Kalbi (Korean-Style Short Ribs)

This version of Kalbi (also known as Galbi) has been adapted from a recipe by our friend Chuck’s mom. Chuck frequently brings a bag of these marinated short ribs to throw on the grill at our parties. As soon as the grilled short ribs are cut up, the crowds descend and they’re gone. This is a great party dish and can easily be made well in advance. It holds wonderfully in the freezer in the marinade, even for a few months at a time.

Yield: about 2 to 2 1/2 lbs of short ribs

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup soy sauce (low-sodium preferred, or choose tamari for a gluten-free option)

• 2 tablespoon water

• 1 can Dr. Pepper*

• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

• 1/2 cup green onion, chopped

• 1 Anjou or Asian pear, finely grated

• 1 teaspoon red pepper flake

• 2 to 2 1/2 lbs short ribs (preferably flanken-style, sliced approximately 1/2 inch thick across the bone)**

• Finely sliced green onion (optional, for garnish)

• White sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

Combine all ingredients except the short ribs and garnish ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk until well combined to form the marinade. Add the short ribs to a zip-top bag or shallow dish. Top with the marinade. Seal the bag, removing all excess air (or cover the shallow dish).

Marinate the short ribs in the refrigerator at least overnight and up to 2 days, or you can freeze the mixture (preferably in a zip-top bag with all air removed) for up to 4 months. If freezing, simply thaw the short ribs in the refrigerator before proceeding to the next step.

Prepare your grill for very hot, direct cooking. Remove the short ribs directly from the marinade and place onto the grill (if bits of the marinade stick to the meat, no worries - the charred, caramelized bits are the best part). Grill for approximately 8 minutes, flipping the short ribs over about every 2 minutes.

Rest the meat for at least 5 minutes before slicing (or cutting with kitchen shears). Garnish with sliced green onion and white sesame seeds, if desired.

Notes

*Chuck’s mom only uses Coca-Cola. We use Dr. Pepper simply because it’s what we tend to have on hand.

**Occasionally, we have a hard time finding flanken-style short ribs, and have frequently turned to Costco’s “boneless short ribs” instead (shown in the lead photo). We appreciate that these may not technically be short ribs, and are certainly not what one thinks of when discussing Korean barbecue, but they do work perfectly in this recipe. With this thicker cut, we recommend that you increase the grill time to about 10-12 minutes total. You’re looking an internal temperature of about 130°F on the meat before removing it from the grill. Rest this thicker cut for at least 10 minutes before slicing.