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korean short ribs features

Korean Short Ribs

  • Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus marinating time)
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: serves 4-6 1x
  • Category: Main
  • Cuisine: Korean

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 lbs short ribs (cut across the bone)
  • 1 ripe kiwi or small pear 
  • 8 cloves garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped ginger
  • ⅓ cup soy sauce
  • ⅓ cup Chongju or sake
  • 2 Tablespoons packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3 green onions, minced
  • 2 Tablespoons sesame oil

Ssamjang Dipping Sauce:

  • 2 Tablespoon gochujang chili paste
  • 4 Tablespoons soy bean paste, either korean doenjang or miso 
  • 2 scallions minced
  • Two cloves large garlic, minced
  • 2 Tablespoons Mirin
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil

To Serve:

  • Ssamjang Sauce
  • Lettuce Leaves
  • Sliced Chilies (optional)
  • Sliced Garlic (optional)
  • Steamed Rice
  • Kimchee

Instructions

Make Ssamjang Sauce:

  1. Mix the soy bean paste, gochujang, scallions, garlic, mirin, water, sugar, and sesame oil in a small bowl with a fork until smooth.
  2. Store in the fridge until ready to use. 

For the Ribs:

  1. Trim excess fat from the ribs and rinse them under running water to remove any bone fragments and blood. Drain off the water and then transfer the ribs to a container.
  2. Peel the kiwi and then put it in a food processor or blender with the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sake, brown sugar, and black pepper. Process until it is a thick, smooth paste. Pour it over the ribs and then add the green onions and sesame oil.
  3. Mix well, making sure each of the slices is coated with sauce. Marinate overnight (or a minimum of 2 hours and a maximum of 24 hours).
  4. You can cook the ribs either on a grill, under a broiler, or in a fry pan.
  5. I like to broil the ribs when I want to cook all of them fast and bring the platter straight to the table.
  6. Move a shelf to the top oven rack and set the oven to broil on high. Lay the ribs in one layer on a baking sheet that has been covered with a sheet of aluminum foil (you want to use a baking sheet that has a lip to catch the accumulating juices). 
  7. Broil the ribs for 5 minutes. (Watch the ribs for the last couple of minutes as different ovens may have different broiler strengths.) 
  8. Cut the ribs into bites sized pieces with a pair of scissors or a knife. You can either cut the meat off of the bone or leave the bone-in and cut the meat into riblets. Stack the ribs onto a platter and serve with the dipping sauce and other accompaniments.
  9. To make a ssam, take a leaf of lettuce and top with a little steamed rice, a piece of meat, a dab of ssamjang, and a little kimchee. Roll it up and enjoy!

Notes

*Kiwi has very strong enzymes. Marinate the meat for a maximum of 24 hours, as the enzymes will continue to break down the meat fibers. You do not want mushy meat.

Keywords: Korean ssam, short ribs, lettuce wraps, ssamjang sauce, kimchi, korean food