pineapple-grilled short ribs

If you haven’t had the meat candy that is Korean short ribs, let me tell you: YOU ARE MISSING OUT.

Thinly cut beef, swimming in a marinade of sweet brown sugar, sesame oil, and soy, grilled to caramelized perfection, good god. Then all that juicy goodness dripping down to the rice bed you’ve laid it on. I have no jokes for this dish. It’s too good. And too too good if you have it with the Sweet and Salty Coconut Rice.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours 45 minutes

Serves 4

ingredients

for the ribs

  • 2½ pounds flanken or kalbi-style short ribs (see Note)

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • ½ cup (packed) dark brown sugar

for the marinade

  • ½ cup light soy sauce

  • ½ cup (packed) dark brown sugar

  • ⅓ cup finely chopped garlic

  • 2 tablespoons mirin

  • 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger

  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh or canned pineapple

  • 2 tablespoons finely grated yellow onion

  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha

  • ½ tablespoon sesame oil

for serving

  • The rest of that pineapple, cored and sliced into half-moons

  • ¼ cup chopped scallions

  • Sweet and Salty Coconut Rice or regular cooked rice

NOTE: Flanken or kalbi short ribs are cut across the bone in thin pieces, with sections of bone attached. It should look like some kind of amazing avant garde fashion belt.

steps

PREPARE THE RIBS:

  1. Place the ribs in a large baking dish or roasting pan and season them all over with the salt and pepper, then rub the brown sugar all over the ribs.

  2. Let them sit around in their sugary goodness (until the sugar dissolves on the surface of the ribs) for about 15 minutes.

MAKE THE MARINADE:

  1. In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, mirin, ginger, pineapple, onion, Sriracha, and sesame oil.

  2. Pour the marinade over the ribs, shaking the dish so the marinade gets all up in there.

  3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but 12 to 24 hours is better!

THROW IT ALL TOGETHER:

  1. Remove the ribs from the fridge 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking.

  2. Remove the ribs from the marinade, letting the excess drain off, and pat dry with paper towels.

  3. Reserve the marinade.

  4. Preheat a grill or cast-iron skillet or griddle over high heat for 5 minutes.

  5. Grill the ribs until they get caramelized and are just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

  6. Throw the pineapple slices in the marinade to coat and grill them until caramelized, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

  7. Serve the ribs and pineapple on a platter and garnish with chopped scallions. Serve rice alongside.

NOTE: Put mirin in food. Mirin is Japanese cooking wine. Mom uses mirin a lot cuz (a) it has alcohol in it and (b) it’s a little sweet. But don’t try to drink it in a pinch. No, really, you can’t be that desperate. And it’s got way too little alcohol, anyway.

Recipe from/inspired by: Cravings by Chrissy Teigen
pineapple-grilled short ribs