If you haven't had Korean Short Ribs yet, there isn't anything we can say that will prepare you for the sublime experience of digging into this sweet and savory dish for the first time.
Korean BBQ Short Ribs, also known as kalbi or galbi, are marinated in a soy based sauce that perfectly seasons our flanken cut short ribs, and caramelizes beautifully on the grill or under the broiler. Note that these get better the longer they marinate, so plan ahead.
While we did use many traditional ingredients, like onion and ginger, we omitted the asian pear that is typically found in kalbi recipes, as well as making the gojuchang optional. We want everyone to be able to try this dish, whether or not you have access to a great international market.
This recipe is dairy-free. Swap soy sauce for tamari for a gluten-free version.
Korean BBQ Short Ribs
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
2 lbs Korean Short Ribs
Marinade
1/2 Cup Hot Water
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
3 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
2 Tbsp Gojuchang, or 1 Tbsp Chili Paste + 1/2 Tbsp Additional Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
3 Cloves Garlic, Minced or Grated
1/4 Cup Yellow Onion, Grated
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 Tbsp Fresh Grated Ginger or 1/4 tsp Powdered Ginger
1/4 Cup Scallion, White Section Chopped Fine
Garnish
Scallions Tops, Sliced
Toasted Sesame Seeds
Preparation
Step 1
Combine soy sauce, water, sugar, vinegar, and gojuchang. Whisk until the sugar has fully dissolved and gojuchang is incorporated.
Step 2
Add the remaining marinade ingredients, then pour over the short ribs. Let marinate for 4-24 hours.
Step 3
Remove the ribs from the marinade. Pro-tip: the marinade is packed with tons of delicious flavor and can be reduced on the stovetop in a saucepan to pour over your ribs, or used to season vegetables.
Step 4
Grill over high heat, or broil (as close to the burner as possible). Because the temperature of grills and broilers can vary wildly, we don't want to give you hard and fast rules for how long these take to cook. Keep a close eye and watch for caramelization/browning. This typically takes 3-5 minutes per side.
Step 4
Serve as soon as they are cool enough to touch, sprinkled with sliced scallion and toasted sesame seeds. While you can eat this with a knife and fork, we suggest digging in with your hands.
