My mom came home with some short ribs recently, which, even though they weren’t cut the right way for traditional kalbi, was a good enough excuse for me to make it! The traditional Korean recipe calls for short ribs cut laterally in thin slices, which grill up fast. For this thicker cut, we cooked in the marinade for several hours in a Dutch oven to get some super tender meat.

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds beef short ribs
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup mirin (rice wine)
• 1 small onion, peeled and finely grated
• 1 small Asian pear, peeled and finely grated
• 4 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

Asian pear, looks more like an apple.

Rub the brown sugar evenly over the meat and let sit for 10 minutes.

Half of that is, clearly, chicken. Shhh.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients, except for the green onions, in a large bowl and stir well.

Just put my spiral cutter doodad right over the bowl to grate the onion and pear.

Place the meat in a large ziplock bag or two, making sure to get as much of the brown sugar in the bag as possible, and pour the marinade in as well. Press out all the excess air, seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. I got my days mixed up, and ours marinated for 2 days.

Pour the meat and marinade into a dutch oven or crock pot and cook on medium-high heat until starting to simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook 4 1/2 – 5 hours, until tender.

We cooked the chicken a different day – you’d have more than this if you used the full amount of beef.

Remove from the marinade, leaving the marinade on the stove, and cook the meat on a hot pan for just a few minutes on each side to sear.

Drain some of the grease off the reserved marinade. Serve the meat with white rice, drizzle with the marinade, and garnish with green onions if desired.

This is another one that gets your hopes up, by making the house smell good, and does not disappoint!

Kalbi

Adapted from Food Network.

• 5 pounds beef short ribs
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup mirin (rice wine)
• 1 small onion, peeled and finely grated
• 1 small Asian pear, peeled and finely grated
• 4 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

Rub the brown sugar evenly over the meat and let sit for 10 minutes while you combine the remaining ingredients, except for the green onions, in a large bowl and stir well. Place the meat and brown sugar in a large ziplock bag or two, and pour the marinade in as well. Press out all the excess air, seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Pour the meat and marinade into a dutch oven or crock pot and cook on medium-high heat until starting to simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook 4 1/2 – 5 hours, until tender. Remove from the marinade, leaving the marinade on the stove, and cook the meat on a hot pan for just a few minutes on each side to sear. Drain some of the grease off the reserved marinade. Serve meat with white rice drizzled with the marinade, and garnish with green onions if desired.