Overnight Soy-Pear Marinated Grilled Short Ribs

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Thin-sliced boneless short rib soaked overnight in a soy, Korean pear and garlic marinade, then grilled hot and fast so the edges caramelize into lacquered char before the interior overcooks. Served the steakhouse-Korean way — with a sharp scallion salad, ssamjang and lettuce for wrapping — this is the $60 restaurant plate rebuilt around one butcher request and a very hot grill.

Ingredients

• 2 lb boneless beef short rib, sliced 1/4-inch thick (ask the butcher to slice it on the machine)

• 1 Korean pear (or Bosc pear), peeled and cored
• 1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 8 cloves garlic
• 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 3 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 4 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
• 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

• 6 scallions, slivered lengthwise and soaked in ice water 10 minutes
• 2 tsp gochugaru (Korean chile flakes)
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

• 3 tbsp ssamjang (or 2 tbsp doenjang mixed with 1 tbsp gochujang and 1 tsp sesame oil)
• 2 heads red leaf or butter lettuce, leaves separated
• 4 cups cooked short-grain white rice
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (optional, for grilling)
• kimchi, for serving

Instructions

1. Prep the beef the day before. If the short rib slices are thicker than 1/4 inch, lay them between plastic wrap and pound gently with a rolling pin or the flat of a mallet until even. Blot both sides thoroughly with paper towels — dry meat takes marinade flavor without steaming on the grill.
2. Make the marinade: combine the pear, onion, garlic and ginger in a blender and puree until smooth, about 45 seconds. Pour into a bowl and whisk in the soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, mirin, sesame oil, sesame seeds, scallion pieces and black pepper.
3. Layer the beef and marinade in a large zip-top bag or shallow dish, separating and coating each slice so nothing clumps. Press out the air, seal, and refrigerate 12 to 24 hours, flipping the bag once. Do not go past 24 hours — the pear enzymes will turn the texture mushy.
4. About 40 minutes before cooking, pull the beef from the fridge. Lift the slices out of the marinade and lay them on a rack set over a sheet pan; scrape off the pear-onion solids and any scallion pieces, which scorch instantly. Let the meat come to room temperature and surface-dry while you build the fire. Discard the used marinade.
5. Make the scallion salad: drain the soaked scallion slivers and spin or pat them very dry. Whisk the gochugaru, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil in a bowl, add the scallions, and toss. Refrigerate until serving.
6. Heat the grill hard. For charcoal, bank a full chimney of lit coals into a single layer on one side and leave the other side empty; the grate should be so hot you can hold a hand 4 inches above it for only 2 seconds. For gas, run all burners on high with the lid closed for 12 minutes, then turn one burner off to create a cool zone. Scrape the grate clean and wipe it with an oiled towel.
7. Grill in batches, single layer, no crowding: lay the slices flat over the hottest part of the fire and cook 90 seconds to 2 minutes until the edges are deeply caramelized and the surface is glossy and blistered. Flip once and give the second side 60 to 90 seconds. Total time per slice is about 3 minutes — the sugars go from lacquer to bitter fast, so slide anything flaring up to the cool zone rather than letting it burn.
8. Move each finished batch to a warm platter and tent loosely with foil while you grill the rest. If using, toss the sliced garlic in a little sesame oil and char it on the cool zone for 2 minutes.
9. Rest the finished beef 5 minutes, then cut across the grain into bite-size pieces with kitchen shears or a knife. Pile onto the platter with the grilled garlic and any accumulated juices spooned back over.
10. Serve immediately with lettuce leaves, the scallion salad, ssamjang, rice and kimchi. Build wraps: lettuce leaf, a spoon of rice, a piece of beef, a dab of ssamjang, a pinch of scallion salad.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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