Short Ribs

Short ribs are a versatile cut of meat that can be found in a variety of dishes. Various Asian and European dishes feature beef short ribs, and ribs are also a barbecue staple. While some short rib dishes, such as grilled kalbi, do not require low and slow cooking, other rib dishes benefit from slow cooking. A slow cooker is one of the best methods for short ribs to achieve this result, yielding tender, delicious meat that slides right off the bone.

Short ribs are derived from the chuck primal, which accounts for their excellent marbling and deep beefy flavor. Short ribs, like many other cuts from the chuck primal, are working muscles that require a long slow cook before turning from tough to tender. There are two types of ribs: English style and flanken cut. The meat surrounds the length of the bone in the English style, which has one bone per short rib. Flanken short ribs, also known as LA style depending on thickness, are cut across three bones, with the majority of the meat falling between the bones.