Flanken Cut Short Ribs with Pancetta Wrapped Asparagus
Beef ribs have never been my bag. Sometimes they are tempting to buy in the grocery store because of their sheer volume and often-reasonable price. But my beef ribs usually start out looking like they are for use on the set of The Flintstones, but turn out tasting like they have a leading role in The Frump-Stones. Somewhere along the way, I decided it was time to give beef ribs a second chance and I am happy that I did.
Flanken cut short ribs ready for seasoning and the grill
I was not after a traditional rack of beef ribs as much as I was interested in experimenting with the short rib. For as much access to amazing beef as we have in Montana, it was surprisingly hard for me to get my hands on any short ribs. After checking two or three of my normal spots I gave Lolo Meat Locker a shot and they were happy to sell me some custom cuts of beef. She told me that they butcher beef once a week and I could custom order short ribs, picking them up in a few days. On a whim, I asked her of a cut I had only once had and explained it to the best of my ability. She informed me that it was a flanken cut of the short rib and I could tell from the excitement in her voice that it was a good place for me to start out.
When I picked up the ribs they were bright, vibrant, and very well-marbled. They were seasoned liberally with a Canadian-style steak rub that is heavy on pepper and garlic and then slathered in Italian salad dressing before hitting the grill.
Big Green Egg heating up to temp in the wind
I had the vents wide open while my Big Green Egg Grill came up to temperature and even faced it into the wind to promote better air flow.
Smelling fantastic
My grill stabilized at about 300 F. I wanted to cook it for as long as I could without drying them out too badly.
Rich smoky flavor on the beef ribs Flanken Cut Short Ribs with Pancetta Wrapped Asparagus
I am so happy I took a chance on this prehistoric-looking cut of meat. It had an amazing flavor that finally got my taste buds out of the Stone Age!
If you're looking for a different way of cooking Flanken ribs, check out my method to cook them sous vide for over 75 hours!
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