“A strong and well-constituted man digests his experiences (deeds and misdeeds all included) just as he digests his meats, even when he has some tough morsels to swallow.”
— Friedrich Nietzsche
Short ribs come from short cows.
We doubt you fell for this lousy edition of “You’ve Been Punked”. Beef short ribs, just like their spare rib counterpart, come from the lower section of the rib cage, with a sizable amount of meat, to earn the nickname “brisket on a stick”.
In addition to their obvious large meaty size compared to pork ribs, beef short ribs are more tough, heavy with connective tissue, and traditionally just braised for soups and beef stews. Be that as it may, beef ribs also have a lot more marbling, and as this unctuous, gelatinous fat melts slowly cooks, not only it tenderizes the meat sitting right next to it but adds a lot more flavor! These qualities have ushered in a renewal of interest in beef short ribs within the “que” world, even though it comes with a bit more of a cook’s involvement.
Smoking and barbequing beef may require more active attention but barbequing can be a meditative process. Building a fire, gazing at the flames, inhaling the smoky scent of the woodchips, and listening to the sparkling sizzles is nostalgic to the caveman within us and perhaps stir up evolutionary memories and values etched deep in our psyche that feel so soothing. Before we start “meditating” and digesting our experiences, a bit of prep work is required.
Once you’re good and ready to get after it, trim the silver skin from the top of your short ribs. This is not fat. It’s a connective tissue that stays chewy, keeps the seasoning and smoke from soaking, and you’ll end up with one helluva tough morsel to swallow. There is no need to use any binding agents, like oil or mustard, because once heated, the binding agent sloughs off and takes all the seasoning with it. Therefore, using a binding agent is counterproductive. After the meat is smoked properly, all the fat next to your meat and the fat next to the collagen melt away, and you will be left with soft, tender, and buttery beef to devour. We tend to inhale ours.
