Flavorful, well-marbled short ribs seem like the perfect candidate for grilling, but getting the texture just right can be a challenge. We wanted meltingly tender meat with the nicely browned exterior that the grill provideswithout having to constantly fiddle with the fire.
We started with a flavorful spice rub and a sweet-tart glaze. Ground fennel and cumin added more complex layers to the rub. For the glaze, we came up with several options using tangy, bright flavors to help temper the richness of the meat.
Short ribs are full of collagen, which converts to gelatin during cooking and produces a tender texture. We went with bone-in ribs to make sure they wouldn’t overcook before the collagen had enough time to break down.
Even a carefully monitored grill inevitably produces hot and cold spots, and the spotty heat was causing our short ribs to cook unevenly. Starting the ribs in the more even-heat environment of the oven was the optimal solution. When the ribs reached 165 F, we moved them to the grill to finish cooking and get a smoky, crunchy crust.