[untested] Korean Style BBQ Short Ribs

The national dish of Korea, kalbi kui are delicious marinated short ribs, usually cooked on a very hot tabletop charcoal grill, sliced, and wrapped in lettuce leaves. Keep a close eye on the grill and be careful not to burn the ribs - they cook very quickly.

source - “on the Grill” by Willie Cooper, page 98

Yields Prep Time Total Time
2-4 10 Minutes 35 Minutes

Components

  • Korean Style BBQ Marinade

  • Asian Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

  • 2lbs beef short ribs (about 6 2-3 inches long)

  • salt

  • ground black pepper

  • 2 heads of romaine lettuce

  • 1/4 c. fresh cilantro

  • chile peppers, sliced for garnish

  • asian dipping sauce (recipe below)

  • korean style bbq marinade (recipe below)

Directions

  • Place the ribs, bone side down on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut the meat away from the bones; discard or reserve the bones for the marinade.

  • Working with the blade parallel to the cutting board, butterfly each piece of rib meat by cutting three-fourths of the way through and opening it to form a rectangle.

  • Season the meat with salt and pepper and place in a shallow dish with the bones, if using.

  • Pour the marinade over the meat and turn to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 4 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.

  • Prepare a grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat.

  • Grill the short ribs directly over medium-high heat, turning once, until browed, caramelized, and cooked to your liking. 6-10 minutes per side for medium-rare.

  • Transfer the meat to a carving board. Slice the meat and arrange on a platter with the lettuce leaves (using only the outer leaves) and garnish with the cilantro and sliced peppers.

  • Serve hot with the Asian dipping sauce.

↓ This is a component-based recipe (fancy talk for making the dish in pieces, then assembling). ↓

Korean Style BBQ Marinade

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds

  • 1 asian pear

  • 3 cloves of garlic

  • 2 green onions

  • 1/2 c. soy sauce

  • 1/2 c. dry sherry

  • 2 tbsp mirin (or any type of rice wine)

  • 2 tbsp aasian dark sesame oil

  • 1 tbsp light brown sugar

  • 1 tbsp honey

Steps

  • In a dry pan over medium-low heat, toast the sesame seeds just until golden, 1-2 minutes. Set aside.

  • Peel, core, and quarter the pear.

  • In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients and process on high speed until smooth.

Asian Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 asian pear

  • 2 green onions

  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

  • 1/2 c. soy sauce

  • 1/2 c. dry sherry

  • 2 tbsp mirin (or any type of rice wine)

  • 2 tbsp asian sesame oil

  • 1 tbsp light brown sugar

  • 1 tbsp honey

  • 2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated

  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes

  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Steps

  • Peel, core, and finely dice the pear.

  • Trim the green onions, including 1 inch of tender green tops, and then thinly slice.

  • In a nonaluminum bowl, whisk tegether all ingredients.

  • Transfer to a small serving bowl and serve at once.