These Oven Barbecued Short Ribs are melt-in-your-mouth tasty. Flanken-cut beef short ribs are rubbed with a seasoning blend, then slow roasted in the oven to tender, saucy perfection.
At first glance, this recipe might seem a bit overcomplicated. 16 herbs and spices? Really? Well, yes – really. The method for producing these mouthwatering short ribs is actually quite simple, despite the multitude of dry ingredients. Trust me, it’s worth the effort.
Corky, the man who shared the inspiration for this recipe with me, uses a blend of 3-4 different spice rubs in equal amounts. Unfortunately, these rubs are not widely available in my area. In replicating the flavor, I researched the blends he uses online and broke down the spices and herbs they used. The custom blend below is my crack at capturing the flavor from scratch.
Flanken vs. English Cut Short Ribs – What’s the Difference?
There are two different cuts available for short ribs. Short ribs cut across the bone are known as flanken. Each piece of flanken contains 3-4 small pieces of bone between the areas of meat. If you’ve ever cooked or eaten Korean food, you may be familiar with this style of ribs. English Cut short ribs are cut between the bones. This leaves one long, thick piece of meat (approximately 4 inches) attached to one piece of bone.
Flanken cut works best for these ribs; it helps keep the meat juicy during the low, slow cooking. Flanken can be found at kosher markets or in the meat department of most nicer grocery stores, though it’s likely you’ll have to ask the butcher to cut them for you. Korean grocers also stock them. Just make sure you ask the butcher to slice them 1 inch thick. Enjoy!
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Oven Barbecued Short Ribs
Ingredients
Dry Rub Ingredients
- 3 3/4 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp celery salt
- 1 1/2 tsp marjoram
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 tsp chili powder (mild)
- 3/4 tsp dried sage
- 3/4 tsp sour salt (or citric acid)
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- Heaping 1/4 tsp allspice
Ingredients
- 4 lbs bone-in flanken rib strips cut 1 inch thick (8 rib strips - should have 4 bones to each piece)
- 3/4 cup sweet barbecue sauce
- 3/4 cup spicy barbecue sauce
- 1 tbsp dry rub mixture
Notes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix together all of the dry rub ingredients until well incorporated. Set aside 1 tbsp of rub for later.
- Cover a sheet tray with aluminum foil or a generous amount of nonstick cooking spray and place the ribs, evenly spaced, on the tray. Coat one side of the ribs with half of the dry rub mixture, then turn and coat the other side. Place the ribs in the oven for 1 hour.
- After one hour has passed, remove the ribs from the oven and use tongs to flip them over. Place back in the oven for 1 hour, or until nicely browned.After the second hour has passed, remove the ribs from the oven and turn the oven temperature up to 450 degrees F.
- While the oven heats up, mix the two barbecue sauces and 1 tbsp of dry mix in a mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.
- Generously coat each side of the ribs with the barbecue sauce mixture using a basting brush.
- Once the oven has reached 450 degrees F, place the ribs back into the oven for 2-3 minutes, just until they are crisp on the outside and meltingly tender on the inside. Watch closely to make sure they don't burn. Slice and serve!
Anne J says
This recipe was so good!!! I bought a pack of flanken cut short ribs at my local co-op on a whim because they looked like they’d be mighty tasty. But then I needed an idea how to cook them. This recipe was so easy and delicious. I didn’t have every last spice for the dry rub (I was missing marjoram and all spice I think) and I used lemon powder from Penzey’s instead of citric acid. I used Stubbs Sweet Heat BBQ sauce and whisked in a smidge of molasses. Tender and full of flavor. Wow!! This one will go into regular rotation.
Caryn H says
Love love loved it!
Leena says
So yummy!
Tonya says
First time cooking rib tips and the recipe was on point! we all loved them!!
sarah says
Does this go in the oven uncovered for 2+hours??
Tori Avey says
Yes, but at a low temp.
Amadelo Noel Tuliao Lumagui says
Oh! how I wish I could reach through the screen and grab those short ribs right about now! My wife would do everything to get her hands on one of these.
Jeff says
I recently discovered that Sam’s stocks flanken, but not English cut. They are in 3lb or more trays.
Amy Harris says
Would love to find out where I went wrong when cooking this. The flavor was fantastic, but the meat had the consistency of beef jerky. It was just too tough. I cooked at 275 for 1.5 hours on each side (I read a comment that asked for a tip to make it extra tender and it was suggested to cook them an extra 15 minutes on each side). Could that extra half hour of cooking time actually have been a bad idea? Would really like to try again because of the great flavor, so any tips would be helpful! Thanks!
Tori Avey says
Hi Amy – perhaps, though it’s hard to imagine just 15 minutes longer would overcook them to the point of giving them that texture. Are you using lean grass fed ribs, by chance? Those can actually take longer to soften because they are so lean. Also, are you using the flanken cut? If using English cut short ribs the timing would be very different – for best results this recipe should be made with flanken (or Korean-style) cut ribs.
Mendy says
How would you modify this recipe for a make ahead prep – Freeze ?
Nicole says
Just made these and they came out amazing! Thanks for the recipe.
Julie says
I had never heard of flanken steak/ribs until I got some from my butcher. I found this recipe and have found it to be a “go to, no fail”. Absolutely fabulous, a bit tedious due to the array of spices, but oh my goodness, THE BEST
IVY says
So good and easy! My first time cooking this type of bib and I love them! I used cumin, salt, pepper, garlic and Johnny’s seasoning salt for my rub and sweet baby rays for my sauce. Will save and make again!
jon says
This tasted amazing
kaley Pittman says
Mine are in the oven now!! Mouth is watering!