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Aaron Franklin's Beef Ribs

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Mark

  • Karma: 23
Truly a thing of beauty, as are Scott's at Little Miss BBQ. You just can't find this cut at supermarkets. :'(

http://andrewzimmern.com/2015/04/21/aaron-franklins-beef-ribs/
#1 - April 30, 2015, 08:52:23 am
Mark Motta
Meatier Creator

mustang

  • Karma: 1
Truly a thing of beauty, as are Scott's at Little Miss BBQ. You just can't find this cut at supermarkets. :'(

http://andrewzimmern.com/2015/04/21/aaron-franklins-beef-ribs/

You can find this cut at 'some' supermarkets -- but you have to ask for it by the correct name.  Those supermarkets that still employ 'meat cutters' in house like Albertson's and Safeway (which is now owned by Albertson's!!) and possibly Bashas' will sometimes sell you an uncut rack of meaty 'beef plate ribs' -- but you have to specifically ask for these as an original uncut rack because they don't normally display them that way.
Whole Foods and AJ's (owned by Bashas!!) have them, too, but you have to ask.  These are NOT the more common 'beef back ribs' which are frequently heavily trimmed and 'scavenged of most meat' in order to leave extra meat on the adjacent and more expensive rib roast.  In contrast, these very meaty 'beef plate ribs' are cut from the short plate primal on the steer. This area is near the bottom half of the animal, closer to the brisket.

The supermarkets routinely receive their uncut racks of 4 long-bone 'beef plate ribs' from the meat processors sealed in cryovac packages.  Then, in the back of the store, they open the bag and cut apart those 4-bone racks into half-length (or even one-third length) individual 'beef short ribs' for their 'short rib' meat tray packages -- because that is the final form that sells best to the public.  Those individual 'shorties' cut parallel to the bone are called the 'English' cut.  If instead they cut the rack across the bones into thin slices it is called a 'flanken' cut.

However, you can ask and receive (at some supermarkets) the original uncut meaty rack of 4 long bones in cryovac packaging before they cut them down into individual short ribs. That photo in Franklin's recipe above shows a full length 3-bone rack of beef plate ribs, but they frequently come in a 4-bone rack, too.

Of course, any authentic 'butcher shop' will gladly sell you these uncut racks of meaty 'beef short plate ribs'  (or any portion of a rack, say 2-bones together, whatever).  They weigh about a pound per long rib bone and sell for approximately $7 per lb, so the 3-bone rack in the photo above would cost about $21 or so.

Restaurant Depot also sells 'beef plate ribs' and they are coded with the official "NAMP 123" identification if untrimmed and "NAMP 123A" if trimmed.  If you are a business owner, you can gain access to RD with a free membership or alternatively you can get a temporary day pass to RD if you are a KCBS member and show your card.  The problem at RD is that many times you have to buy much more product than you really want for home use due to their commercial quantity packages :(

Here are more photos and techniques for cooking meaty beef plate ribs:
http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/shortribs2.html
#2 - April 30, 2015, 01:28:57 pm
« Last Edit: May 03, 2015, 10:28:00 pm by mustang »

Mark

  • Karma: 23
Very informative. Thanks, Robert! The only place I've seen anything remotely like them is at the supermarket at Mekong Plaza...and they cut them across the bone to make bulgogi. :P
#3 - April 30, 2015, 03:42:10 pm
Mark Motta
Meatier Creator

mustang

  • Karma: 1
Very informative. Thanks, Robert! The only place I've seen anything remotely like them is at the supermarket at Mekong Plaza...and they cut them across the bone to make bulgogi. :P

Yes Mark, thanks, I should have mentioned that short ribs can also be cut crosswise to the bones which results in thin slabs containing several pieces of embedded oval shaped bones in cross-section.  That cut is called 'flanken style' and is usually marinated with some version of Asian marinade and then grilled to make Korean Kalbi. 
#4 - April 30, 2015, 10:19:07 pm

Mark

  • Karma: 23
I buy these ribs regularly for $2.99/lb. at the Mekong supermarket as well as the new International Marketplace at Broadway & Dobson.
#5 - June 30, 2016, 12:35:01 am
Mark Motta
Meatier Creator

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