Kalbi / Galbi Ribs

I decided to try a different approach to beef short ribs and picked up a pack that had been cut across the bone in classic kalbi fashion. For those of you who are not familiar with kalbi, it is a staple Korean dish. It is a grilled dish made of beef ribs that have been marinated in a soy sauce based marinade.

I made up the marinade the night before and allowed it to sit in the fridge overnight so that the salt and sugar could fully dissolve. I stayed fairly true to form in terms of the marinade ingredients. Click here for the recipe.

Kalbi marinade

The morning of the grill session, I washed the ribs and placed them into a freezer bag. I then poured the marinade into the bag and worked it around all the ribs. Place the bag back into the fridge and allow it to marinade for 8-12 hours. Try to turn the bag every few hours so all the ribs get a good soaking.

Kalbi happily marinading

Kalbi is traditionally grilled and you can certainly do it that way. I decided to use my smoker to cook them. To be honest, I don't think it makes much of a difference whether they are done on the bbq or in the smoker. Since they are sliced so thin, they cook up pretty fast. I cooked mine at about 275F for roughly 35 minutes. They had just cooked through and were still pretty juicy.

If you are expecting the ribs to be tender, you are going to be disappointed. Kalbi is meant to be a little bit of a workout for your mouth. If you want tender beef short ribs, you will have to cook them low and slow Texas style.

Serve the Kalbi with white rice and veggies on the side. And eat them with your fingers! They taste better that way. :)

A plate full of deliciousness