Roasted & Grilled Beef Short Ribs

As with many dishes we know and love, beef short ribs started out as poor man’s food. They were considered an affordable butcher’s byproduct from the cow’s lower rib and plate sections, before they were transformed from a working-class economy cut into a global culinary staple. They are cut from the lower 3 to 6 inches of the rib cage (the chuck or short plate). There are two main types of short rib cuts – English cut, sliced parallel to the bone into thick, individual bone-in segments and the Flanken cut, sliced across multiple bones into thin strips. They are almost always slow cooked to make them tender, since they contain high amounts of connective tissue and collagen. When cooked slowly, that tissue melts into rich gelatin, making the meat exceptionally tender and juicy. They are often slow cooked in stews, or smoked or roasted or cooked with wine or vinegar that help in breaking down the proteins to make them more digestible.

Short ribs are not the healthiest cut of meat, but they are not completely unhealthy either. They have a high fat content but they are also very rich in protein, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. So not something to eat all the time, but they are good to eat every now and then. Last night was one of those nights to cook some short ribs. Our ribs were the English cut ribs.

Roasted and Grilled Short Ribs

I made a dry rub and coated the ribs with that on both sides then added some red wine vinegar and roasted them for a little over 2 hours at 300* F or 149* C.

Dry Rub

2 TBSP kosher salt

1 TBSP packed brown sugar

1-2 tsp pepper

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp garlic or garlic & rosemary seasoning

1 1/4 tsp paprika

dash cayenne pepper

Mix everything together well, then generously season both sides of the short ribs with the rub and press into the meat. Use about 1 heaping TBSP of the rub and save the rest for the glaze. Once the meat is seasoned, drizzle about 2 TBSP of red wine vinegar over the meat, then cover tightly with aluminum foil and roast in the oven for about 2 hours.

The Glaze

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

remaining dry rub

the juices of the cooked ribs

Brush the glaze on both sides of the short ribs and grill at a temperature between 275*-300* F until the ribs are done. Brush with more glaze as needed. The rib meat should just fall off the bone and will be very tender and juicy.

I served the ribs with some of Julia’s potatoes from her garden that I par boiled first in garlic and rosemary water, then pan fried in olive oil with salt & pepper and a quick and easy green bean, tomato, corn and red onion salad. To complete the meal, I added some warmed ciabatta and a light red wine. DELICIOUS!

Life is short. Live life to the fullest and make the most out of everyday. It’s OK to break the rules every now and then and “live dangerously”. It’s OK to eat fatty foods every now and then, just NOT everyday. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.