Meat · Beef

Beef short ribs

Meaty, marbled bone-in beef ribs, braised until tender or cut thin across the bone for Korean galbi.

Also called: short ribs, galbi, kalbi, flanken ribs, braising ribs

Around the world: 갈비, galbi (ko)

A kind of beef

3 recipes with it

Photo: Tim Evanson, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-2.0)

What it is

Short ribs come from the lower rib area: thick layers of well-marbled meat on a section of rib bone. English-cut short ribs are single bones with a block of meat, for braising; flanken-cut ribs are sliced thinly across several bones for quick grilling, as in Korean galbi. They are richer and fattier than chuck.

How it’s used

Braised short ribs with red wine
Korean galbi (grilled) and galbi-jjim (braised)
Smoked barbecue beef ribs
Rich ragù and stews
Soups such as galbitang

Characteristics

Taste: Very rich, beefy and fatty.
Texture: Tender and succulent after long cooking; chewy when grilled thin.
When cooked: Release a lot of fat when braised; chill the braise and lift off the solid fat. Thin flanken cuts cook in minutes.
Sold as: fresh, frozen
Cooking uses: Commonly cooked, Suitable for grilling, Suitable for boiling
Common in: Korean, American, French, British

Storage

Refrigerated. Keep sealed on the bottom shelf of the fridge or freeze.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

Vegetarian
Vegan
Dairy-free
Egg-free
Gluten-free
Nut-free
Soy-free
Caffeine-free

Food-safety guidance for whole cuts of beef, lamb, veal and pork is 63 °C (145 °F) in the centre followed by a 3-minute rest; slow-cooked cuts are taken far higher for tenderness.
Store raw meat sealed on the bottom shelf of the fridge and keep separate boards for raw meat and ready-to-eat food.