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Short Ribs in Britain


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One of my favorite US cuts of meat is short ribs but there is not (that I know of) a UK equivalent. I've got a very accomodating local butcher who has great beef, and I'd like to explain, precisely and in a foolproof manner, the cut of meat that I require, where it should come from, how to prepare. If he can do it correctly, I'll gladly stock up the freezer for short ribs are undoubtedly one of the most satisfying and delicious of all cuts, for my taste at least.

What do I like to do best with short ribs? Numero uno is kalbi-gui, Korean barbequed short ribs, marinated in soy sauce, lots of garlic and ginger, spring onions, sesame oil and toasted and crushed sesame seeds. We like two-inch (or so) short ribs, really meaty and with a good layer of fat that will go crunchy and charred when cooked over hot coals. My grandmother used to butterfly the meat, laying it back from the bone and scoring in a diamond pattern before grilling.

Or else, since it's getting cooler and there is no point in denying any longer that summer is indeed gone, we might prepare kalbi-tchim, short ribs braised in soy sauce, garlic and ginger, cooked for a good couple of hours until the meat is literally falling off the bone, and the resulting sauce in thick and sticky. Or braise in wine or beer with tasty organic root vegetables.

So my question is very simple: how do I describe to my butcher the preparation of this simple and basic cut of beef? I've tried over the years, had fore ribs sawed into pieces, tried top rib, etc, but it's never been quite right. So I'd love to hear from anyone with intimate knowledge of US and UK butchering techniques who can help.

Marc

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In England, the butchers call the cut the Jacob's Ladder, from which you can either have cut flanken (crosswise) or short (lengthwise) ribs.

gallery_8259_153_1096451440.jpg

So - you're looking at the No1. in the Short Plate section, or the No4. in the Rib section.

Edited by MobyP (log)

"Gimme a pig's foot, and a bottle of beer..." Bessie Smith

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"111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321" Bruce Frigard 'Winesonoma' - RIP

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If you look in the Joy of Cooking...

Thanks, Endless, now how did you know that I'd happen to have a copy of 'The Joy' on hand? Well, I suppose everyone does, no? (In fact, I've got two copies, the first my mother's battered copy, jacket falling apart, published in 1952, and our own anglicized version, published in 1963 reprinted 1974 by JM Dent). This is a book, as everyone knows, that has changed significantly with each new edition, and the latter ones, in our experience, are no where near as good as the earlier - or perhaps it's just that my mother's version produces foods that taste like, well, like my mother cooked... But I digress.

Thanks, Jack and Moby, for your suggestions. In my experience, it's not ever quite so easy, I think because the British way of butchering a beef side is fundamentally different from the American (just as continental cuts are fundamentally different). To produce short ribs as I want them would mean the butcher losing other bits (probably roasting joints?) that the British public demands. Cutting against the grain, just goes, well, against the grain, it seems and butchers are reluctant to do so. So, although over the years I have attempted to get short ribs here, I've never quite succeeded.

But dammit, I'm determined to get my kalbi this time! I think therefore that Jack's DIY suggestion might be the best bet: to purchase a whole wingtip rib joint, say four or five ribs?, then have the meat boned out and rolled, leaving a good inch or so of meat on the bones, and then have the butcher saw across the ribs, cutting them into short pieces. Is that sort of what you mean, Jack, and does it make sense?

Speaking of another favorite cut, impossible to find here, what about London broil? Flank steak just ain't quite the same, not in my book anyway. A good local butcher, Piper's Farm, offers something called feather steak, but though tasty and inexpensive, it has a nasty sinew or tendon running through the middle.

MP

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That is exactly what I meant.

Actually I cheat sometimes. Tesco (and I guess the other supermarkets) does well trimmed rib beef. I purchase a chunk, roast it whole, but rare, then cut off the ribs and serve the rest to my guests. The fact that the ribs have been part-roasted first makes no difference to the long-slow cooked dish, and if anything improves them...they are for my private pleasure on another day

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It is a hassle trying to educate butchers who in turn are trying to do the same to you ("What, you don't mean the brisket?" "No I don't mean the bloody brisket I mean SHORT RIBS!")

