Beef short ribs that are seasoned in a sweet soy sauce-based marinade and then grilled are called kalbi (or galbi) in Korea. Other main ingredients include garlic, sugar, green onions, and (sometimes) pepper paste, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and rice wine. Several different sweet components may be used, such as honey, lemon-lime soda, or pureed apples. There are different variations; however, the outcome is always sweet with a strong soy sauce flavor.
Make sure you get the “thin cut” as this greatly affects the outcome. The thinner, the better. Kalbi is fatty so look for a lean but marveled version like the one above. It’s very important to cut off excess fat and massage the meat over the running water. By this, I mean press with your index finger and thumb like you are making it thin. Just don’t rip it and don’t worry because this will allow the meat to absorb the ingredients below more efficiently. If you don’t do this, the kalbi will be hard and chewy.
Grind the “50″ cloves of garlic. Yeah, that’s a lot of garlic but don’t worry. It’s worth it! Do not chop garlic, you need to grind it to almost like a paste and then in a bowl, add:
- 6 -8 bls thin short rips
- 1 cup of Kikkoman shoyu (I highly recommend Kikkoman brand)
- 1 cup of brown sugar
- 1/2 cup of sake
- 1/4 cup of water
- 1/4 cup of sesame oil
- 1/4 cup of honey
- Dash of black pepper
Mix them together and you will notice the liquid to be like a syrup. Taste it. It should be sweet and garlic explosion in your mouth. That is the key. If it’s salty, you did it wrong. Always remember – sweet and garlic flavor. Then dip the rinsed kalbi over the sauce and then put in the plastic container. Let it marinade for at least 24 hours.
This kalbi is ready for tomorrow’s BBQ party.
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