Corky’s Oven Barbecued Short Ribs – Flanken-Cut Beef Ribs Dry-Rubbed with a Spicy Seasoning Blend, Slow Roasted with Sauce to Tender-Crisp Perfection
As some of you may have heard, I recently embarked on a new business venture as a partner in an entertainment company called WonderFish Media. It’s an exciting new step and I’ve met some really fun, inspiring people along the way. Recently I hosted a dinner party to celebrate the new business. One of our partners, Hal “Corky” Kessler, was excited to make his famous oven barbecued short ribs for the occasion. He even brought his own dry rub all the way from Chicago. The ribs were a huge hit, and I knew I had to share them with all of you. They have a serious kick… you’ve been warned!
Corky’s “famous spice rub” uses a blend of 3-4 different rubs in equal amounts – he likes a mix of Kirkland Sweet Mesquite Seasoning, Rudy’s Turku Rub, Kozlik’s Meat Rub, and another brand that is coincidentally called Corky’s. Unfortunately these rubs are not widely available in my area, so I had to make do with finding their ingredients online and trying to replicate them on my own. The custom blend below is my crack at capturing Corky’s delectable rib flavor from scratch.
Short ribs are cut two different ways. Flanken ribs are cut across the bone so that each piece contains 3-4 small pieces of bone between the areas of meat. If you’ve ever cooked or eaten Korean food, you may be familiar with this style of ribs. The short ribs most of us are familiar with, known as English Cut, are cut between the bone, leaving you with one approximately 4 inch long, thick piece of meat attached to one piece of bone. Corky insists on a flanken cut for these ribs; I think it helps keep the meat inside juicy. They can be found at kosher markets or in the meat department of most nicer grocery stores, though it’s likely you’ll have to ask the butcher to cut them for you. Korean grocers also stock them. Just make sure you ask the butcher to slice them 1 inch thick. Enjoy!
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Corky's Oven Barbecue Flanken Ribs
Dry Rub Ingredients
- 3 3/4 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp celery salt
- 1 1/2 tsp marjoram
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 tsp chili powder (mild)
- 3/4 tsp dried sage
- 3/4 tsp sour salt (or citric acid)
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp heaping allspice
- NOTE: Instead of the custom spice blend listed here, Corky simply uses a blend of 3-4 barbecue spice rubs. His favorites are Kirkland Sweet Mesquite Seasoning, Rudy's Turku Rub, Corky's Rub and Kozlik's Meat Rub
Ingredients
- 8 pieces bone-in flanken ribs cut 1 inch thick (should have 4 bones to each piece)
- 3/4 cup sweet barbecue sauce
- 3/4 cup spicy barbecue sauce
- 1 tbsp dry rub mixture
You will also need
- Baking sheet tray, aluminum foil (or nonstick cooking spray), basting brush, tongs
- GLUTEN FREE NOTE: If making gluten free, use the from-scratch spice blend and make sure all of your products are certified GF.
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix together all of the dry rub ingredients until well incorporated. Set aside 1 tbsp of rub for later.
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Cover a sheet tray with aluminum foil or a generous amount of nonstick cooking spray and place the ribs, evenly spaced, on the tray. Coat one side of the ribs with half of the dry rub mixture, then turn and coat the other side. Place the ribs in the oven for 1 hour.![]()
After one hour has passed, remove the ribs from the oven and use tongs to flip them over. Place back in the oven for 1 hour, or until nicely browned.![]()
After the second hour has passed, remove the ribs from the oven and turn the oven temperature up to 475 degrees F. - While the oven heats up, mix the two barbecue sauces and 1 tbsp of dry mix in a mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.
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Generously coat each side of the ribs with the barbecue sauce mixture using a basting brush.![]()
Once the oven has reached 475 degrees F, place the ribs back into the oven for 30 minutes, then remove and flip them over with tongs. Place them back into the over for another 30 minutes, or until the outside is crisp and the bones seem to pull apart from the meat. Check every 10 minutes or so to make sure they don't burn. When done, they should be crisp on the outside and meltingly tender on the inside. Slice and serve!![Corky's Oven Barbecued Short Ribs - Flanken-Cut Beef Ribs Dry-Rubbed with a Spicy Seasoning Blend, Slow Roasted with Sauce to Tender-Crisp Perfection]()
