ButcherExpert

Short Plate

The short plate is the belly section below the rib, between the brisket and the flank. It is fatty and full of flavour. It gives three popular cuts: skirt steak, plate short ribs and the navel used for pastrami.

Cut names:

US: Short plate · UK: Thin rib and flank (part) · EU (NL): Klapstuk (part) · TR: Karın döş

Beef cuts chart with the navel plate and rib plate highlighted on the side of the cow.
On our chart the plate area is split into rib plate and navel plate (both highlighted). See the full beef chart.

Quick facts

Primal: Plate
Tenderness: Varies by cut
Fat: High
Price: Budget to mid
Best: Smoke, braise, grill (skirt)

What is plate called in other countries?

United StatesShort plate; plate; navel (the fatty lower end)
United KingdomNo exact match; covered by the thin rib and parts of the flank
FrancePlat de côtes; flanchet (lower part)
GermanyQuerrippe; Dünnung
NetherlandsKlapstuk (part)
TurkeyKarın döş (trade usage varies)
Trade codesIMPS 121 (plate, short plate), 123A (short plate, short ribs), 121C/121D (skirts)

Names and cut lines vary by country and by butcher, so ask for the cut by description if the name doesn't match. Dutch and Turkish names are common butcher usage; there is no official Turkish retail cut standard. How we name cuts

Texture, fat and price

The plate is layered fat and muscle over the lower ribs. The bone-in sections become plate short ribs, the diaphragm gives outside skirt, and the boneless navel end is cured and smoked for pastrami. In some countries the whole plate is sold as fatty stewing or mince meat.

How to cook plate

  • Smoke (short ribs)
  • Grill (skirt)
  • Cure (pastrami)
  • Mince
  1. Plate short ribs: smoke at 120–135 °C until probe-tender (see short ribs).
  2. Skirt: grill very hot for 2–3 minutes a side and slice thinly across the grain.
  3. Navel for pastrami: cure for about a week, coat in pepper and coriander, then smoke.
  4. Leftover trim makes rich burger mince.

Plate cooking temperatures

StageCentre temperature
Short ribs, probe-tender93–98 °C (200–208 °F)
Skirt steak, medium-rare54–57 °C (130–135 °F)
Minced beef (USDA minimum)71 °C (160 °F)

Take the meat off the heat 2–3 °C before your target; it keeps rising while it rests. The USDA's safe minimum for beef steaks and roasts is 63 °C (145 °F) with a 3-minute rest. Lower temperatures are common for steak but sit below that guideline.

Plate nutrition facts

USDA FoodData Central has no raw entry for the whole short plate. See skirt steak and short ribs for the cuts that come from it.

Recipes

Smoked Beef Short Ribs (Dino Ribs)

Smoked plate short ribs with a salt-and-pepper bark: rich, tender beef on the bone, cooked low and slow until…

Related cuts

Skirt (the steak from the plate) · Short Ribs (the bones from the plate) · Brisket (the section in front of it)

Sources