Alright folks, today I’m spilling all the beans on grilling Asado de Tira. Tried this last weekend when my buddy Carlos came over complaining how his beef ribs always end up dry as cardboard. Figured I’d show him how it’s done.
The Meat Mess-Up
Went to the butcher thinking any old ribs would do. Big mistake. Grabbed the wrong cut first – those skinny little ribs that look more like shoestrings than proper meat. Butcher took pity on me and pointed to the real deal: thick “asado de tira” cuts with meat hanging off the bone like a dang waterfall. Got two massive slabs.
Rub Struggle
Mixed up the rub like:
- Kosher salt (used like half the box)
- Pepper flakes from that shaker I’ve had since 2020
- Garlic powder (not garlic salt!)
- Paprika that turned my fingers orange
Slapped that mixture all over every inch. Seriously rubbed it in like giving the ribs a deep tissue massage. Got seasoning packed into every crevice.
Fire Control Chaos
Fired up the charcoal grill around 3PM. Got too excited and dumped half the bag straight onto the grate. Flames shot up like a volcano! Almost burned my eyebrows off trying to spread embers with a rusty old poker. Eventually got two zones:
- Blazing hot side with flames licking the grates
- Cooler side with just glowing embers
The Finger Test Disaster
Threw ribs on screaming hot side first to get that crackly crust. Forgot my mitts inside the kitchen. Used my bare hands like an idiot – grill marks appeared on my knuckles instead of the meat. Flipped them when they released easy from grates, maybe 3 minutes per side.
Low & Slow Panic
Moved them to the chill zone thinking “now we wait”. Got distracted texting Carlos about soccer scores. Smelled something burning! Ran outside to see flames creeping towards the meat. Shoved ribs to far edge while kicking charcoal back into place like a madman.
The Magic Window
Let them roast about 1.5 hours total. Kept checking internal temp – wanted 200°F but my thermometer died at 185°. Poked the meat with a fork instead. When it slid between bones like warm butter, knew we were golden.
Salvaging Operation
Pulled them off looking like charred tree logs. Almost cried thinking I’d ruined everything. But when I sliced between bones? Juices literally squirted across the patio. Pink smoke ring underneath that black crust blew our minds. We stood at the grill tearing chunks off with our hands before even getting plates.
Turns out Carlos brought cheap beer but we didn’t care. We just stood there covered in meat grease laughing like morons. That blackened crust gave way to the most insane tender beef that basically melted in our mouths.
Next time? I’m buying welding gloves and setting multiple timers. But damn if that messy chaos didn’t produce the best damn beef ribs I’ve ever made.
