How should I cook these? (beef short ribs)

[toby h.]

i was walking through the meat section at my local restaurant depot and came across these beef short ribs and was very intrigued. i've seen some like these on some other threads but no one seems to give any definitive way as to how to prepare and cook them.

for this coming 4th, i'd like to give these a try but don't really know where to start as i've never done beef ribs, let alone short ribs.
in other words, should i separate each rib prior to cooking? leave the whole thing as a whole? trim down the fat cap, and if so, how much? what cooking method(i.e. high heat-325°+, low and slow-225-250°)? smoke then braise?

really need some advice. the ribs are roughly 1.5-2" thick. here are some pics:

 

[Bryan S]

Look at all them packers below the ribs. What were the prices of the ribs and packers? Never did short ribs, sorry, I'm no help to you.

 

[toby h.]

the packers were roughly $18 for a 12lb choice. maybe a few bucks more for angus.
the only beef back ribs i saw were in boxes, so didn't really get to "see" them, don't remember what the prices were for those. come to think of it, can't remember what the prices for the short ribs were either.

 

[Steve Whiting]

I have done beef short ribs a couple of times. The ones I bought were always separated and ready to go. I seared them till brown and then put them in a disposable aluminum pan (Weber brand) and covered with a mixture of barbecue sauce, some beer, and spice to taste. Then covered the pan with foil and cooked indirect for about 1 hour. Then removed the foil and continued indirect for 45 minutes to an hour. Remove and serve.