Korean Short Ribs
Thin flanken-cut short ribs soak in a sweet and savory kalbi-style marinade, then grill in about 6 minutes for caramelized edges and a juicy center. It's a big-flavor dinner that takes almost no hands-on time.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 cup soy sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup sesame or vegetable oil
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 sliced green onions
Ribs
- 5 pounds Korean-style short ribs beef chuck flanken, cut across bones
- Thinly sliced green onions for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Combine the marinade. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, oil, garlic, rice vinegar, and sliced green onions. Massage the bag gently until the sugar fully dissolves.
- Rinse and add the ribs. Give the ribs a quick rinse to remove any bone shards from cutting. Add them to the bag one at a time so each is coated, press out the air, and seal.
- Marinate. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 3 days, turning the bag over a few times.
- Preheat the grill. Heat an outdoor grill to high, 450 to 500°F.
- Grill the ribs. Remove the ribs one at a time, letting excess marinade drip off, and place them flat on the grate with no overlap. Discard the remaining marinade. Grill 3 to 4 minutes per side, until charred at the edges and 125 to 130°F internally.
- Serve. Transfer to a platter and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Notes
- Use flanken-cut ribs. Ask for a 1/4-inch cut across the bones. Standard short ribs cut between the bones will not work here.
- Rinse before marinating. The cutting process often leaves small bone shards behind.
- Marinating time. 4 hours minimum, overnight is ideal, up to 3 days is fine.
- For extra tenderness. Grate half an Asian pear into the marinade. The enzymes soften the meat as it sits.
- Optional add-in. A teaspoon of fresh grated ginger adds warmth to the marinade.
- Oil swap. Sesame oil is traditional but assertive. Vegetable oil keeps the marinade milder.
- No grill option. Use a very hot cast iron grill pan in batches, or broil a few inches from the element for about 3 minutes per side.
- Doneness. These are not fall-off-the-bone ribs. Pull them at 125 to 130°F for a juicy medium-rare.
- Storage. Refrigerate cooked ribs 2 to 3 days. Reheat covered at 275°F, or eat them cold.
- Freezing. Freeze uncooked ribs in the marinade up to 6 months and thaw in the refrigerator before grilling.
Nutrition
Calories: 532kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 615mg | Potassium: 1024mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 6mg
QR code
Scan this QR code with your phone's camera to view this recipe on your mobile device.
