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Beef short ribs truly are my absolute favourite cut of meat! Maybe it’s just me, but I find them to have a beefier flavour than comparable cuts like chuck or sirloin, and the beautiful, rich, fatty marbling keeps the meat moist and juicy as the intramuscular fibres breakdown and become super tender over long periods of cooking. They also lend themselves to just about any flavour paring you can throw at them.

Despite what you’ve been led to believe, beef short ribs aren’t just for slow-cooking, braising, or pressure cooking. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an excellent cut of meat for each of these methods. Exhibit A: my Short Rib Ragu. Exhibit B: these Chili-Braised Short Ribs.

Did you know that you can also grill beef short ribs as you would your favourite steak? This should actually come as no surprise to those who love LA Galbi, or Korean Grilled Short Ribs. After all, it’s the exact same cut of meat, only that it’s been sliced paper thin across the grain. Need a recipe for Galbi, look no further than this Paleo version, which is sure to please!

In this recipe for Whole30 Grilled Short Ribs with Celery Salad, I pair the grilled short ribs with a quick-and-easy celery and cucumber salad. It’s crisp, bright, fresh, and super crunchy, which I love. The star of the salad is definitely the toasted cashews, which add even more flavour and texture.

Grilled Short Rib with Celery Salad Whole30 Paleo Easy

Tips For Grilling Short Ribs

Similar to my Galbi recipe, there are few tricks to Grilling short ribs:

  • Let the meat marinate!

As mentioned, you can throw any number of flavours on short ribs and they’ll be very receptive to them. Here, I keep things extra simple and season with nothing more than some kosher salt. Letting the short ribs sit in the salt overnight will ensure that the flavours penetrate to the very centre and leave you with a well-seasoned finished product.

  • Cook Them Hard and Fast!

In other words, you want to crank up the heat to as hot as possible (without burning the house down) to get an amazing crust on the meat without overcooking the inside.

  • Don’t Overcook Them!

Sounds simple but if you aren’t a fan of cooking your steaks medium-rare, this isn’t the cut for you. There’s a sweet spot for grilled short ribs and cooking them to an internal temperature above 120F will leave them tasting like shoe leather. However, a rare to medium-rare finish is about as melt-in-your mouth as it gets.

You can grill the short ribs over a charcoal or gas grill, if weather permits and you’ve got one in your yard. Otherwise, a cast-iron skillet is the tool for the job. Cast-iron, unlike other non-stick materials, can withstand higher temperatures without having its coating deteriorate.

I always recommend this Lodge model in a 10” or 12” size. It’s affordable, high-quality and versatile enough to perform a variety of tasks.

I’ve already shared my How-To Guide for initial cast-iron seasoning and maintenance. But recently a new question has emerged: Can you cook with cast-iron on a electric, glass cooktop?

If you’ve ever seen one of my step-by-step videos on Instagram stories, you may have noticed that I often cook with cast-iron cookware on my glass stove. (Aside: No, an electric stove isn’t my first choice. I strongly prefer gas. However, it’s what’s came with the apartment so I guess I’m just forced to suffer these first-world problems).

When I do cook with cast-iron cookware, I always receive a barrage of messages from concerned viewers who have been told to never, ever do so. I’m not sure where this rumour began but it’s been perpetuated over and over again. Luckily, I never got the memo!

Cast-iron is one of the very few materials that is compatible with nearly all cooktops (including induction). The only trade off is it is very heavy and can often have a rough bottom that can scratch the surface of your cooktop. Therefore, you should not slide your cast-iron cookware across the top of the stove or you will likely scratch it. To be honest, you shouldn’t do this with any type of cookware anyhow.

The other concern is heat. Cast-iron is not a great conductor of heat but it retains heat beautifully. It also gets very hot, which may be a cause for concern for glass cooktops. I’ve never had an issue with any of my stoves and I’ve been cooking with cast-iron for the better part of 20 years. Nevertheless, you should practice some common sense and ensure that if you have a glass cooktop there is nothing that can burn if it comes into contact with a hot cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven.

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Whole30 Grilled Short Ribs with Celery Salad

Grilled Short Ribs get served alongside a crisp and crunchy celery salad for a quick-and-easy weeknight meal. Think of this as a gateway into a world of flavour opportunities.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 23 minutes
Servings: 2 people

Ingredients 

  • 1 10-12 oz boneless beef short rib
  • 4 celery stalks plus leaves – thinly sliced on a bias
  • 4 Persian cucumbers - thinly sliced on a bias
  • 2 green onions - thinly sliced on a bias
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 3-4 tbsp avocado oil
  • ¼ cup raw, unsalted cashews
  • kosher salt to taste
  • sesame seeds – for garnish

Instructions 

  • Slice short rib in half and liberally season all sides with kosher salt. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4hrs to overnight.
  • Remove short rib 1 hour prior to cooking and let them come to room temperature.
  • Add cashews to a dry and cold cast-iron skillet. Set the temperature to medium and gently toast the nuts as you gradually preheat the skillet. Once the nuts are warm and fragrant transfer them to a bowl and set aside to cool.
  • Return skillet to stove and raise heat to high. Pat short ribs very dry with paper towel and rub them with 2-3 tbsp avocado oil. Carefully lay short ribs in the hot pan and cook while continuously turning them every 45-60 seconds until they reach an internal temperature of approximately 120F for a rare to medium-rare centre. *Note: the residual heat in the steak will continue to cook the meat a few more degrees after it has come off the pan.
  • Let steak rest 5-7 minutes before slicing against the grain.
  • Meanwhile, to a large mixing bowl, add celery, cucumber, green onion, cilantro, cashews, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, 1 tbsp avocado oil and a pinch of salt. Toss everything to coat. Taste for seasoning and adjust as required.
  • Lay celery salad on a serving platter and top with slices of grilled short rib. Garnish with sesame seeds.
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below!

About the Author

Hi, i'm Ronny! In 2013, after a lifetime of struggling with my weight and body issues, I rehabilitated my relationship with food, lost over 40 pounds and completely changed my life.

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