10-Minute Barbecued Ribs—Kalbi

Published May 1, 2007.

Koreans know how to take tough short ribs and transform them into tender barbecued beef in just minutes. Could we learn from their example?

The Problem

Korean barbecue should be a quick event, but when we quickly grilled short ribs the meat was barely chewable and overly fatty.

The Goal

We wanted crusty, browned meat that had a barbecued char but was nonetheless tender—all accomplished in minutes.

The Solution

Butchering the short ribs properly proved to be the most essential step. To cut English-style short ribs (the cut most widely available in markets) we fabricated four slices from each rib, evening them out with a quick pounding. The right marinade was also critical—pear puree proved to be a secret ingredient. The pear balanced the acidity of the rice vinegar, adding sweetness and a fruit flavor. We got the intense heat we needed to properly char the meat by creating a modified two-level fire, which also allowed us to move the meat to the cooler side when flare-ups occurred.

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