Have you ever been to a Korean barbecue restaurant where you cook a variety of marinated meats on a grill yourself? If the answer is no, you need to cancel your current dinner plans, get on Yelp, find the closest KBBQ restaurant and head over there right away! It is definitely a fun and delicious dinner experience that everyone must try! Korean BBQ is a popular cuisine that is quickly taking over the world. What makes it so different from the America's BBQ scene? First is the meat preparation. In KBBQ, the meat is thinly sliced, marinated, and quickly grilled or pan-fried versus American BBQ where larger cuts of meat are used and slowly cooked. As for the flavor, KBBQ tend to have a more sweeter flavor, using honey, ground pear, garlic, sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil. These flavors differ from American BBQ's smoky dry rubs and vinegar-based sauces. In this post's recipe, we will be focusing on making a delicious marinade for my favorite cut of meat in KBBQ, Galbi. Galbi is beef short ribs. This cut is very juicy and tender when cooked correctly. I love how the beef short ribs soak up so much flavor from the marinade. I can't wait for everyone to try this recipe. This recipe is adapted from Judiaann Woo's recipe on the Food Network.
Cook Time: 4.5 hours
Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆
INGREDIENTS
5 lb of Korean style beef short ribs
1¼ cup of brown sugar
1¼ cup of dark soy sauce
½ cup of water
¼ cup of mirin
1 small onion, peeled and finely grated
1 small Asian pear, peeled and finely grated (I use Fuji apples if I can't find an asian pear)
2 Tblsp of dark sesame oil
4 Tblsp of minced garlic
4 Tblsp of minced lemon grass
1/4 tsp of black pepper
Gallon ziplock bags
2 green onions thinly sliced
Sesame seeds
RECIPE
Spread brown sugar evenly over the short ribs. Let sit for 10 minutes
In a large bowl, combine dark soy sauce, water, mirin, grated onion and asian pear, dark sesame oil, minced garlic, lemon grass, and black pepper. Mix well.
Transfer the beef into the ziplock bags and add the marinade. Make sure the meat is evenly coated by turning over the bag a couple of times. Get rid of any excess air in the bag.
Let marinate for at least 4 hours. The longer the marinade, the better the flavor!
On a gas, charcoal or electric grill on medium heat. Grill on each side for 3-4 minutes depending on how you like your meat cooked.
Use a pair of scissors to cut in-between the bones to make it easier to eat.
Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds
CONCLUSION
The Galbi pairs perfectly with fresh steamed rice and fresh cucumbers. The sweet marinade really seeped into the spare ribs, giving it so much depth and flavor. I personally love it when the marinade on the outside of the meat mildly burns while the cook on the meat remains at a medium rare. I do this by turning up the heat on the grill and making sure its hot before I start throwing the meat on it. This happens because high sugar content in the marinade. The sugar cooks quicker than the actual meat itself, causing it to char before the meat overcooks. This gives the meat a bit of a crunchy texture on the exterior while remaining tender and juicy on the inside. If you have access to a Korean market, I highly recommend you buy kimchi, pickled radishes, and fried fish cakes as side dishes as they cut the heaviness and sweetness of the Galbi. I am so excited for everyone to try this recipe. The number of aprons I am giving this recipe is...
