Grilled Kalbi Beef Ribs With Korean BBQ Marinade
Grilled kalbi beef ribs marinate overnight in soy, sesame, and Asian pear, then cook over charcoal in minutes. Easy weeknight Korean BBQ at home.
Grilled Kalbi Beef Ribs With Korean BBQ Marinade
This recipe comes from Matt Pittman, CEO of Meat Church BBQ, YouTube personality, and friend of Montana Knife Company.
6
20 minutes
10 minutes
550
Korean
Dinner
Kalbi beef ribs are my favorite cut to grill over charcoal. These grilled kalbi ribs marinate overnight in a sweet-and-savory soy sauce mixture packed with garlic, sesame oil, and grated Asian pear, then cook over a hot charcoal fire in just a few minutes per side. The charred edges caramelize against the sticky kalbi marinade, and the thin flanken-cut ribs stay juicy and tender from edge to edge.
Serve your kalbi beef short ribs over a bowl of white rice with fresh scallions on top. Grab your favorite cold beer, and you’ve got a weeknight dinner on the table in minutes.
Ingredients
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1 cup brown sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup mirin
1 white onion, grated
1 Asian pear, peeled and grated
4 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1/4 tsp. black pepper
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5 lbs. flanken-cut beef short ribs (labeled “Korean style” at the butcher counter)
- Your favorite steak seasoning (I use Meat Church Blanco)
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Cooked white rice
- Fresh scallions, sliced with a clean, sharp knife
Directions
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Add the soy sauce, water, mirin, grated onion, grated Asian pear, minced garlic, sesame oil, and black pepper to a mixing bowl. Whisk until combined.
A sharp knife makes mincing the garlic quick and clean. Grate the onion and Asian pear on a box grater or with a food processor.
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Lay the flanken-cut Korean short ribs on a sheet tray and sprinkle evenly with brown sugar. Let the sugar sit on the ribs for at least 10 minutes.
Place the ribs and any excess brown sugar into vacuum seal bags. Distribute the kalbi marinade evenly between the bags and seal. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, a large zip-top bag or any food-safe container with a lid works fine.
Refrigerate the marinating kalbi beef ribs overnight, or for at least eight hours. The longer the ribs sit in the kalbi marinade, the deeper the soy, sesame, and pear flavors soak into the meat.
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Remove the Korean short ribs from the fridge and take them out of the marinade. Season the ribs lightly with steak seasoning on both sides.
- Light your charcoal grill and let the coals burn down to high, direct heat. Grill the kalbi beef ribs for two to three minutes per side over direct heat until the outside is charred and caramelized, with an internal temperature of about 145°F for medium doneness. Rest for three minutes before serving.
Flanken-cut ribs are thin, so they cook fast. Pull them off the grill as soon as the char develops and the meat firms up.
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Lay the grilled kalbi ribs over a bed of white rice. Top with fresh scallions sliced into thin rings and serve with your favorite cold beer.
