Tira de Asado: Argentine Grilled Short Ribs

Answer first: tira de asado is beef rib cut crosswise into strips so several small bone sections appear in each piece. For this quick grill method, ask for evenly cut strips 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Grill over managed medium-high heat, verify at least 145°F (63°C) in the meat away from bone, and rest for three minutes.

Argentina’s beef-cut system and a U.S. butcher counter use related but not identical labels. Tira de asado describes the rib strip used at the parrilla. In the United States, “flanken-style short ribs” is the clearest shopping phrase, but packages can be much thinner than this recipe requires. Korean-style flanken ribs, for example, may be only 1/4 inch thick and need different timing.

The thin strip is often called asado banderita. IPCVA, Argentina’s beef-promotion institute, recommends a finger-thick banderita as an approachable first grill cut. That is one useful style, not the only way Argentines cook the rib section. A full costillar and a thick strip require slower, separate methods.

The concise asado glossary entry explains the larger gathering. This page owns one cut, one thickness range, and one repeatable home-grill method.

What to ask the butcher for

Ask for cross-cut beef short ribs, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick, with each long strip crossing three or four bones. Choose strips with similar thickness and visible meat between and over the bones. Even pieces finish together; irregular scraps do not.

Do not substitute English-cut short ribs without changing the recipe. Those thick blocks are cut parallel to the bone and usually need braising or a much longer low-heat cook. Do not use boneless short ribs and assume the clock stays the same.

Three pounds serves four as a main cut because bone accounts for part of the weight. At a longer asado with choripán, provoleta, and other beef, it can serve more.

Fire without flare-ups

An Argentine parrilla commonly works with a bed of embers and a grate whose distance from the heat can be managed. A two-zone charcoal or gas grill translates that control for a home cook: one side colors the ribs; the cooler side gives you somewhere to move them when rendered fat flares.

The goal is browned meat over steady heat, not soot from open flames. Keep the lid open while actively watching thin ribs unless your grill manufacturer specifies otherwise. Never spray water onto a grease flare. Move the meat, close the grill’s fuel control if appropriate, and let the flame settle.

IPCVA’s beginner guidance gives five to seven minutes per side for a thin banderita. Treat that as a planning range. USDA guidance makes temperature, not elapsed time or surface color, the safety decision. Because bone conducts heat and can distort a reading, insert a fast thermometer horizontally from the side into the thickest meat and check multiple locations.

Sauces and side dishes

Chimichurri brings herbs, garlic, vinegar, and oil. Salsa criolla adds chopped onion, peppers, tomato, and a juicy vinegar bite. Put both on the table after cooking rather than using either as a long raw-meat marinade.

For a cold side, Argentine ensalada rusa supplies soft potato, carrot, peas, and mayonnaise. Its mild richness is useful beside char, but it must remain cold during a long outdoor meal.

Wine pairing

The cut is rich but thin, so the wine does not need to be the biggest red available. A fresh Malbec with dark fruit and moderate tannin can meet the browned beef. Cabernet Sauvignon or a Cabernet-led blend is another sensible route when the glass has enough fruit for the salt and char.

Sauce changes the final choice. Vinegar and raw garlic can make heavy oak and high alcohol seem sharper, so reach for freshness when chimichurri or salsa criolla is generous. The best wine with steak guide handles cut, doneness, char, and sauce; the asado wine-pairing guide handles the whole meal.

Sources and methodology

This page combines official Argentine cut and grilling context with current U.S. home food-safety rules. The 1/2- to 3/4-inch specification and two-zone workflow are our controlled recipe boundary. They should not be applied to a full rib rack or thick English-cut short ribs.

• IPCVA, 7 tips del asado para parrilleros principiantes, for the finger-thick banderita recommendation and five-to-seven-minute-per-side planning range.
• IPCVA, Asado con vacío cut nomenclature, for the official Argentine rib-section boundary and cutting context.
• Argentina.gob.ar, Asado, for tira de asado’s place among commonly served grill cuts and the broader table context.
• USDA FSIS, Grilling Food Safely, for 145°F whole-beef guidance, the three-minute rest, cross-contamination controls, no partial grilling, and outdoor holding limits.
• USDA FSIS, Food Thermometers, for side insertion in thin foods and placement away from bone, fat, and gristle.