apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

i tried out this recipe last night and it did not disappoint! last summer we were at a bbq where korean short ribs were served and we've been wanting more ever since. we were even able to find flanken ribs at our local butcher. thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
one question: i didn't include the pear. is it just supposed to be part of the marinade, or does it get grilled as well?
i'm going to try using this marinade on steak as well. i imagine it makes everything taste better!

I'm not incredibly educated on Asian culture unless you count that dude from Startrek I dated, and he was Chinese (he was also an ass).

This blog, however, will be about Korean cuisine and what I've discovered about it that pertains to Lynchburg (yes, there are other races besides black and white here).

Sunday I'll celebrate the holiday with some Korean BBQ thanks to Apartment Therapy's "The Kitchen." Instead of trying to explain what that means I'll post the recipe I found (like you thought I came up with the idea myself):



Korean Barbecued Short Ribs
serves 6-8

5 lbs beef short-ribs, flanken if possible
1 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
8 green onions, trimmed and chopped roughly
8-10 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
2 Asian pears, peeled and cored

Combine soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, green onions, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds and optional red pepper flakes in a bowl. Slice Asian pears into 1/4"-thick chips, irregular shapes are fine.

Nestle ribs in a roasting pan or pile in a large, sturdy re-sealable plastic bag. Scatter pear around ribs then pour over marinade. Turn ribs to ensure they are evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, up to 24 hours. Turn ribs at least once during the marination.

Prepare the grill. A gas grill will work but, according to Gregory, "Koreans prefer the char of charcoal." Third choice is a broiler.

Drain excess marinade off ribs and reserve. Cook ribs, turning often with metal tongs. Depending on the thickness of the meat and the heat of the grill, this may take as little as 5 minutes, or as many as 15 minutes. Tend the grill carefully, watching for flare-ups which can be put out with a cupful of water. Toward the end of the cooking process, pour remaining marinade over ribs, cook another minute to caramelize, then pull off to check for done-ness. Gregory's tip is to cut a piece and taste it. The middle should look the way you like your steaks to look, which is probably not too bloody, and definitely not too dry.

Serve with rice, torn lettuce and a julienne of green onions, and a sesame oil and soy sauce dressing.


Now y'all know I get tired of hearing complaints about nothing to do in Lynchburg. Here's a tip--COOK FOREIGN FOODS!

You go to Walmart for Tide, for diapers, perhaps a tube of lipstick or a topsy turvey tomato thingy. Why not go to one of the Korean markets to buy the ingredients for this recipe?

There is the Liberty Korean Market off of Memorial Ave and Peter Jung's place right off of Fort Ave. They also sell Mexican food, which I thought was extremely amusing.







While you're at it, pick up an aloe drink. I have a friend who swears by them...;)

cassiopia, I believe the pear is used as a meat tenderizer...

Tried this recipe over the weekend with chicken wings (I don't eat red meat). Delicious! We even used our electric indoor grill and they turned out fantastic. I highly recommend this recipe!

I just made a version from my friend's Korean recipe that used a kiwi, pear, and apple in the marinade: http://the-cooking-of-joy.blogspot.com/2009/05/kalbi-korean-barbecue-short-ribs.html