Large chunks of pepper, garlic, and other spices really help the bark and texture.
Spritzing also helps with getting a good bark, just be careful not to spritz too early and rinse away the rub. Normally I wait two hours before spritzing. By this time the rub has had enough time to stick to the meat and by spritzing you will allow the smoke to stick and layers of bark to form as moisture evaporates.
Smoke is another key factor in the creation of the bark. The longer your meat is exposed to smoke, the darker it will become as more and more smoke sticks to the surface. When cooking low and slow you are giving the meat more time to build your bark.
You may notice that if a piece of meat has been smoked for a long time it may almost look burnt. More than likely it is just the particles that have caramelized on the meat and gotten dark over the long cooking process. It should not taste burnt and still be cooked through and be moist on the inside.
