Peruvian Asado de Tira (Short Rib Cross-Cut)

The short rib plate (plate and chuck rib sections), specifically ribs 6–10. The tira cut can be taken from the thicker chuck end (more fat, more flavour) or the thinner plate end (leaner, quicker cooking). Peruvian versions often specify the lower chuck ribs for their marbling.

1. 1GRILL METHOD: Bring to room temperature, season aggressively with coarse salt (and optionally ground cumin — standard in Peru). Build a hot two-zone fire; tira needs direct, very high heat. Grill 3–5 minutes per side for 1.5 cm strips — the goal is a deeply charred crust while the thin profile keeps the interior medium to medium-rare. Rest 3–4 minutes before cutting between bones for serving.
2. 2MARINADE OPTION: Peruvian parrilla often marinates tira overnight in a paste of ají panca, garlic, cumin, red wine vinegar, and oil. The acid tenderises the connective tissue and the ají panca smoke flavour complements charcoal char.
3. 3BRAISE METHOD: Sear strips hard in batches in a Dutch oven. Remove. Sauté onion, garlic, ají amarillo paste. Deglaze with chicha de jora or red wine. Return ribs, submerge in stock, cover and braise at 150 °C for 2.5–3 hours until intercostal tissue dissolves. Reduce braising liquid to glaze.
4. 4CHIFA STYLE: Marinate in soy sauce, ginger, oyster sauce, five-spice, sesame oil for 4 hours. Grill or roast at high heat, then glaze with reduced marinade in final 5 minutes.
5. 5Do not attempt to cook tira rare — the collagen adjacent to the bone cross-sections requires at minimum medium internal temperature to soften, even on a grill.

• Ask the butcher to cut at 1.5 cm (not thinner — thinner strips dry out before the connective tissue softens; not much thicker or grill time exceeds the window for crust without overcooking)
• Score through the connective tissue between bone cross-sections before marinating to allow flavour penetration around the bone
• Pat completely dry before grilling — moisture on the surface delays Maillard reaction by 1–2 minutes, effectively overcooking the strip
• Let cut strips come to room temperature for 30–45 minutes before hitting the grill — cold strips cook unevenly, with charred exterior and cold centre near the bone

• English-style short rib (bone-in block)

  Same primal, different geometry — requires much longer braising (3+ hours) to achieve similar tenderness; not suitable for direct grilling

• Flanken short ribs (Korean galbi cut)

  Nearly identical cross-cut but typically thinner (0.5–1 cm) and often scored — the Korean galbi cut is the closest functional equivalent

• Beef plate / hanger steak

  Comparable fat content and grill character; single muscle without bone; misses the collagen contribution of the tira

• Korean galbi (flanken short rib)

  Identical primal cut, thinner (0.5–1 cm), scored and marinated in soy-sugar rather than dry-rubbed — the closest cross-cultural equivalent

• English short rib

  Between-bone cut from the same primal; thick single-bone block for braises, not grilling

• Beef plate (vacio)

  Neighbouring primal on the same side of the animal; similar fat profile, popular in the same parrilla tradition

1. 1.Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way — Francis Mallmann (2009)
2. 2.The Art of South American Cooking — Felipe Rojas-Lombardi (1991)
3. 3.Parrilla: The Art of Argentine Barbecue — Various authors, Argentine Meat Institute (IPCVA)
4. 4.The Professional Meat Buyer's Guide — NAMP (North American Meat Processors, Item 123 Short Ribs)

Confidence: high