Korean barbecue solves the challenges of cooking short ribs.
12th Mar 2009 Nick Kindelsperger
Short ribs and I dont have a good history. The first time I tried to make these with Blake we ended up with a collection of tough, greasy, hunks of impenetrable meat. The second time I solved the toughness factor by cooking them for ages, but forgot about the fat. Even after stashing the pot of short ribs in the fridge for a day so I could easily skim some off, I still felt like I had dunked the meat in fryer grease. Thats not to say they didnt taste good–they were indelibly beefy and succulent–but its just not a dish I can see myself making that often. Tellingly I havent made it in a year in a half and I dont plan to. Ive seen a different side of short ribs that I like a lot better.
Its called galbi (or kabli for those following the McCune-Reischauer romanization of Korean), and instead of trying to coddle the hunks into submission, it just hacks them up into thin slices and then tosses them in a quick Korean barbecue marinade. After a bath they go on a blazing hot grill. Four minutes on each side and theyre done. Honestly, these cook as quickly as steaks. And thats not where the similarities end. Like the best marbled ribeye, these were insanely tender, juicy, and filled with an incredible beefy flavor. Though they were only 1/2 an inch thick, they were more satisfying than most of the steaks Ive had in the past year. I almost felt guilty because they were so cheap. I paid about $8.66 for a little over 2 pounds. Why on earth doesnt every one eat these?
Part of the problem has to be the specific way of cutting these things. Its called the “flaken cut”, and they are about 1/2 inch thick cut straight through the bone. Even my mean cleaver couldnt hack through these things. You really need a band saw. Butchers have the equipment, but are often confused about the process.
Luckily, I had a short cut. I just recently found Joongboo Market , which is about 5 minutes drive away from my house. They have piles and piles of pre-cut short ribs ready to go, plus everything else Id never for my marinade.
Even the marinade is easy. Its a mixture of ingredients you can find at normal grocery stores. But since I was at a Korean grocery store, I looked for more authentic versions of the basics. This was my first time with soy sauce that wasnt from a regular grocery store, and the difference in flavor was unbelievable. If you can imagine the difference between regular olive oil and expensive extra-virgin olive oil, thats rather like the experience of trying this. It was slightly fizzy, and almost gulpable.
The Korean grocery store had loads of premade sauces for this dish ready to go, but it was so easy to make my own. For a recipe I found this great post by Nook & Pantry . Im not sure if there is an official recipe, but most of the ones I looked at seemed very simlar. I just loved the addition of an Asian pear to the marinade. At the end of this I actually began to wonder whether this was too easy. This recipe could have easily been a Dinner Tonight recipe. It has few ingredients, and besides a marinade, can be made in minutes.
Im fascinated that a tough cut, loaded with connective tissue can be turned into one of the tenderest cuts of meat Ive ever eaten without a long cooking process. Its an incredible dish, and one Ill be having quite often.
I still havent solved all my problems with short ribs. Certainly, they are still fatty. Though it looks like youll be able to gnaw on a dozen of these and still feel sprightly, the luxurious pieces are best eaten in moderation. After about three, I was stuffed. Just pair these with a lot of veggies and maybe a little kimchi, and youll be fine.
Obviously a charcoal grill is the best fire for the meat. But its still awfully cold here in Chicago so I used the broiler. I didnt get those nice grill marks, but the flavor was still there.
Korean Short Rib Barbecue (Galbi) Serves 3-4
- 2 pounds flanken-style short ribs/spare ribs
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 Asian pear, peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup rice wine
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 4 scallions, chopped
Puree the pear in a blender. Pour the juice into a large bowl.
Add the soy sauce, rice wine, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and scallions. Whisk until combined.
Dump in the short ribs. Toss until covered. Stash in the fridge for 5 hours or so.
Preheat the broiler or a grill. Remove the meat from the marinade. Place underneath the broiler or on top of the grill and cook for 4 minutes per side.
Chef Deuki Hong Shares the Secret to His Korean Short Rib Recipe
What are Korean short ribs?
Korean Short Ribs are also notable for the unique way they are cut: The meat is “unrolled” to form a long, thin flap still attached to the bone. This not only ensures maximum marinade penetration but also that the meat cooks quickly, while making it easier to eat. Like I said, Koreans have their barbecue game all figured out!
Do Korean short ribs need to be marinated?
When sliced down across the bones to make Korean style beef short ribs, it is the long marinade process that you will rely on to help tenderise the meat, as these are cooked hot and fast once marinated. These are exactly the same cut of beef but processed differently.
Why do short ribs take a long time to cook?
Because the meat is well-marbled and cut thin, it has a shorter cook time than the other cuts of beef ribs. Short ribs are generally a tough cut of meat, so they need to be cooked for a long time. However, when you slice them across the grain (flanken-cut), it’s a totally different story.
What can I substitute for Korean beef short ribs?
Butterflied Korean beef short ribs being unrolled. The best options and substitutions for Korean cut beef short ribs are: LA galbi / asado slices – As mentioned, these are also common in Korean BBQ, especially in the US. These are beef ribs, simply cut a different way (across the bone).