At Home: Kalbi

The absolute favorite Korean dish that my mother, Sunny, makes for Keith is her Kalbi (Marinated Short Ribs).  These Korean-style grilled meats are also a favorite of my father and uncles, and she remembers making it for them when she first married my father.  They say you "win a man's heart through his stomach", or something like that, right?  Well it worked for my Dad and Keith - haha! Check out her recipe on What Micky Eats...At Home.

Sunny's Kalbi (Marinated Short Ribs)

• 6 pieces of beef short ribs
• 3 cups pear puree
• 8 Tbsp of chopped garlic, onion, and scallion
• 10 Tbsp sugar
• 2 teasp black pepper
• 6 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 3/4 teasp Dashida (beef flavor)

- Rinse beef ribs in cold water until blood disappears and pat dry.

- Mix all ingredients to make marinade and separate in half.

- Slice meat ½ inch apart and add ½ marinade.  Marinate for 30 minutes.

- Grill the meat until half way cooked.

- Place meat into a pot and cover with remainder ½ of marinade.  Add water until just barely covering all the meat.  Boil until meat is well done.

Alternate: Place uncooked, marinated meat in an aluminum pan with some sliced radishes and bake for 1 to 2 hours.  This slow braised technique is best for the larger bone-in cuts of beef.

Alternate: Keith prefers to grill the meat all the way, instead of boiling. In that case, use all the remainder marinade to coat the meat as you grill.

Photo: Rachelle B

My mother often pre-marinates a batch of these short ribs whenever we come down to visit, so that Keith has something to take home.  She has also used a boneless cut of meat, which is a bit thicker.  Serve with steamed rice and a side of spicy kimchi for an authentic Korean meal.  You can easily freeze them for later, or if Keith decides to grill them all at once, he will use the leftovers to make Asian steak sandwiches.  Either way, my mother's "number one son-in-law" always leaves with a happy stomach.  So enjoy this gorgeous transition weather we are having, get outside, and grill up some kalbi!

Photo: Daycation