Sometimes sitting tableside with my cards, I’d order a plate of kalbi off the casino menu. They were thin, juicy slices of L.A.–style short ribs, stacked high and crosscut, with the three bones to grab on to like handlebars. Delicately marinated in soy sauce, sugar, garlic, scallions, sesame oil, beef stock, pears, kiwifruit, red wine, and orange juice, these babies were grilled till charred and crusty. They came out of the kitchen a glistening, super deep brown caramel. This is L.A.’s southern comfort, its own version of American BBQ filtered through Korea, which is amazing as anything from Austin to the Carolinas.
SERVES 4 TO 6
MARINADE
1 cup soy sauce
½ onion, cut up
1 kiwifruit, peeled
½ cup garlic cloves, peeled
½ bunch scallions, roughly chopped
½ cup mirin
1 cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup sugar
½ cup Asian sesame oil
2½ tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
4 tablespoons canola oil for the grill
1½ pounds boneless or bone-in short ribs, thinly sliced
ON THE SIDE, IF YOU WANT
Cooked white rice
Macaroni salad
Kimchi
JUST BUY MACARONI SALAD AND KIMCHI FROM THE STORE; THAT’S FINE. OR USE THE KIMCHI YOU MADE ON YOUR OWN.
Combine all the marinade ingredients in a blender and puree.
Pour the pureed marinade over the short ribs and massage it through the meat with pressure and delicious intent. Marinate it, covered, in the refrigerator for at least an hour and up to 2 days.
Meanwhile, cook some white rice. You know how.
Heat up a grill (or a grill plate if indoors) for 5 to 10 minutes. Season the grill with oil. Grill your short ribs until charred, about 4 minutes on each side. When they’re done, they should glisten and have bits of burned but delicious layers.
You can either put everything in a bowl (rice, kimchi, macaroni salad, kalbi) or place each one separately on a paper plate, Hawaii-style, and grub.
No comments:
Post a Comment