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:
- Mix the soy bean paste, gochujang, scallions, garlic, mirin, water, sugar, and sesame oil in a small bowl with a fork until smooth.
- Store in the fridge until ready to use.
For the Ribs:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- You can cook the ribs either on a grill, under a broiler, or in a fry pan.
- I like to broil the ribs when I want to cook all of them fast and bring the platter straight to the table.
- 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).
- Broil the ribs for 5 minutes. (Watch the ribs for the last couple of minutes as different ovens may have different broiler strengths.)
- 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.
- 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
