We have this local farm stand that operates in the summers that recently moved into an old renovated barn as their store. With all this extra space they have expanded their offerings to include local beef they claim to have raised. My wife saw they were selling short ribs and bought a good amount to feed 7 of us at Sunday dinner at her parent's last night.

I cooked them and the second I began prepping them, I knew there was trouble. Unlike the beef short ribs I've bought at Wegmans which are basically a big 2-3 inches by 2-3 inch cube of meat with or without a bone, these were different. They were cut across the rib bones into 3 inch wide segments by 10-12 inches long and the meat was thin and seemed to be more connective tissue and fat and gristle than actual meat.

I braised them using a modified Pioneer Woman recipe that has always been well received in the past but they turned out terrible. I'd say they were 80% garbage; gristle, fat and connective tissue and 20% actual meat. Still a little chewy even after being seared and braised for 3+ hours

No one liked them and we all looked like the Griswold's around the table in Christmas Vacation trying to eat the overcooked turkey and be polite about it. Comments like "well the sauce tasted good!" and stuff like that.

Were we ripped off here? What did they sell us as "short ribs" Now we are reluctant to try any of the other cuts they offer.

Did they sell us beef BACK ribs as "short ribs"? Was this just low quality beef?

I usually cook with these, but they did NOT look like these:



They looked more like someone took a rack of pork spare ribs and sawed them down the middle.

That's leftovers from the Soylent Company. Didn't make the grade for their famous "Green" offerings.

Unfortunately, it seems there is some wiggle room on beef short ribs. I've had the same disappointing experience as you in the past. They might have been chuck short ribs which are a little smaller or they could have been mislabled back ribs. They also could have been butchered poorly.

I now know to ask for full plate short ribs, and I don't buy them if I can't look at them first. They are too expensive to not get exactly what you want.

Sounds like they trimmed them too close. No meat left.

What you are describing is the "flanken" style cut. (That's what my butcher calls it anyway. Across the bone cut rather than between the bone.

I see that cut most often in Korean type recipes. Usually there is meat along the "top" of the bone and they tend to do better grilled rather than braised. It still sounds like you got into some poor quality beef.

My favorite are referred to as plate ribs. Cooked low and slow they are like brisket on a bone.

The chuck short ribs you pictured are what you commonly find in grocery stores. Also good braised or smoked.

quote:

Originally posted by rsbolo:
What you are describing is the "flanken" style cut. (That's what my butcher calls it anyway. Across the bone cut rather than between the bone.

I see that cut most often in Korean type recipes. Usually there is meat along the "top" of the bone and they tend to do better grilled rather than braised. It still sounds like you got into some poor quality beef.

My favorite are referred to as plate ribs. Cooked low and slow they are like brisket on a bone.

The chuck short ribs you pictured are what you commonly find in grocery stores. Also good braised or smoked.

Flanken or Korean are cut very thin across though?

These were cross cut sections but like 3-4 inch segments

Kinda sounds like what my wife (Korean) calls L.A. Kalbi.

They get called tablitas in Texas. Better grilled hot and fast vs braised.

Beef rib terminology is confusing because everyone uses it differently. Short ribs are usually the last ribs you want to use for smoking or cooking. They are pretty close to a soup bone. Chuck ribs are better they are cut further down from the spine and closer to the front of the animal. Usually ribs 2,3,4, and 5 are used.

Plate ribs is where the meat is. Almost impossible to find in most parts of the country unless you know a processor who will cut them for you. They come from the same area as chuck ribs but further back on the animal. Beef plate ribs can be bought in stores in Texas or so I've been told as they are coveted there. I just ordered and received 8lbs of prime chuck ribs from Creekstone Farms and 3 tri tip steaks. I've had their tri tips but never ordered their ribs before so I'm waiting for a chance to try them soon.

Agree that those look like beef short ribs commonly used for traditional korean bbq (kalbi); LA kalbi is cross cut so that you have 3 bones per piece of meat (but the bones are more like 1/3" wide cut across the marrow).

I would cut an X into the top and bottom (meat side and bone side; cook in a pressure cooker with water, soy sauce, sugar, little garlic and green onion. The beef will be fork tender and the connective tissue will be easily edible (collagen rich?). Love it. Otherwise, you can cut like kalbi (partial cuts across the beef so as to roll it out like a strip) and marinate then grill. But the connective tissue will be tough so not really edible.

Not seeing the suspect ribs it is hard to say.
However, beef ribs (like the picture) are fantastic when cooked right.
One method is a Guga recipe of Sous Vide @165 for 48 hours (yeah 2 days).
Sear first then add a wine/beef-broth/herb concoction seal in a bag then in the bath for 48 hours.
UNBELIEVABLE.

when I was in the biz (19 yrs meat guy, 35 yrs grocery)

the short ribs were just like you pictured

beef ribs were sold as the ribs that are under the Ribeye, (as in the ribs in a rib roast)
Short Ribs come from the Chuck (closer to the neck than the rib eye, )


short ribs are a flatter bone, beef ribs are more round(ish)

Just got this and in the first five or six minutes a great explanation of rib location by a butcher.



Beef Ribs still one of my favs!