Ribs'B - Short [Gr-C] 'Korean'

By Kwasome

If pressed for time, a 1-hour marinade will provide sufficient flavor, but it will not tenderize the meat as
well as a longer marinade. Make sure to buy English-style ribs that have at least 1 inch of meat on top
of the bone, avoiding ones that have little meat and large bones. Two pounds of boneless short ribs at
least 4 inches long and 1 inch thick can be used instead of bone-in ribs. Alternatively, 2 1/2 pounds of
thinly sliced Korean-style ribs can be used (no butchering is required; see modified instructions in step
5). For a spicier marinade, add 1/2 teaspoon or more hot red pepper flakes. Serve with steamed rice,
kimchi (spicy pickled vegetables), and, if available, a spicy bean paste called gochujang. Traditionally,
all these ingredients are wrapped in a lettuce leaf and eaten like a taco.

Koreans know how to take tough short ribs and transform them
into tender barbecued beef in just minutes. Could we learn from
their example?
The Problem: Korean barbecue should be a quick event,
but when we quickly grilled short ribs the meat was barely
chewable and overly fatty.
The Goal: We wanted crusty, browned meat that had a barbecued char but was nonetheless
tender—all accomplished in minutes.
The Solution: Butchering the short ribs properly proved to be the most essential step. To cut
English-style short ribs (the cut most widely available in markets) we fabricated four slices from each rib,
evening them out with a quick pounding. The right marinade was also critical—pear puree proved to be a
secret ingredient. The pear balanced the acidity of the rice vinegar, adding sweetness and a fruit flavor.
We got the intense heat we needed to properly char the meat by creating a modified two-level fire, which
also allowed us to move the meat to the cooler side when flare-ups occurred.

Ingredients

• 1 medium pear (ripe), peeled, halved, cored, and roughly
• chopped
• 6 medium cloves garlic , peeled
• 4 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 3 scallions , green and white parts sliced thin
• 5 pounds bone-in English-style short ribs , meat removed from
• bone, trimmed of excess fat, sliced widthwise at angle into 1/2-
• to 3/4-inch-thick pieces and pounded 1/4 inch thick (see
• illustrations below)
• Vegetable oil for grill rack

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

1. Process pear, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, oil, sugar, and vinegar in food processor until smooth, 20 to 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer to medium bowl and stir in scallions.
2. Spread one-third of marinade in 13 by 9-inch pan or other suitable container that will hold ribs in 2
layers. Place half of meat in single layer over marinade. Pour half of remaining marinade over meat,
followed by remaining meat and marinade. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator.
Marinate ribs for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours, turning meat once or twice to ensure that it
marinates evenly.
3. Light large chimney starter filled two-thirds with charcoal (4 quarts, or about 65 briquettes) and allow
to burn until coals are fully ignited and partially covered with thin layer of ash, 15 to 20 minutes. Build
modified two-level fire by arranging coals to cover half of grill. Position grill grate over coals, cover grill,
and heat grate until hot, about 5 minutes; scrape grate clean with grill brush. Lightly dip wad of paper
towels in oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe grill grate.
4. Grill half of meat directly over coals, turning 3 or 4 times, until well browned on both sides, 7 to 12
minutes. If flare-ups occur, move meat to cooler side of grill until flames die down. Move first batch of
meat to cooler side of grill and repeat browning with second batch. Transfer second batch of meat to
platter. Return first batch of meat to hot side of grill and warm for 30 seconds; transfer to platter and
serve immediately.
5. For Korean-Style Ribs:
Korean-style ribs are fattier than English-style ribs, so watch for flare-ups at the grill. Follow recipe
above, substituting 2 1/2 pounds Korean-style beef short ribs that are trimmed of excess fat and cut no
more than 1/4 inch thick. Reduce amount of charcoal to 3 quarts.