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Kalbi (Korean Grilled Short Ribs)

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Kalbi (Korean Grilled Short Ribs)

Cuisine:Korean

Course:Dinner

20m prep 13m cook 2h ready

4 servings Unlike the fall-off-the-bone braised short ribs most of us are familiar with, Korean-style short ribs are cut crosswise through the rib bones into thin strips, and are then marinated and grilled until nicely charred. Serve with rice and lettuce or shiso leaves and tuck pieces of meat and clumps of rice inside the leaves to make ssam. If you cannot find crosscut short ribs that are sliced thin enough (look for them at Korean or pan-Asian supermarkets), you may slice 2 pounds beef brisket across the grain into ¼-inch-thick slabs (to make slicing easier, first freeze the brisket for 30 minutes).

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Ingredients

Servings:
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Units:
As Written US Metric
  • 3 pounds short ribs, crosscut into ¼-inch-thick slices
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced or grated on a rasp grater
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • Cooked short-grain white rice
  • 1
    • 2 ½ pounds (1 medium head) napa cabbage, quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips
    • 1 pound Korean or daikon radish, peeled and julienned
    • 1 bunch green onions (about 6), cut into 2-inch pieces
    • (½ cup chopped Chinese chives)
    • 1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons pickling salt or fine sea salt, or 3 tablespoons Diamond kosher salt (25g)
    • Cloves from 1 head garlic
    • 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
    • (1 Asian pear or Bosc pear, cored and chopped)
    • 1 small onion (6 to 8 ounces), chopped
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
    • (2 tablespoons Korean salted shrimp)
    • ½ to ¾ cup Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru), to taste
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Place in a very large bowl: 2 ½ pounds (1 medium head) napa cabbage, quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips; 1 pound Korean or daikon radish, peeled and julienned; 1 bunch green onions (about 6), cut into 2-inch pieces; (½ cup chopped Chinese chives)
    2. Sprinkle with: 1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons pickling salt or fine sea salt, or 3 tablespoons Diamond kosher salt (25g)
    3. Massage the salt into the vegetables until they form their own brine and the cabbage is softened, about 10 minutes. Puree in a blender or food processor: Cloves from 1 head garlic; 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped; (1 Asian pear or Bosc pear, cored and chopped); 1 small onion (6 to 8 ounces), chopped; 2 tablespoons sugar; 2 tablespoons fish sauce; (2 tablespoons Korean salted shrimp)
    4. Add the puree to the cabbage mixture along with: ½ to ¾ cup Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru), to taste
    5. Mix thoroughly. Pack the kimchi into a fermentation vessel (for this recipe, a half-gallon jar plus a pint jar is about perfect, although in Korean households plastic or glass food storage containers are also used), cover with a cloth secured with a rubber band or string or cap with an airlock or a lid, and let ferment at room temperature for at least 2 days or until the desired level of sourness is achieved.
    6. If desired, refrigerate a portion of the kimchi immediately to eat fresh. When the rest has soured to your liking, it is done. To store, see here.
  • Butter lettuce, romaine lettuce, or shiso leaves

Let's Prepare

Collect

Gather these ingredients - no prep needed yet.

  • 3 pounds short ribs, crosscut into ¼-inch-thick slices
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced or grated on a rasp grater
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • Cooked short-grain white rice
  • 1 Kimchi, store-bought or homemade
  • Butter lettuce, romaine lettuce, or shiso leaves

Let's Cook

  1. Step 1.

    Have ready: 3 pounds short ribs, crosscut into ¼-inch-thick slices

  2. Step 2.

    Sprinkle the ribs with: ⅓ cup sugar

  3. Step 3.

    Rub the sugar all over the ribs and refrigerate for 1 hour. Meanwhile, whisk together in a medium bowl: 2 cups water; 1 cup soy sauce; 2 large garlic cloves, minced or grated on a rasp grater; 1 tablespoon brown sugar; 1 tablespoon black pepper

  4. Step 4.

    Place the short ribs in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 2 days, turning the short ribs occasionally so that they marinate evenly.

  5. Step 5.

    Prepare a hot, two-zone grill fire.

  6. Step 6.

    Remove the ribs from the marinade and shake off any excess (do not rinse the ribs). Grill over the cooler part of the grill, turning once or twice, until well browned on both sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to the hot side and let cook, covered, for 5 minutes more. Serve immediately with: Cooked short-grain white rice; Kimchi, store-bought or homemade; Butter lettuce, romaine lettuce, or shiso leaves

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