Buy Beef Ribs
Beef ribs used to be a cheap cut of meat, and in fact many butchers would give the bones away to customers with dogs. Today, however, buying beef ribs can be costly, as more people have discovered that these ribs can be a delicious alternative to pork ribs. Unlike pork ribs, the meat on beef ribs is full of tough and sinewy connective tissue that makes them difficult to chew unless properly prepared. Beef ribs come in 2 different forms: beef back ribs, and beef short ribs.
Contents
Steps
Beef Back Ribs
- Understand what beef back ribs are.
- The back ribs are cut from the top section of the rib and contain some of the flavorful and fatty rib roast meat. There are 13 ribs to each side of the steer and they can be cut from the rib roast or loin portion of the steer. The ribs cut from closer to the rib roast are often trimmed close to the bone with little meat on them except for what is between the bones. Ribs cut from the loin section are often slightly meatier, though they are slightly less flavorful.
- Choose rib size.
- Beef back ribs can be cut to any length, from dino ribs which are about 18 inches (46 cm) long to a more manageable 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm). They can be packaged in groups of 13 bones all the way to packages of single bones. Most home cooks don't have the equipment to cook the dino ribs, so you may need to special order those from the butcher.
- Consider price.
- Ribs requiring the least amount of butchering are generally the least expensive. Single portion ribs are typically the most expensive. Ribs that come from the rib roast (closer to the head of the steer) may also be more expensive than those cut from the loin.
- Calculate amount needed.
- Due to the varying cuts of rib bone length, it is difficult to say how much each person might eat in rib bone weight. Consider instead that each person might eat 2 to 3 bones, perhaps an additional if the bones are cut shorter than 6 inches (15 cm) long.
Short Ribs
- Understand what short ribs are.
- Short ribs are cut from the short plate section on the steer. This area is near the bottom of the animal, and the short ribs are cut from near the flank and brisket areas. These ribs are much shorter in length, usually around 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) long. They have much more meat attached to them compared to the longer back ribs, but unless they're braised they're nearly impossible to chew.
- Choose bone-in or boneless.
- Short ribs are often available boneless. Boneless short ribs have the benefit of having less connective tissue and sinew, but they lack the flavor that comes from being on the bone. Boneless short ribs can also be more expensive, though you're getting more meat for your dollar.
- Inspect the package.
- All short ribs are not created equal. While most short ribs have a good layer of meat on them, those toward the flank end of the steer have less meat. Butchers slip 1 or 2 of these lean bones into each package. Inspect the package carefully to ensure that each bone has a good portion of meat on it. Boneless rib packages should not have excess layers of fat on the meat.
- Consider the amount needed.
- Allow 3 to 4 very meaty short ribs per person, slightly more if they are not especially meaty. For boneless short ribs, you should allow about 6 oz. (170 g) per person.
The Quality of Meat
- Choose between select, choice, prime and kobe/waygu.
- Both beef short ribs and back ribs are available in various grades. Most standard grocery stores will carry select grade meat. This meat is perfectly acceptable for consumption, and is the least expensive. Choice and prime cuts are often available only at specialty grocers and butchers, but they have additional marbling through the meat, which adds flavor and tenderness. Kobe, or waygu, may only be available if you special order it through your butcher.
- Choose from organic, grass fed or conventional beef.
- Organic beef comes from steer that were raised and slaughtered according to that area's organic certification standards. It is typically the most expensive compared to grass fed or conventional beef. Grass fed beef is raised on grass and may or may not have any hormones or other additives. Conventional beef is mass produced and available at the lowest price.
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