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Grilled flanken-cut Korean kalbi beef short ribs garnished with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions in a white baking dish

Grilled Korean Short Ribs (Kalbi)

Four pounds of flanken cut beef short ribs in a kalbi marinade blended in the food processor: soy sauce, brown sugar, Asian pears, garlic, ginger, onion, green onion, sesame oil, rice vinegar and toasted sesame seeds. Marinated at least 2 hours or overnight, then grilled over high heat and turned every 2 minutes until charred. Green onion and sesame seeds on top.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Marinating Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 26 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, korean
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Ribs
  • 4 lbs beef short ribs, flanken cut 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick
For the Kalbi Marinade (Doubled)
  • 1 1/2 cups soy sauce regular, not low sodium
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 4 Asian pears cored and quartered, skin on
  • 1 1/3 cups water
  • 2/3 cup toasted sesame oil
  • 2/3 cup rice vinegar
  • 2 heads garlic cloves peeled
  • 4 tbsp fresh ginger grated
  • 2 medium yellow onions roughly chopped
  • 8 green onions chopped
  • 5 1/3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds 5 tbsp plus 1 tsp
  • 2 tsp black pepper
For the Topping
  • green onions sliced
  • toasted sesame seeds a handful

Equipment

  • Grill Charcoal or gas, set up with a hot side and a cooler side.
  • Food Processor For the marinade. Blend in two batches if it is small.
  • Large bowl or gallon zip top bags For marinating.
  • Tongs

Method
 

Marinade
  1. Put the soy sauce, brown sugar, pears, water, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, onion, green onions, sesame seeds and black pepper in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Work in two batches if the processor is small.
  2. Place the ribs in a large bowl or a couple of gallon zip top bags. Pour the marinade over and toss so every rib is coated. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Grill
  1. Preheat the grill to high, about 400 to 450°F, with a cooler zone set up (one burner off, or coals pushed to one side). Clean the grates.
  2. Remove the ribs from the marinade and let the excess drip off. Lay them on the hot side bone side down with room between them.
  3. Turn every 2 minutes for a minimum of 4 minutes, until charred on both sides and cooked to your liking. Thin ribs are done in 4 to 6 minutes. When flare-ups start, move the ribs to the cooler side until the flames die down, then move them back.
Serve
  1. Plate the ribs and top with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve with steamed rice, grilled asparagus and kimchi.

Notes

Doneness: The USDA minimum for beef is 145°F with a 3 minute rest. Flanken ribs reach that well before they are charred, so cook to the char you want.
Flare-ups: The fat and the sugar will catch, especially with prime grade ribs. Keep a cooler side of the grill ready and move the ribs there until the flames die down.
Marinade: This is a doubled batch for 4 lbs of ribs so every piece is submerged. Do not marinate past 24 hours.
Timing: Prep time is an estimate. Marinating time is the 2 hour minimum; overnight is better.
Storage: Cooked ribs keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge or 2 months frozen. Raw ribs freeze in the marinade up to 3 months. Reheat in a hot skillet 1 minute per side or covered in a 350°F oven about 10 minutes.

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