Ingredients

• 8 long strips (7-8 lbs) top rib (flanken)
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons ground thyme
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
• 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, for searing the meat in a pan
• 1 1/2 cups barbeque sauce
• 2/3 cup hot water

Place meat in a 9×13-inch baking pan. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, cumin, turmeric, thyme, cinnamon, salt, and pepper until well combined. Rub the spice mix all over all sides of the meat. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refirgerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 325ºF (160ºC).

You can make these short ribs two ways.

To make them on an outdoor grill, heat the grill to high heat, 550º to 600ºF (280º to 300ºC). Sear each side until the meat releases on its own, about 5 to 7 minutes per side, then return the ribs to the baking pan. To make the ribs on the stovetop, heat the oil in a large heavy frying pan over medium-high heat and brown the meat on all sides.

Combine the barbeque sauce and water in a small bow and pour it over the meat. Season with pepper to taste. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake the meat for 2 1/2 hours. If you’ve made the meat in advance and it’s cold, remove the fat from the top before reheating, To serve, cut the ribs into 3-inch pieces. To reheat, use a fork to remove the fat from the meat and heat at 350ºF (180ºC) for 35 minutes.