Though pork ribs have always been a popular choice, beef ribs have been rising in popularity throughout the years. Take the time to learn about the different varieties of beef ribs: short ribs, chuck ribs and back ribs.

Plate Short Ribs: Also known as dino ribs, are far from being short in stature, instead this name is derived from the region of the cattle they come from – the cow’s short plate.
The short plate consists of ribs six to eight of the cow, which falls right in between where the brisket and flanks steaks come from. Short ribs really take on that beefy flavour and moist, fatty goodness that the brisket is known for, making it the perfect fit for smoking low and slow on the grill.
Chuck Short Ribs: These originate from ribs two to five of the cow, which is just above the brisket. These ribs typically fall under the blanket term “short ribs”.
Back Ribs: Unlike the other two cuts which are taken from the front of the cow, the back ribs are obtained from the loin primal cut which lie directly above the short rib cuts.
The main difference between the types of beef ribs is in their shape. Short ribs are shorter and flatter while the back ribs are longer and curved. The other difference is in the amount of meat that is on each type of rib. Short ribs will have less meat because they come from the chuck primal which is a tougher section of the cow. Back ribs, on the other hand, will have more meat as they come from the loin primal which is a more tender section.
One thing that all these ribs have in common is that they contain high amounts of connective tissue, which means ribs require long, slow cooking so they have time to develop all the flavours while staying tender and juicy. That can be accomplished using either dry- or moist-heat cooking methods.
Grilling and smoking are examples of dry while braising would be moist. In either case, though, the keys to success are low temperatures and long (as in several hours, minimum) cooking times. The grill does a great job of accomplishing all this for you. You’ve got the nice texture and flavour of ribs as well as the mouth-watering smell.
Andrews Meat Industries offers the full range of beef ribs, from Asado style to single ribs to a whole rack of ribs - we give you the option to make your own creative choices.
Want to try portioning out a full rack of beef ribs?
Check out this video from MLA, all about beef short ribs.
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