I’m sharing a quick #dinspiration recipe for a Korean-style marinade I made on repeat all summer. It’s garlicky and savory with just enough sweetness to be addictive—similar in spirit to earlier sticky honey-garlic wing recipes. I served these short ribs with short-grain white rice, kimchi, and a simple salad of julienned carrots and cucumbers tossed with rice vinegar, a pinch of sugar, and a little salt.
Flanken-style beef short ribs are an economical cut that can be cooked quickly over high heat, as shown here, or braised slowly until fall-apart tender. If you can’t find flanken ribs, a flank or skirt steak works well—slice it thinly across the grain and serve over rice.
Many Korean marinades use Asian pear because it contains enzymes that help tenderize meat; pineapple and papaya contain similar enzymes. The pear also contributes mild sweetness, although honey supplies most of the sweet flavor in this recipe, so don’t worry if you don’t have one—I’ve made this without pear many times with equally tasty results.
I happened to have an Asian pear because a friend shared some from a neighbor’s tree. I daydream about owning fruit trees and an acre of land with a small orchard and space for chickens—maybe someday.
Korean Short Ribs Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ½ medium Asian pear (or 1/4 cup pineapple or apple juice)
- ¼ medium onion
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 ½ tbsp finely-grated ginger
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- ½ tsp cayenne
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 ¼ lbs flanken beef short ribs 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick
Instructions
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Combine all marinade ingredients (everything except the beef) in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour the marinade over the ribs in a shallow baking dish and toss to coat evenly. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 48 hours.
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Preheat a grill to medium-high for about 5 minutes. Grill ribs over direct heat about 3 minutes on the first side, with the lid closed, until they release easily and have good grill marks. Flip and cook 1–2 minutes on the other side. Transfer to a plate, tent with foil, and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- If you don’t have Asian pear: use 1/4 cup pineapple juice. It contains tenderizing enzymes and complements the marinade well.
- Sweetener substitutions: brown sugar or maple syrup can replace honey if preferred.
- Alternative cooking methods: Instead of grilling, cook the ribs under a preheated broiler, on a lightly oiled stovetop grill pan preheated over high heat, or in an air fryer at 390°F (about 5 minutes).
- Rib thickness: 1/4″ thin ribs cook faster and tend to be more tender, with better marinade penetration, though they can fall apart; 1/2″ ribs hold together better for presentation.
- Gluten-free option: substitute gluten-free tamari for soy sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment!
