USDA PRIME: These short ribs are graded USDA Prime, the top tier of quality in the US. The Prime grade indicates the highest level of marbling, resulting in increased tenderness and flavor.
HOLSTEIN CATTLE: Our California Reserve Boneless Short Ribs are sourced from Holstein Cattle, raised in California predominantly in the SE corner of the state. The size (diameter) of Holstein cuts will be smaller than the Angus.
SHIP FROZEN: Flash frozen after being processed, these short ribs will be safe for an additional 6-7 months in your freezer, or 4-5 days in your refrigerator once thawed.
DRY AGED: Before these were processed into steaks, these boneless short ribs were dry aged for 14-18 days. Due to the short ribs having very little protective covering (i.e., bone or fat), we do not take these out as long as our other dry aged cuts.
This is a special cut for us, and here’s why: we typically don’t dry age boneless short ribs. The challenge is that this cut lacks the protective bone and fat cap that makes dry aging feasible on other cuts. Without adequate coverage, you end up with excessive trim loss when you remove the dried, aged exterior after the aging process is complete. It’s simple math; lose too much to trim, and the economics don’t work.
But here’s where it gets interesting. We think the result is worth the extra effort: intensified, concentrated beef flavor with those characteristic nutty, umami notes that dry aging delivers, plus enhanced tenderness as natural enzymes break down the muscle fibers.
Now, I know what you’re thinking… if short ribs are typically braised with bold sauces and seasonings, won’t all that dry-aged flavor just get lost in the pot? Actually, it’s quite the opposite. The aging process creates layers of complexity that work alongside your other ingredients rather than competing with them. If you’re someone who loves that dry-aged funk, these are going to be right in your wheelhouse. They pair beautifully with recipes that include mushrooms and red wine – those bold, earthy flavors play off each other in a way that’s pretty remarkable.
One more thing worth mentioning: we don’t trim these into uniform portions. That’s your call to make based on how you want to cook them. The muscle has natural tapered edges that might not look like much when you pull them out of the package, but trust me on this – throw those pieces in the pot too. They might not be the prettiest portions, but they’ll help develop incredible flavor as everything braises together. Think of it as starting with a more sophisticated foundation. Whether you’re making a classic red wine braise, Korean-style preparation, or a rich ragu, that dry-aged depth adds a level of savory complexity that elevates the entire dish.
You’re not just getting ‘beef flavor’, you’re getting concentrated, dry aged beef character that stands up to and enhances whatever you pair it with.
In terms of cooking, I suggest to either braise or braise, or as an alternative, braise.* Braising is what these short ribs are all about. They rank at the top of the Comfort Food list when prepared in this manner. There are a million variations ranging from “Haute Cuisine French” to “Down Home BBQ,” which gives you an idea of the versatility here. The basis of all these recipes is “low and slow.” In any method used, the meat is browned first in a skillet, then moved to a pot containing whatever sauce you have chosen and allowed to simmer slowly for a few hours. Absolute winner hint: This type of entrée (cooked in a sauce) will be better the second or third day after cooking because when left in the sauce, the meat will continue to absorb and be enhanced by the flavor of the sauce. I always make a double batch, freeze half (sauce and all) – then you have a “get out of making dinner free card,” for all you have to do is thaw and heat.
Timing can be variable; in the simplest sense, you just want to cook until the meat is fork tender. You’ll want to make sure that the individual short rib pieces are placed in a single layer in the cooking pot (don’t stack them on top of each other), and whatever sauce you’re using should be almost covering the meat. Figure a good rule of thumb is that if you’re cooking in a 350-degree oven, it’ll take about 2 and a half hours.
*Okay, technically you could go a few other directions with these, I’m just biased. These short ribs are of a high enough quality that theoretically you could throw them on a grill, but you would want to go as low of heat as possible, and turn the pieces almost constantly (a quarter turn every 5-6 minutes). In my humble opinion, the amount of effort required to do these on a grill (especially when compared with the simplicity of braising) is simply not worth the end result.
This cut also could work if sliced very thin and cooked very quickly over high heat, in a Korean BBQ style method. You would have to do the slicing on your end (we prep them in larger pieces here), and a good tip for getting as thin of slices as possible is to make your cuts when the meat is halfway frozen.
