These Grilled Korean Short Ribs or Gal-Bi have become very popular over the past 20 years as Korean food has come to the forefront. It’s easy to see why! They are tender and sweet, they also pair perfectly with other Asian flavors! The marinade creates the perfect flavors that go so well with this style of beef ribs. You are going to wonder why you haven’t made them before now!!
The cut of the rib is called Kalbi or “flanken beef short ribs”. The beef short ribs are cut across the bone and are 1/2-inch thick. This cut will cook very quickly, requiring only a few minutes on each side on the grill.
You do however need to do a little planning in advance as these babies need to be marinaded. You can either marinate them for 8 hours or overnight. I like to marinate overnight; it just seems to add that much more flavor to these Korean-style short ribs.
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What are Korean short ribs?
Korean Short Ribs are a special cut of beef ribs that are marinated for a period of time then are cooked over a hot grill. The first time that I had them was at a Korean BBQ restaurant. There was a gas grill in the center of the table and you cooked your meal yourself right at the table!!
You ordered off the menu very much like a Chinese restaurant. But in this case, all the food would come to the table raw, and you cooked it yourself. Everyone had a great time! The bonus was that everyone at the table got involved in the cooking!
How do You make Grilled Korean Short Ribs?
Similar to Thai recipes this Grilled Korean Short Rib recipe has quite a few ingredients. This is what gives these ribs their amazing flavor!
Ingredients
- Korean style beef short ribs
- soy sauce
- brown sugar
- Asian pear
- garlic
- mirin (see note)
- sesame oil
- ginger
- sesame seeds
- green onions
- pepper
Start by combining the soy sauce and Asian pear in a bowl. Then add the brown sugar and the other liquids sesame oil and mirin.
Note: Mirin can be difficult to find in your local grocery store but you can always buy it online. If you are really in a crunch, you can substitute in dry sherry or sweet marsala wine. Dry white wine or even rice vinegar will also do. If you use rice vinegar you will need to counteract the sourness with about a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar for every tablespoon of rice vinegar you use.
Next, you add garlic, ginger, sesame seeds and pepper, and green onions. Mix everything with a whisk to make sure that all the ingredients are well combined. Place the ribs in a large sealable bag and pour in the marinade.
Put the bag in the refrigerator. Marinate the ribs for 8 hours or overnight; turn the bag over several times while they are marinating.
Allow your ribs to come to room temperature while you preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Remove the ribs from the bag and discard the marinade. Place the ribs on the preheated grill and cook for 2-3 minutes per side.
Are riblets the same as short ribs?
The short answer is no, riblets are not the same as short ribs. Riblets are the short flat end of the rib that is left once the curved portion of the rib has been removed.
Short ribs, on the other hand, are cut so that the bone and the rib meat are together. Some people describe eating short ribs as getting to enjoy the rib meat and brisket at the same time!
How Korean short ribs are cut
Korean short ribs are cut across the rib and come cut with 3-4 ribs per piece. The ribs are cut 1/2 an inch thick. As a result, they cook very quickly!
They are cut thinner than many other cuts of beef ribs. This means they absorb the flavors of the marinade very well. This particular cut can sometimes be hard to find in your supermarket or local grocery store.
I have found that if you tell the butcher what you are looking for they are almost always willing to provide you with your request. You can also almost always find these short ribs at a Korean grocery or an Asian market.
What goes with Korean short ribs?
Any Asian side dish pairs fantastically with grilled Korean short ribs. Some of the first things that spring to mind are obviously rice, and greens such as a salad or coleslaw. But other things like kimchi, a fermented cabbage dish are wonderful too. We made this cucumber kimchi and loved it with the ribs!
That said you can always stay with something more familiar. How about some french fries or a baked potato?
If you are serving these ribs as part of a buffet, I would look to pair them with something like potato salad, or a pasta salad. The great thing about these ribs is that they really do go with any type of cuisine you happen to be serving!
Doesn’t that look yummy! Don’t you wish you could just reach out and take that fork right now! Stop sitting around and get to it. It’s time you made these outstanding grilled Korean beef ribs today!
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Pin it HERE!!
Grilled Korean Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 5 racks of Korean style beef short ribs
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 an Asian pear peeled and very finely diced
- 1 Tbsp mirin see notes
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp grated ginger
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl mix all the marinade ingredients together except the ribs.
- Place the ribs in a large zip-lock bag and pour in the marinade.
- Put the bag in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
- Remove the ribs from the bag and discard the marinade.
- Allow the ribs to come to room temperature while you preheat your grill to medium-high (375 – 400 degrees F.)
- When the grill is heated, place the ribs on the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until the desired doneness.
- Serve immediately.
These look great Ken! If I used seasoned rice vinegar would I need to add extra sugar?