I came across some perfectly cut ones in the Nottinghill Farmer's market (the stall is also in the Marylenbone market off Moxon) under the name Pot au feu.

"Gimme a pig's foot, and a bottle of beer..." Bessie Smith

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"111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321" Bruce Frigard 'Winesonoma' - RIP

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gallery_8259_153_1096451440.jpg

So - you're looking at the No1. in the Short Plate section, or the No4. in the Rib section.

Thanks for the diagram, Moby, very similar to in The Joy. Is this for British cuts or American, I wonder. And I'll definitely ask my butcher for Jacob's Ladder or Flanken though I wonder if these are regional or local terms?

M

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Jacob's ladder is English - It describes the whole section from which the cuts are taken. Some will know of flanken. The diagram is US, I think.

Of course, you still have to stand over them and tell them exactly how you want it cut.

"Gimme a pig's foot, and a bottle of beer..." Bessie Smith

Flickr Food

"111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321" Bruce Frigard 'Winesonoma' - RIP

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OK I wasn't going to step in here because the subject gets my hackles up, but I've been to several reputable butchers to buy short ribs, and none of them knew what I was talking about, even though I brought them the diagram and said I want the "cut off ends of the prime rib".

One - the guy on Essex Street who wears the hat, (I have blocked his name out of my mind) said 'oh, yes we do these - come back tomorrow' which I did, and he had it all wrapped up and ready to go, charged me like £30 (I should have known at that point something was wrong) and sent me on my way with a smile. When I got home, with this package that weighed a ton, it turned out to be a joint of beef for roasting. A lovely piece of meat but not what I asked for. Yes, I know I should have opened the package in the shop to check - buyer beware and all that - so I take some responsibility. But I showed him the **** picture and he said he knew what I meant ! So I guess what I'm saying is...buyer beware and all that!!

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...So I guess what I'm saying is...buyer beware and all that!!

That's exactly what has happened to me over the years that I've tried, Magnolia. Disappointment and utterly costly disappointment at that (short ribs, after all, are NOT an expensive cut, that's the whole point of them, goddamit!).

This is why I haven't attempted to get them for what, probably nearly a decade now. So what's different? In those days, your average provincial High Street butcher was unlikely to venture beyond the straight and narrow; today we have two excellent local butchers who trumpet the source and breed of livestock and offer meat that is far better - and more interesting - than it was ever in the past. British beef is damn good and if I could get it, then the kalbi, I'm certain, would be absolutely amazing. So I'll have another crack at it tomorrow, armed with Moby's diagram, in first to Arthur's and then to Gerald David's to ask for Jacob's ladder...But I ain't holding my breath.

On the other hand, I have to say that it is not just British butchers who can be as stubborn as the proverbial ox. When my mother lived near Harvard Square in Cambridge MA, her local grocery stores was Savenors, a small gourmet shop made famous not least because Julia Child (who at the time lived around the corner) used to shop there. I remember going in and trying to buy some shin of beef for a daube that we cook often here. Shin is just perfect for the slow braising as it yields the most delicious gelatinous texture to this one pot feast. The butcher at this rather snooty shop wouldn't sell me shin, said it would be inedible, and insisted that I have chuck instead. It wasn't what I wanted at all and turned out dry and tough to boot. I learned my lesson though: not to be talked into having cuts of meat (almost always more expensive cuts) that I don't want just because the butcher can't be arsed to cut specially what I ask for.

So if those short ribs, cut from Moby's Jacob's ladder, are what I want, well, then, I'm not going to have them (he says with brave determination).

Marc

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From the diagrams and photos in my copy of "The Meat Buyers Guide for Caterers" ISBN 7198 2517 2 , the closest cut is called "Pony"and described as "A short fore quarter from which the Brisket, Shin and Clod have been removed"

I also stand corrected. The ribs described above should be "Fore Rib Oven Prepared". Wing rib i further back, and hence the rib bones are bigger

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"Good" butchers are often a problem as they tend to only sell expensive bits of meat -- this is also a problem in other countries. Try an ethnic butcher who often have windows fillled with wierd bits of offal and so on, and you might have good luck. If the window is filled with organic chicken breasts marinated in thai spices then the odds are bad. If it has a couple of pigs trotters and some beef kidney then you might have more luck.

