My cousin took me to a Korean Buffet a few months ago and I just got hooked on Korean beef short ribs ever since. The meat is very tender and delicious. This dish is meant to be eaten with your fingers. If you try and eat these with a fork and knife, you’ll never get all the goodness and flavor out of the meat near then tendons and bones.
The key to making good Korean short ribs is to maintain a balance of sweet and savory flavors. I picked maple syrup and soy sauce for the sweet and savory agents in this dish.
1. Info for Pan-Seared Korean Beef Short Ribs with a Maple Glaze (Maple Syrup Kalbi Marinade)
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 60 mins
- Servings: 6
- Calories: 710kcal
2. Ingredients for Pan-Seared Korean Beef Short Ribs with a Maple Glaze (Maple Syrup Kalbi Marinade)
- 4 lbs Korean short ribs, about 15 slices
- 4 Tbs plain whole yogurt
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 3 Tbs garlic, finely minced
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 6 Tbs canola oil
- 1 drizzle toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1/2 lime , freshly squeezed
- 2 baby Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced (only the green part)
- 2 Tbs fresh cilantro , coarsely chopped
- 2 Tbs fresh mint
- 1/2 cup bean sprouts
- 1 Romaine lettuce, shredded
- 1 fresh green serrano pepper, thinly sliced, optional
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns, freshly ground
- 1 pack dried vermicelli rice noodles, cooked
3. Directions:
- Combine the soy sauce, maple syrup, lime juice, ginger garlic paste, 2 tablespoons of minced garlic, 2 teaspoons of scallions, cayenne pepper, 2 tablespoons of canola oil and toasted sesame oil if (used) in a bowl. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the marinade and pour the rest into the beef. Mix well. Make sure all the marinade coats all the short ribs. Marinade the Korean beef for at least 30 minutes. Do not extend the marinating time more than an hour otherwise the beef will be too salty.
- Heat up the rest of the canola oil in a large griddle pan over high heat. Make sure to spread all the oil onto the griddle pan to prevent the maple syrup from sticking as it caramelizes. Add the rest of the minced garlic. Drain as much excess liquid marinade off the beef as possible and place the ribs onto the hot griddle. Cook for about 3 minutes. The meat should be caramelized on one side. Flip all the beef ribs and cook for about 2-3 minutes to get a medium rare meat. Brush more of the marinade onto the beef using a silicone brush. Extend the cooking for another minute if you like it well done. Do not overcook the beef since the Korean-Style short ribs are sliced pretty thin.
- Transfer the short ribs to a plate, cover the meat loosely with aluminum foil and let the meat rest for at about 5 minutes. Slice the meat and drizzle with the reserve marinade.
- Place in 2 large serving platters. In one plate, place thin vermicelli rice noodles. In another plate, add fresh vegetables like lettuce, cucumber, bean sprouts, fresh cilantro and mint and scallions. Fill a bowl with the reserve beef marinade. It’s family style – everyone helps themselves to their own bowl, starting with the veggies, the noodles, and then finally the Korean beef. Pour the marinade, add the coriander and mint. To be eaten with chopsticks of course!
- Bon appétit!