Grill/Barbecue

Kalbi-Style Short Ribs

August  6, 2014
4.6
7 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves 4 to 5
Author Notes

These spicy Korean barbecue style short ribs are perfect for summertime grilling. —Cara Nicoletti

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Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup mirin
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup sesame oil
  • 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons garlic paste
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1/4 cup minced scallions
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 5 pounds kalbi-style short-ribs
Directions
  1. Whisk all of your marinade ingredients together (everything except the short ribs). Place short ribs in a large ziplock bag and pour marinade over them, making sure to coat all of the ribs. Allow them to marinate overnight.
  2. The next day, pat the ribs dry to avoid flare-ups. Grill them over high heat for 2 minutes on each side. You can also cook them in a super-hot pan, or stick them under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes on each side.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

Cara Nicoletti is a butcher and writer living in Brooklyn, New York. Cara started working in restaurants when she moved to New York in 2004, and was a baker and pastry chef for several years before following in her grandfather and great-grandfathers' footsteps and becoming a butcher. She is the writer behind the literary recipe blog, Yummy-Books.com, and author of Voracious, which will be published by Little, Brown in 2015. She is currently a whole-animal butcher and sausage-making teacher at The Meat Hook in Williamsburg.

13 Reviews

Jacques S. May 6, 2022
Taste very authentic. Next time I’ll try sous-vide to make them more tender.
Savanah B. December 6, 2021
This was delicious! I didn’t have any mirin do I used some red wine vinegar instead and added a little miso paste. So flavorful! I let the ribs marinate for almost 24 hours. I’m thinking of using this marinade on skirt steak for beef and broccoli!
Elle July 14, 2019
I liked the marinade. The recipe is simple and easy compared to other kalbi recipes I’ve tried. I would have marinated the meat longer than 24 hours to let the flavors soak deeper if I did this again.
Picholine July 31, 2017
Could I use boneless country style spareribs?
Lizzie D. July 12, 2015
Dear Ms. Nicoletti: The marinade makes an excellent tofu dish as well. I cut your recipe in half for one block of firm tofu. Searing the tofu gave it a wonderful caramelization, thanks to the coconut sugar I used. I really appreciate your sharing this terrific, versatile recipe. It's my new go-to. Thanks.
Elle July 17, 2019
I tried this based on your suggestion and it was an amazing glaze for tofu. Thanks for the idea.
Ariette C. September 23, 2014
Wow. Looks really delicious. I'm a big fan of steak so seeing this makes me crave for more. I have tried this recipe and it went well. Good thing, my culinary student brother was there to help me out. He also taught me another marinated recipe for steaks: Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, dijon mustard, and garlic in a small bowl. Season it with salt and pepper. Try it. I'm telling you, it's worth the try. =)
Susan W. August 13, 2014
Had these for dinner last night. Deliciously outstanding! I had extra marinade, so I am going to marinate chicken thighs and make bibimbap with it.
Susan W. August 11, 2014
I can't wait to try this. Cara, are Kalbi style ribs the same as flanken ribs? That is what my local store calls them. They look like the ones in your photo. :0)
Cara N. August 11, 2014
Yes, exactly Susan! The ones in the picture are boneless, but they are SO delicious bone-in too. Let me know how they turn out!
Susan W. August 11, 2014
Just walked next door and bought the ribs. They are bone-in, so I bought a lot!! :0) Serving them with the copycat recipe of Chipotle's lime and cilantro rice and watermelon. Yay summer!
ChefJune August 11, 2014
This recipe sounds wonderful, but how could it be a Community Pick already? It was just submitted last Wednesday, and it isn't the featured contest. If Cara Nicoletti is a "celebrity" contributor, then some notes on who she is would be helpful. I've never heard of her...
Cara N. August 11, 2014
Hi June,
I'm not sure how these things work, but I can tell you that I am not a "celebrity" contributor. I am a butcher. If you want to know more about me you can read my bio on the site.