The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science

(Nandana) #1

level of doneness. I treat my short ribs much as I would a
high-end Japanese Wagyu-style steak. That is, whether you
like your regular steaks rare or well-done, I very strongly
suggest cooking your short ribs to medium-rare—about
130°F. Any cooler than that, and the intramuscular fat will
remain solid and waxy, rather than turning unctuous and
juicy. Much hotter, and the fat will start running out
copiously, making your ribs tough and dry.
Short ribs cook best over a moderately hot, not blazing-
hot fire. Like all things, fat has a tendency to burn when it
gets too hot. If you were to cook your ribs over an inferno,
that dripping fat would vaporize, leaving a foul-tasting sooty
deposit on the surface of your meat. You want to have the
short ribs cooked through to the center exactly when the
exterior becomes deep brown and crusty. They can also be
cooked like a steak in a hot cast-iron pan.
I prefer my short ribs the Argentine way: seasoned with
nothing but salt and served with chimichurri sauce.


Slicing and serving: Short ribs are a bit tougher than
premium cuts of meat, so, once again, slicing thinly against
the grain before serving (or instructing your diners to do so)
is the way to go.
Trust me. Once you’ve tried short ribs on the grill, you
will never want to ruin them by braising them in the oven
again. Or at least not until winter comes.

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