developed for Bon Appetit
L.A. kalbi is a uniquely Korean-American dish that uses flanken-style short ribs rather than the butterflied English-style ribs traditionally used in kalbi in Korea. It’s widely accepted that L.A. kalbi originated in the Korean immigrant community in Los Angeles, where home cooks turned to the cheaper flanken-style ribs that were readily available at local Mexican markets. These short ribs, which are thinly cut across multiple ribs so each strip of meat has three little bones along one edge, are perfect for marinating and quickly grilling and result in tender meat that’s sweet, salty, and well-caramelized all over.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
8 garlic cloves
1/2 large or 1 medium Asian pear, peeled, cored, and cut into large chunks
1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
1/2 cup soy sauce (not low-sodium)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 lb. 1/4”-1/2” thick crosscut bone-in beef short ribs (flanked-style; about 12 three-bone strips)
Directions
Blitz garlic, Asian pear, and ginger to a smooth purée in a food processor or blender. (Or, finely grate garlic and ginger; grate Asian pear on large holes of a box grater.) Transfer purée to a medium bowl. Whisk in mirin, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, black pepper, and ½ cup water until sugar is dissolved.
Arrange short ribs in a resealable plastic bag or baking dish. Pour marinade over and turn ribs to coat. Seal or cover and chill at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours.
Do Ahead: Freeze ribs in marinade for up to 1 month.