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Actually...come to think of it, last time I was at Bodeans I asked the guy who his butcher was - they don't have short ribs on the menu but they are certainly 'american' oriented - he told me, I wrote it down on a little scrap and proceeded to lose it of course. I will call again...

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Major big time success, I'm delighted to report!

Went in first thing this morning (after the school run) to Dart's Farm, a remarkable food shopping concept combining genuine farm shop, food hall, deli, great wet fish counter, and butcher Gerald David from Exmoor (plus now Fired Earth and AGA to give an idea of the target market). Have been using this butcher for years and years, though I also use Arthurs here in town: we're lucky, both are excellent. But I've never before had any luck, as I explained, with short ribs.

So this morning, I caught Barry while they were slow (usually the place is heaving) and asked him for Jacob's ladder, with the qualification that what I really wanted was American short ribs. He brought me out a piece of what he said he would call Jacob's ladder, but he knew it wasn't quite what I wanted (though it was close). In fact what he next pulled out was exactly as Jack described: a whole fore rib, from which the short ribs would be cut off from the tips. Usually, he explained, they'd either cut the bone say 8 inches down (these are long foreribs) and tuck around to make a standing fore rib, or else they'd bone out and roll for a boneless fore rib joint. But he was quite happy to saw off 6 inches or so (to the point where it starts to broaden out and get too meaty), then saw those pieces in half again, and divide into perfect short ribs for me.

This is prime Ruby Red beef, bred for flavour not leanness and hung for a good 3 weeks. The delicious point about short ribs is that at this tip end of the rib, there are layers of meat and fat interleaved. This is what is so outrageously fantastic when cooked Korean style for kalbi: the meat first scored to the bone (or butterflied out, LA style) then marinated in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame and spring onions, and cooked over hot charcoal (not too hot, not too low: the fire's gotta be just right so that the meat cooks while the fat sizzles and chars - no question, that charred, marinaded, slightly burnt fat is the best damn bit all and for me what makes kalbi one of the greatest foods on earth).

So the happy conclusion is this: with your help I've managed to procure a much longed for, previously unobtainable cut of meat and now know how to explain precisely what I want. Also Barry charged me top rib price (which is always the cheapest cut on special here, £3.95 per kilo, so I got over 5 kgs of beautiful American short ribs for around 20 quid, which I think is pretty darn good).

Now if I can find where imagegullet has disappeared to, I'll post a picture for ocular proof.

Incidentally, Gerald David sell on-line and are even now, so I was informed, supplying ribs of Red Ruby beef from Devon as well as Exmoor lamb to Simpson's in the Strand (for Simpson's they hang the beef 4 weeks!). Short ribs aren't on the normal meat list, however, and I'm not sure I'd trust ordering on line without first speaking to someone.

Marc

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Kalbi, prepared (trimmed and butterflied) and marinading

kalbimarinading.jpg

Plan is to select the best pieces for char-grilling and to soy braise the rest in the pungent marinade. Serve with steamed shortgrain brown rice, a green salad, and thinly sliced cucumbers, first salted then drained and squeezed, and dressed in vinegar, sugar and piri piri chilies.

MP

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Marco-P - your photos made me salivate.

I didn't realise you were Out West.

However I might have hit the jackpot as well; I just asked the butcher at Ginger Pig (London) if he knew what short ribs were, described the Jacob's ladder thing, etc. and he said he'd be happy to do it if I asked in advance. I'll keep you posted...

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Isn't the thing about this cut (Korean-style) that it should be cut thinly crosswise -- so you have a lot of thin slices each of which has several bits of bone in it? Does it work with the bigger pieces of bone or do you have to bone them? Seems like it might be too chewy.

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Isn't the thing about this cut (Korean-style) that it should be cut thinly crosswise -- so you have a lot of thin slices each of which has several bits of bone in it?  Does it work with the bigger pieces of bone or do you have to bone them? Seems like it might be too chewy.

