Korean Short Ribs

Korean Short Ribs

with “white girl” kimchee and sticky rice

This recipe is time consuming; so if you are in favor of something short and quick, do not read past this point, however, if time isn’t an issue then this is definitely worth the all the time effort.

This summer I wanted things to be a little different. In an effort to bring some new recipes and cuisine into my kitchen I decided to try some meals outside the box, one being a version of Korean BBQ. Traditional Korean BBQ is done on a grill and made with galbi (marinated short ribs). Since grilling isn’t my forte and unfortunately, galbi was not available anywhere near me (believe me I searched!), I had to use the next best thing of what was available from the meat counter.

Braised short ribs have always been a favorite of mine, plus it is easy and no fuss since you cook everything in a French oven on the stove. So it was a no brainer as to how I should cook my ribs when I was thinking of a way to avoid the grill. Plus, braising the meat allows it to be moist, tender, and fall off the bone delicious. I probably made my kimchee wrong considering I have never made it before, but I have to say it was almost similar to spicy coleslaw with blanched cabbage. It had a different texture than regular coleslaw and a nice heat when eating. Rice is rice, but sticky rice is my new favorite way to eat it. It was soft and fluffy, but ”sticky” enough to hold its shape.

Some of the ingredients sound a little scary and far out there, but do not get freaked because they all come together to create a real tasty sauce that is out of the world awesome. This is nowhere near traditional Korean BBQ and neither is the kimchee, and sticky rice, but it is however damn good and fun to make!

Directions:

1. Prepare the kimchee and the sticky rice the day before. Slice the cabbage into ½ inch slices. Place in a colander either in the sink or with a bowl beneath it and sprinkle with about 3 tablespoons of salt. The goal is to remove as much moisture from the cabbage as possible, so let it sit out for at least 2 – 6 hours. Once the cabbage has “rested”, place in a bowl with the sugar. Mix it around and set aside.
2. In a different bowl combine all the ingredients. Make sure they are combined well and then add to the cabbage.
3. Cover and refrigerate overnight (remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving).
4. Soak the rice in a container that holds at least twice the volume of rice: Cover the rice with 2 – 3 inches of water and soak for 6-24 hours.
5. Prepare the short ribs. In a le creuset French oven (mine is 5.5 qt.) brown the short ribs over medium high heat with a little salt and pepper and olive oil.
6. Remove from the French oven and let rest for about 10 minutes. In the same pot add all the short rib ingredients, short ribs, and bring to a boil.
7. Set the heat on low and then cover and braise for about 4-6 hours (the liquid should cook down by half and the meat should be extremely tender).
8. With 45 minutes to go, prepare the sticky rice. Drain the rice from the liquid it rested in overnight and place in a steamer basket. I do not have this so I laid it out over my splatter guard that rested on a pot of boiling water. It is important that you use a semi deep pot so the water doesn’t touch the rice. Cover with a lid and steam on 1 side for 25 minutes. Turn the rice and steam the opposite side for about another 20 minutes.
9. Put the cooked rice into a bowl and add the rice vinegar and sesame oil.   Mix together. Turn it out onto a clean work surface and with a long wooden spoon flatten the rice out a little and then fold it over from one side to the other (this will remove the clumps). Once turned out, form into 2 large rice patties and set aside in a covered serving bowl with a lid or a damp cloth until ready to plate.
10. Remove the French oven from the stove and let rest.
11. Assemble your dish!

Place the rice patty on a dish and top with the kimchee. Place your short ribs next to the patty and garnish with some extra sauce from braising. Eat warm and enjoy!

*If short ribs are not your thing, then replace it with 2 medium large beef shanks. Use the same Short Rib Ingredients and either braise them in the French oven or bake them in the oven at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove and let it rest for 10 minutes. Assemble the dish by adding some of the sauce it cooked in to the bottom of the plate, place 1 shank on top, and add the rice patty and then top with the kimchee. Serve with extra sauce on the side.