Kalbi the Texas Craft Wagyu way
Top: Traditional cut short ribs cooked in Gochujang; broiled to a char
Bottom: Cross-cut short ribs cooked in a Balsamic Vinegar & Olive oil marinade, topped with Sriracha; cooked short of a char
Korean-Texan Fusion Short-ribs
We sell two kinds of bone-in short ribs: Traditional and Cross-cut, aka Flanken. Traditional ‘English style’ short ribs are usually braised. Flanken style short ribs are common at Korean BBQ joints, often known as Kalbi. Because they are thinner, Kalbi are typically cooked over charcoal.
Most short ribs you will find in restaurants or the grocery store can be fairly tough, so Korean BBQ restaurants will tenderize them in various liquids such as coca cola, pineapple juice, or even Asian pear juice.
Our 30 plus days of dry aging enhances the tenderness of our short ribs. Intricate tenderizing isn’t needed so we are able to simplify the recipe and make Kalbi the easy way.
In our cheater’s hybrid we first do a mini-braise and then broil our way to great tasting Kalbi in under an hour. This is perfect for cold days when you don’t want to stand outside at the grill. Even better, by first doing a mini-braise we can throw convention out the door and use either style of short ribs for Korean-style ribs.
This recipe shows that when you have the best meat you don't need complicated recipes. Let the meat do the work for you and you'll have impressive results.
Serves: 4 people
Ingredients
- 1.5 to 2 lbs Wagyu short ribs (available in the Wagyu Experience bundle)
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
Directions
- Put the ribs into a large pot and cover with water. Do not heat the water first. Let the water gradually come to a boil and simmer for almost 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F.
- As soon as all of the meat loses any pink then take out of the water and place onto a foil lined baking tray.
- Slather the ribs with Gochujang. You can’t have too much.
- Roast for about 30 minutes. You want to get some char on the outside. The inside will remain tender. This is one of the only times when I don’t recommend using a thermometer to check doneness. Have fun and trust your instincts. You can’t mess this up.
- Drizzle on more Gochujang or Sriracha.
Pairing recommendations:
Sides: A simple Japanese cabbage salad
To drink: This dish will go better with a cold beer than a red wine. Any crisp refreshing beer that can cut through the spice will do fine. This is Dallas-style Kalbi so we like to pair it with Dallas Blonde from Deep Ellum Brewery (widely available in grocery stores).
Gochujang alternative
Thanks to the increasing diversity of DFW, Gochujang is now sold in nearly every grocery store. If you don’t have it to hand then substitute with your favorite BBQ sauce. Or you can substitute for a non-spicy sauce made from:
- ⅓ cup soy sauce, Or balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
- Optional: pinch of curry powder, minced garlic, ¼ cup brown sugar
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