Welcome to The Ultimate Guide to Beef Short Ribs at Costco! More specifically, we are going to be looking at the three types of beef plate short ribs sold at Costco and the best cooking methods for each cut.
I find it remarkable that a something as “simple” as beef short ribs can be presented in three entirely different manners!
Vacuum Packed Whole Beef Short Ribs
First up on your list of options is a monster pack of vacuum sealed whole beef plate short ribs. This product is Item Number 14610 and contains untrimmed beef ribs with either three or four rib bones per slab.
Costco typically sells these as a two pack that weighs in around 10 pounds.
Suggested Cooking Method
A whole slab of beef short ribs is one of the best things you could ever put on your smoker.
Some pitmasters call this “Brisket on a Stick” while others refer to these as “Dino Bones”. What I call it is delicious!
The preparation is pretty easy. Rub the meat down with with some Montreal Steak Seasoning, or beef rub of choice, and smoke it at 275F for 6-8 hours until the meat pulls pack from the bone and a probe slides through the meat like butter. The target internal temperature is going to be around 205F.
Braising Beef Short Ribs
These short ribs are made in a two step process:
- Step 1: Cut the full slab of short ribs in half across the bone.
- Step 2: Slice in between the bones to create a one bone portion.
These style of short ribs is Item Number 14579 and typically costs about a dollar more per pound than the full slab due to the extra butchering that is required.
This type of cut has several different names including:
- Braising Ribs
- English Style Short Ribs
Suggested Cooking Method
English Style Braising Ribs benefit from a quick sear followed by a long braising step. I don’t typically buy these ribs so let me point you to some great recipes from other folks.
- Red Wine Braised Short Ribs from Bon Appetit.
- Garlic Braised Short Ribs from the New York Times.
- Classic Braised Short Ribs by The Stay at Home Chef.
You should plan on these ribs taking around 5 hours to fully cook.
Cross Cut Short Ribs
This is my absolute favorite way to have beef short ribs! These are “cross cut” ribs that are created by slicing a whole slab across the bone into 1/4 inch slices.
It is interesting to note that but the Braising Style and Cross Cut Style have the exact same Item Number at Costco, 14579.
By slicing the ribs thinly across the bones you end up with tender pieces of beef which take up marinades well and cook extremely fast on a hot grill.
This cut of ribs has several different names including:
- Cross Cut Ribs
- Flanken Style Ribs
- Korean BBQ Beef Ribs
Suggested Cooking Method
I like to cut the cross cut ribs in half to make a “two bone serving”. Cutting the ribs in half makes grilling and serving easier and just takes a second with a sharp pair of kitchen shears.
These ribs were soaked in a cup of Primal Kitchen Korean BBQ Sauce overnight in the refrigerator and then grilled on High on my Weber gas grill for four minutes per side.
I enjoyed serving these Korean style grilled short ribs with a side of rice and a fried egg for a tasty twist on a classic Steak and Eggs breakfast. And yes, I fire up the grill for breakfast whenever possible!
The ribs come out tender and rich with a beefy flavor similar to a ribeye steak. You can skip the marinade if you want and just go with salt and pepper and these will still turn out delicious.
Korean Style Costco Beef Short Ribs
Equipment
- Weber gas grill
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Cross Cut Short Ribs from Costco
- 1 cup Primal Kitchen Korean BBQ Sauce
- 1 cup Cooked Rice
- 1 Fried Egg
Instructions
- Use a set of kitchen shears to cut the short ribs into two bone portions.
- Place the short ribs in a large bowl and cover with the Korean bbq sauce.
- Let the ribs marinate in the refrigerator for four hours or up to overnight.
- Pre-heat your gas grill on High for 10 minutes.
- Remove the ribs from the marinade and place on the grill.
- Grill the ribs for four minutes.
- Flip the ribs and grill four more minutes.
- Remove the ribs from the grill and serve with white rice and a fried egg.
