What Type of “Short Rib” are We Referring to?
The 2 types of short ribs you’ll find on a cow are:
- Short “plate” ribs
- Beef “chuck” ribs
If Beef Chuck Ribs = Buy a Chuck Roast
Beef chuck ribs come from the beef “chuck” primal.
They span ribs 1-5 and are cut just above the brisket.
The reason these bones are left in the chuck is because they are quite literally short bones that don’t work well for steaks (ie. like the adjacent rib primal which create ribeye steaks).
Meaning, chuck “short” rib bones are just as they sound.
At a grocery store you’re not apt to see these sold as whole 4-bone slabs.
Rather, they’re sliced between the bone and they’re halved to create “English” cut short ribs.
If you’re trying to replace “chuck short ribs” or “English cut short ribs” – you could just buy a chuck roast as it’s very similar meat.
If Beef Plate Short Ribs = Buy a Brisket or JUST the Point
Short plate ribs, or what most people call “dino” ribs are sourced from the plate primal.
Short plate ribs are found in the forequarter of the cow and are located behind the brisket and below the beef rib primal.
The short plate is so-called due to the fact that it does not contain the brisket.
Specifically, short plate ribs are rib bones 6, 7, and 8.
The bones in this section are long, wide, and oval shaped.
Due to its location, it tastes eerily similar to brisket (it’s called “brisket on a stick”)
The muscle also has enough intramuscular fat to remain moist during the smoking process, where-as chuck short ribs tend to dry out (which is why they’re braised in a liquid).
If you’re trying to replace “Dino” short ribs, buy a brisket OR just buy the brisket point to smoke.
