Name: Grilled L.A. Kalbi Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Cuisine: KOREAN
Ingredients: 4 pounds L.A.-style short ribs; 1 Korean pear, cored; 6 garlic cloves, peeled; 1 piece (1 inch) fresh ginger, peeled; 1/4 cup soy sauce; 1/4 cup rice wine; 1/4 cup pure maple syrup; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more; 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

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By Genevieve Ko

March 17, 2020

The traditional Korean marinade for kalbi is sweetened with a blend of pear and maple syrup so that it caramelizes onto the meat. Serve the kalbi over steamed rice and with shiso leaves for wrapping and chiles and scallions for topping. Potato salad is also great on the side.

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4 pounds L.A.-style short ribs

1 Korean pear, cored

6 garlic cloves, peeled

1 piece (1 inch) fresh ginger, peeled

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup rice wine

¼ cup pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

Trim excess fat from the short ribs and rinse under cold water to remove any bits of bone. Pat very dry.

Blend the pear, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice wine, maple syrup, ¼ cup water and pepper until smooth. Add the sesame oil and pulse just until blended.

Pour the marinade into a very large bowl and add the ribs. Rub the marinade all over all the surfaces of the ribs, gently massaging it into the meat. Transfer the ribs to a baking dish that fits them snugly and pour in any marinade from the bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Remove the ribs from the marinade. Grill, turning once, until charred on both sides, about 5 minutes. Serve hot with shiso leaves, chiles and scallions, and with rice and potato salad on the side.

Make Ahead:

The ribs can be marinated in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.

Genevieve Ko

Genevieve Ko is the former cooking editor for the Los Angeles Times. She is a cookbook author and has been a food writer, editor and recipe developer for national food media outlets. Ko graduated from Yale after a childhood in Monterey Park.