Have you heard of Flanken Style Short Ribs before? If not, you are in for a real treat!
A very popular cut of beef is the short-rib or English Cut Beef Rib, but dont underestimate the little sister, Flanken cut beef ribs! Both are from the same cut of beef and they are very different in looks, but not in taste and texture.
When cooked correctly, Flanken ribs are rich in beefy flavor with just enough fat to be decadent. Pair them with some mashed potatoes and steam & crisped broccoli and you have yourself one spectacular meal!
If you arent familiar with Flanken cut ribs, they are cut into thin strips of beef instead of a thick cut. Flanken Style Short Ribs are usually used when making Korean style ribs that you find at Korean BBQ restaurants or Tira De Asado, Argentinean grilled short ribs.
The Argentinean grilled ribs are usually cut much thicker, similar to the thickness of English cut short ribs, but they are still cut across the bone into long strips. The Korean bbq ribs have a sweet and spicy sauce baked onto the ribs resulting in a nice sticky rib. They are delicious! I absolutely love making them, however, sometimes I want a different flavor that is more like a steak marinade, so this recipe was born!
The great thing about making flanken style ribs is they are quicker to cook than short ribs, because the meat is much thinner. So, you can have a delicious and easy meal in just a short time. They also go well with so many different flavors that you can use any sauce or marinade and as long as it has enough acid to cut the richness from the fat, they will be delicious!
Pressure cooking followed by air crisping is the perfect cooking combination for these beef ribs. The pressure cooking tenderizes them in just 5 minutes of pressure cooking time and then the air crisping/air frying renders the fat and browns them nicely. Dont worry if you dont have the Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper or the Instant Pot Duo Crisp; you can still make the recipe using your pressure cooker and oven.
In the flanken style of short rib, this thin cut, which is about 1/2-inch thick, goes across the bones so that each slice contains a few pieces of bone.
Flanken Style Short Ribs
Flanken short ribs are the same meat as regular short ribs, just cut differently. Instead of being cut with the bone into chunks, they are cut across the bone. Most of the meat is along one side, with 3-4 small bones on the other side. There are connective tissues that hold the meat to the bone and usually a layer of fat on the opposite side of the bone from the meat. See the photo below which shows how the English Cut Short Rib would be cut.
This cut is usually from the chuck end of short ribs and is well-marbled. It can be a tough cut of beef if not cooked properly, and pressure cooking works great for tenderizing it! The long strips of rib meat can easily be separated from the bones for boneless pieces of meat.
Since this recipe is specifically for flanken beef, I dont recommend substituting it with another type of meat without changing the timing.
If you cant find the flanken cut ribs, you can absolutely use the same marinade with Short Ribs, also known as English Cut Beef Ribs. With short ribs, the meat is much thicker and will require a longer pressure cooking time of about 30-45 minutes, depending on how thick they are. English Short Ribs also benefit from air crisping, air frying, or broiling after they pressure cook. I also recommend searing them in hot oil before pressure cooking. After pressure cooking, you will want to air fry on 400℉/200℃ for 15-20 minutes or until the fat crisps up to your liking.
This is where you can get creative and develop your own favorite flavor of flanken ribs. The marinade I used is the same one I use for a steak marinade and it is based on a recipe that my husbands grandfather used to make all the time.
The only difference between this marinade and the one in this recipe, Grilled London Broil, is I omitted the oil. Because the flanken-style ribs are so fatty, there is no need to add oil to your marinade unless it is for flavor like sesame oil would be in a Korean-style marinade.
I have tried this recipe with both types of marinade/sauce and either one is fantastic, it just depends on what you feel like eating.
The Korean-style marinade usually has brown sugar, soy sauce, fresh ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, and gochujang sauce with sesame seeds and green onions as toppings and I serve it with white rice.
The American-style marinade is made with red wine vinegar, rosemary, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper, onion powder, and fresh garlic. I like to serve this style of rib with mashed potatoes and garlic green beans!
Other options for seasonings or sauces are endless. You can make a more traditional American BBQ style by using your favorite rub and basting with BBQ sauce during the air frying process. You can marinate them in a citrus-based marinade and pair with your favorite fruit salsa.
These tender and juicy cuts of beef are very versatile and becoming more and more popular and, therefore, easier to find in grocery stores. In fact, stores near me never carry the English cut ribs, so all I can usually get are the flanken style.
Prep or Mise En Place
Gather the ingredients for the marinade, a large Freezer bag, and take the ribs out of the refrigerator.
In a small bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and spicy mustard.
Add the seasoning blend and minced garlic. The amount of garlic that you use is completely up to you, but I used 1 Tablespoon and it was not overpowering. The bulb I had was on the small side and I used almost all of it to make 1 Tablespoon. You can also use garlic paste or jarred minced garlic.
Whisk everything together and set the marinade to the side while you prepare the ribs.
I recommend washing the ribs under cold water before placing them in the bag or container you are using to marinate them. When the flanken style ribs are cut, a saw is used and sometimes there can be some bone fragments on the ribs, washing them quickly removes any so they dont end up in your cooking liquid.
Once they are washed, place them in a single layer in the bag. I can usually fit 3 or 4 in the first layer. Then alternate the next layer so the ribs are running the other way. This allows the marinade to be better dispersed and exposes more of the rib meat. Continue putting them in the bag alternating layers until all of them are in.
Pour in the marinade and try to get most of the air out as you close it up. Massage the bag so the marinade covers as much of the ribs as possible. Place the bag with the marinade on a tray and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but overnight is better.
What are Beef Ribs and What are the Different Styles | The Bearded Butchers
FAQ
What are thin cut beef ribs called?
What are the 3 types of beef ribs?
Is flanken and short ribs the same?
What are the different styles of beef short ribs?
What is a beef short rib?
This sharp short rib report is ready — let’s go. Beef short ribs are a flavorful cut of meat with plenty of meat on the bone. Short ribs are taken from the chuck primal of the cow, specifically from the serratus ventralis muscle in the chuck area. Short ribs can be served in two styles: English cut or Flanken.
Rib steak vs Rib eye: Which is healthier?
Most red meat is loaded with vitamins and minerals that are excellent for heart health and other body functions. Red meat is a significant source of protein, which is necessary for muscle health and both of these steaks are loaded with protein in each serving. Steak is also a good source of vitamin B12, vitamin B6, iron, phosphorus and zinc. Rib steak has quite a bit of saturated fat, especially in fattier pieces, like the ribeye. Because sirloin steaks have less fat content than a ribeye, it’s safe to say that the sirloin is the better option if you are following a low-fat diet.
What are the different types of beef ribs?
There are three main types of beef ribs: Chuck Short Ribs, Plate Short Ribs, and Back Ribs. Let’s take an in-depth look at each of them and the best uses for each. These ribs come from underneath the cow’s chuck area and are usually made up of the first four or five ribs on the rib cage.
Which short ribs have the most meat on them?
Beef short ribs have the most meat on them, often holding between 1 and 2 inches of meat each. They carry a hearty flavor, making them better suited to people with a more adventurous palette. Still hungry? Check out more BBQ posts