Short ribSmoked Beef Short Ribs
Brisket flavour on a bone, and considerably harder to ruin. Plate short ribs are the single most impressive thing you can put on a charcoal cooker.
Short ribKorean Galbi, LA-Cut Short Ribs
Short ribs cut thin across the bone so they cook in minutes. The marinade uses pear, which genuinely tenderises rather than just flavouring.
Short ribAsado de Tira Over Embers
Argentinian cross-cut short ribs cooked slowly over embers rather than flame, seasoned with nothing but coarse salt. Patience is the entire recipe.
Short ribSmoked Beef Cheeks
The hardest-working muscle on the animal becomes the most tender thing on the plate. Beef cheeks are pure collagen, and low slow smoke turns them to silk.
Plate short ribs are brisket flavour on a bone and considerably harder to ruin, because the fat content is higher and the cut is more forgiving of a fire that drifts. If you want the drama of a long cook without the anxiety of a brisket, start here.
Buy plate short ribs, sometimes sold as dino ribs, with thick meat sitting on top of the bone. Avoid flanken-cut or thin chuck ribs, which have far less meat and dry out over a long cook.
Unlike brisket, they do not need wrapping. There is enough intramuscular fat to push through the stall unaided, and the unwrapped bark is the best part of the finished rib.
At a glance
| Recipe | Method | Grill temp | Cook time | Pull at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoked Beef Short Ribs | Low and slow smoking | 105 to 135°C (225 to 275°F) | 7 to 9 hr | 95°C (203°F) |
| Korean Galbi, LA-Cut Short Ribs | Direct heat | 230 to 290°C (450 to 550°F) | 8 min | Cooked through |
| Asado de Tira Over Embers | Direct heat | 175 to 230°C (350 to 450°F) | 50 min | Cooked through |
| Smoked Beef Cheeks | Low and slow smoking | 105 to 135°C (225 to 275°F) | 6 hr | 95°C (205°F) |
Techniques used
Direct heat. Food straight over the coals. Fast, fierce, and finished before the inside overcooks. Low and slow smoking. Hours at 105°C (225°F) to 150°C (300°F) with wood on the coals. Collagen melts, bark forms.
Cookers these suit
Asado grills. Bullet smokers. Drum smokers. Kamado grills. Kettle grills. Korean table grills. Offset smokers. Portable grills.