That 2nd picture is from Adam Perry Lang’s pop up BBQ thing that he does at the Jimmy Kimmel lot occasionally.
Apparently all the chain markets, and the few specialty markets, where I live are using a different butchers bible. The pic I posted is what they all seem to sell as short ribs. Anything that looks like the others is labeled “beef ribs” but they’re always small (6") and have nowhere near that much meat on them. Frustrating!
both pictures are short ribs. They’re just cut differently.
You can find uncut choice grade short ribs at the Costco Business Center in Hawthorne.
I must be misunderstanding. The short ribs in MY pic have multiple visible fat layers. They always do at our markets. The others look more like oversized pork baby backs. I realize ours are cut across the rib, but they don’t look at all the same to me. Help?
take this piece of meat, cut them up into individual ribs, then cut up the individual ribs into 3" sections. The result gets you the short rib pieces in your post.
the end result is this
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I’m about out if gas on this. I just don’t see the thickness of meat on top of each rib being possible in the packaged ribs that o see it the ines that are open. Not eve close to my eye. And the ones in my pic have very obvious fat layers above the bone that just do t show in the others. All that aside… I’d love to be able to find the ribs shown as cooked at any market around where I live.
Perhaps wiki has the answer? (I had to look this up too) Short ribs - Wikipedia
Using American butcher’s nomenclature, short ribs may be taken from the brisket, chuck, plate, or rib areas of beef cattle.
…
Retail meat shops often do not differentiate between short ribs which come from the brisket, chuck, plate, and rib
Therefore, it would appear that the beef ribs I’m googling (tx style beef short ribs) are specifically calling for beef plate short ribs.
According to another site, Left – Beef Back Ribs; Right – Chuck Short Ribs; Upper – Plate Short Ribs
Aaron Franklin said they just got their shipment of beef ribs for the weekend and the box containing 48 ribs was almost $500. That’s $10 per rib before the cost of trimming, seasoning, smoking, labor, and overhead is factored in.
All of these joints use plate short ribs, or IMPS #123A. This includes ribs six, seven, and eight which are cut just below the ribeye. The marbling is even and the size of each rib, which can be the size of a forearm, is pretty much uniform. For a fine dining setting like Smoke in Dallas the consistency is important. Chef Tim Byres says he needs the same size rib on each plate when more than one person at the table orders one of their popular “Big Rib” entrees. Plate ribs provide that size consistently, but they’re also very large, and Smoke doesn’t charge by the pound. “People love them, but they’re not a money-maker,” says Byres, who concedes that they’re too popular to take off the menu so he just eats the cost.
Perhaps this can help clarify the difference between different types of ribs, The Science of Beef Ribs. Here is Meathead’s recipe for short ribs, The Only Smoked Texas Beef Rib Recipe Y'all Will Ever Need.
Good smoking!!
I’m pretty much convinced the difference between our pictures is the way they are cut, as well as the difference between plate short ribs and chuck short ribs.
Someone please prove me wrong.
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Most markets that have short ribs have uncut short ribs in the back, vacuum sealed. Just ask any butcher at any market for whole short ribs uncut.
I always ask for them to find the longest ones, but I’ll take what I can get sometimes. If you have a friend with Restaurant Depot, you can grab some IMP123A. If you don’t have a friend, you can always make friends. 
I can use any seller’s permit? or tax-exempt cert?!?
*Restaurant Depot is wholesale only. To qualify for a free membership account, on your first visit you need to show a valid reseller’s permit (business license) or tax-exempt certificate (for a non-profit organization) and show proof that you are authorized to purchase for said business or organization.
Nice if you have one. I don’t.
Yup.
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Making some sense now. I’m guessing what I see as short ribs are chuck shortcrib riblets with lots of heavy fat layers. When I do see plate ribs they are always no more than 6" or so long and have no more than an inch of meat on top of the bone. Even less in between the bones. Not at all what’s in these pics and not at all like the huge ones we get at Claim Jumper.must be the specific cut that is offered here.
These are from Stater Bros - $4.99 lb for choice. I went to a bunch of places and most of the short ribs are similar in stature. Maybe 1.5 inches of meat above the bone.
At Whole Foods and Stater Bros they brought out the vacuum sealed pack. I think in order to find the NAMP 123 ribs you see BBQ joints use you need access to a Restaurant Depot type place or a direct relationship with some butchers. I didn’t try any of the higher end places like Harvey Guss, Marconda, etc… based on price. I’ll post pictures later this weekend of finished product.
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I’m drooling.
I’ve gotten beef ribs from http://diamondmountainranch.com/ - they are at LA and Santa Monica Farmers markets. Bob’s Market in Santa Monica also have beef ribs. But for short ribs, I go to A Cut Above Butchershop. You can get either Natural or Grass-fed and cut however you like.
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Those look great. My friend raves about A Cut Above. Do you remember how much per lb?
I am looking through my online receipts and I think, think, that the Grass fed ribs are $16 per pound and Natural, which is Prime, I think, are $15 per pound.
And they have fresh goose for the holiday!