Korean-Style Short Ribs/ Kalbi

This is a choose your own adventure style recipe. If you remembered to thaw out your ribs and can plan a day ahead, stick with the first recipe. If you spaced out and are short on time, read below for our “in a rush” version.

The backstory: this is the first time we’ve ever done Flanken-cut short ribs, so they required a few test rounds to make sure we were offering something super delicious. Once we had the thickness of the slices down, we tested 3 different preparations. These are the two winners (and the differences between them).

RECIPE 1: 24-Hour Marinade (Recommended)

PICTURED IN PHOTOS IN THE MIDDLE. The high vinegar content in our marinade not only helps tenderize the ribs, but lends their flavor a wonderful brightness as well.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2lbs Randall Lineback Flanken-Cut Short Ribs

  • 1/2 cup soy sauce

  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (dark brown if you have it)

  • 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

  • 1/2 cup white vinegar

  • 4 garlic cloves, grated or pressed

  • Oil for your grill

PREPARATION:

  1. 36-48 hours before eating, thaw (or mostly thaw) your Randall Lineback Short Ribs in the refrigerator.

  2. 24 hours before eating, remove Short Ribs from package, pat dry, and place in a square pyrex baking dish (or any other suitable container for marinating them overnight).

  3. Combine soy sauce, sugar, vinegars, and garlic in a small bowl. Pour over Short Ribs, making sure it covers both sides of each slice.

  4. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. Flip and swish the ribs in the marinade at least once halfway through your marinating time to ensure equal coverage.

  5. 30 minutes before cooking, remove ribs from fridge and bring to room temperature. Turn on your grill or get your coals going. Hotter is better for these.

  6. Pat ribs dry with a paper towel. Oil your grill grate to prevent sticking.

  7. Once the grill is fiery hot, lay ribs on it and cook for 3-4 minutes. Flip (we recommend using a spatula, as tongs can tear them) and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

  8. To Serve: Eat with your hands while they’re hot, because why wait?

RECIPE 2: Speed Version

Pictured at right in photos. if you’re short on time, you can use a quick baking soda bath to tenderize the ribs. we preferred the texture of the overnight marinade, but this will definitely do in a pinch!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2lbs Randall Lineback Flanken-Cut Short Ribs

  • 1 Tsp Baking Soda

  • 2 cups Water

  • For a homemade marinade use our recipe above.

  • Super speed needed? Try a store-bought favorite like THIS ONE

  • Oil for your grill

PREPARATION:

  1. Thaw your Randall Lineback Short Ribs in the refrigerator overnight.

  2. 1.5 hours before eating, remove Short Ribs from package, pat dry, and place in a square pyrex baking dish (or any other suitable container for marinating them overnight).

  3. Mix 1 teaspoon baking soda in 2 cups of water until water is clear. Soak Short Ribs for 30-45 minutes. Remove, rinse with cold water, and pat dry. They'll have a tendency to fall apart at the seams, but that won’t impact their deliciousness

  4. Cover with our marinade (ingredients listed above) or with your store-bought version. Try to marinate for at least 30 minutes. The longer, the better.

  5. Heat up your grill until fiery hot.

  6. If using our homemade marinade, pat dry before grilling. Store-bought, is usually a bit thicker, so you can throw on the grill as-is if you’d like.

  7. Get some oil on that grill top to prevent sticking, then cook your short ribs for 3-4 minutes each side.

  8. Eat with your hands while they’re still hot!