Balex, this may be what you've been served in Korean restaurants (for the record, kalbi is often too sweet for my taste in many Korean restaurants, and I want big pieces of meat with charred fat, not fussy little strips). Believe me, provided you can get your mitts on short ribs, kalbi home-prepared and -cooked over charcoal is infinitely better than you'll ever get most anywhere. Pieces with big bones are just fine: the key is to trim and carefully prepare the meat by butterflying it out (as in the pic above) and then score the meat carefully in a diamond pattern. Short ribs are a slow braise cut, but when prepared like this from good marbled meat, and marinaded overnight to tenderize, there is no better meat cooked on a grill! On the other hand, I readily acknowledge that some prefer the tender sticky flavour of braised short ribs to the more toothsome delights of char-grilled: if that's your cup of boricha, then use the same marinade (but don't bother butterflying), cover with water, and slow braise until the meat is falling off the bone. Either way is great.

Magnolia, I've heard great things about the Ginger Pig. Take your butcher up on his offer toute suite (you might want to print out a pic of Moby's chart or the photo of the short ribs above to show him and to make sure you get what you want).

Here's the way we've always cooked kalbi (recipe comes basically from Flavours of Korea):

Kalbigui

1 kg beef short ribs, cut into 2 inch pieces

For the marinade

6 tablespoons soy sauce (I prefer Kikkoman)

2 tablespoons sesame oil

5 fat garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped

2 in piece of fresh ginger, peeled, crushed and finely chopped

4 spring onions shredded on the diagonal

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

3 teaspoons sugar

Freshly ground black pepper

While keeping the meat attached to the bone, slice it away in 1 or 2 layers to butterfly it. Score deeply in a diamond pattern (it doesn't matter of some of the meat becomes detached). Place the ribs in a large bowl, mix all the marinade ingredients together, and pour over the meat. Massage with your hands to mix well. Refrigerate overnight (mixing from time to time). To cook, prepare a charcoal fire and when the coals have just gone white hot, grill until the fat is crisp and charred, about 5 minutes a side. Serve with steamed white rice, kimchi, and other namul or salads. (Note, the same marinade can be used on good sirloin steak, pounded lightly and scored into a diamond pattern, to make another Korean favourite, bulgogi).

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  • 1 year later...

OK so I might be being very dim here. I've got some lovely recipes for short ribs but I can't find them anywhere - even Lidgate/Ginger Pig-type places say they just don't cut them like that. But you must be able to buy them somewhere. I've never eaten them and would like to try. Am I just being stupid and not calling them by any Anglicised name they may have? Anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

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Notting hill farmers market on this morning (Saturday morning).

They have a beef stall that is very good for unusual cuts, and they always have short ribs. But NOT sliced thinly across the bone in the korean style. In the French style.

Edited by balex (log)
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  • 4 weeks later...

We do Scottish | Kobe beef -- 100% Aberdeen Angus cattle raised in the traditional Kobe style. Fed a special diet of grain and beer, and massaged regularly.

We pride ourselves on being able to provide the more unusual cuts of beef: for example, we recently started offering a Scottish | Kobe picanha. East meets --- well, not quite West, more Brazil.

We just sent a Scottish | Kobe steer down the long green mile yesterday, and his beef will be ready for cutting in about 21 - 24 days. I looked at the "Short Ribs in Britain" thread, and the photos made me hungry.

I'd be glad to have our cutter follow the instructions for short ribs if you'd like to try them Kobe-style.

Our meat is unashamedly expensive --- raising a grain (and beer) fed steer in the U.K., and massaging him, costs big bucks. But it's delicious --- the fat melts at a much lower temperature than the fat in grass-fed beef, so the meat is almost self-basting.

There's more information about the science of Kobe beef at www.kobe-beef.org and our products can be viewed on our e-commerce site at www.luciesfarm.co.uk.

If you'd like us to cut short ribs for you, following the instructions in the other thread, please contact me directly.

I just found this forum this evening when doing a Google search --- I've quickly joined!

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Craig - welcome to eGullet. May I ask, how many animals do you produce, and how long have you been selling beef in this style? Have you had any interest from chefs?

"Gimme a pig's foot, and a bottle of beer..." Bessie Smith

Flickr Food

"111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321" Bruce Frigard 'Winesonoma' - RIP

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