For my Bulgogi Korean BBQ Short Ribs my secret flavor weapon is apple sauce. This adds a sweet and sour flavor, a thickening quality to the marinade, and enhances the caramelization while under the broiler, or better yet, grilled for some superb BBQ.
I hope everyone out there survived a fun and exciting New years Eve celebration. While these take a four hour marinade, you can start these now and be prepared for a grubbing dinner later. In the meantime maybe a breakfast like these Savory Egg Clouds or my Chipotle Cheddar Biscuits with Chorizo Sausage Gravy should set things straight.
For these I use the thin cut, bone in short ribs. Having the bone still in adds so much more flavor, as is the case with any meat like chicken, leg of lamb etc. You get it, right? These are great because I get that wonderful beef flavor, but am not eating a lot of meat. It seems the older I get the less beef I eat. So, like all things, I eat it in moderation because it is delicious. Especially marinated and grilled like these Bulgogi Korean BBQ Short Ribs.
The beef short ribs should be marinated a minimum of 4 hours, but usually I do overnight. If you can’t find short ribs, feel free to use flank steak sliced thin than then marinate.
I like to start this over the weekend when I am thinking of what meals to prepare for the week. That way I can have it in the next day or two all marinated and just put these short ribs on the grill. A little planning goes a long way.
In a blender add all the marinade ingredients and purée until smooth. I pour this into a ZipLoc plastic bag or bowl, add the short ribs and marinate covered for at least 4 hours, but overnight preferable for maximum flavor.
When ready to grill or broil these get the gas or charcoal grill to 350°F. Shake any excess marinade off short ribs. Grill turning once, about 4 minutes per side. Feel free to baste during the cooking process so the edges get caramelized and get crispy.
Allow the Bulgogi Korean BBQ to rest for 5 minutes then I cut the meat across the grain thin, but feel free to eat off the bone. Serve with green onions on top and steamed rice. Enjoy!
Bulgogi Korean BBQ Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef short ribs Thin cut 1/2 inch, bone in
- 4 green onions + 1 green top only for garnish
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup apple sauce
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp fresh crushed ginger
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds See Note 1
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
Instructions
- In a blender add all the marinade ingredients and purée until smooth.
- In a ZipLoc or bowl add short ribs and marinate covered for 4 hours, but overnight preferable for maximum flavor.
- Heat gas or charcoal grill to 350°F. Drain excess marinade off short ribs. Grill turning once, about 4 minutes per side. The edges with caramelize and get crispy.
- Allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes then I cut the meat across the grain thin, but feel free to eat off the bone. Serve with green onions on top and steamed rice.
Notes
- Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
HI Kevin,
This recipe sounds amazing..i have the thick cut short ribs at home though..Could i use these and then roast in the oven? if so how long would i need to roast them for and how long? thnaks
Hi Nadine! Follow Steps 1 and 2 in this recipe and then I would use the info from my Baked Short Ribs recipe for roasting your thick cut ribs. “Preheat oven to 325°F. Add a cup of beef broth or water to add to the roasting pan. Place the ribs meaty side up in the pan, cover pan with aluminum foil and bake in oven until meat is tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Uncover the roasting pan and bump up the oven temperature to 400°F. Roast until ribs are browned on top, about 25 minutes longer. Spoon sauce on… Read more »
Made this today with boneless short ribs. Sliced the meat thin like bulgogi, marinated for three hours and cooked in a hot skillet!! Wonderful. We love Korean food and this totally satisfied. Thanks and good job;-)
Excellent, thanks for taking the time to come back to let me know Debbie. 🙂
Bulgogi 불고기 is thinly sliced marinated beef or pork. Galbi 갈비 is ribs.
Thanks Ari, good to know.
Thank you Kevin!!! Marinated overnight and they were outrageous!! Going to try this with Country cut Pork Rib next… for it seems one cant go wrong with this recipe no matter the meat. Your Awesome 😀
Thanks so much Jeremy! I like your thinking with that pork rib, need to try myself! Cheers. 🙂
Kevin– This dish was wonderful–I absolutely hate braising short ribs that end up tasting like pot (chuck) roast! Your recipe was spot on–I checked the temperature and took them off the grill at 125 degrees –they were absolutely tender and medium rare! Just wanted to share a secret on the applesauce–my aunt (who didn’t cook often) put applesauce in her beef meatballs and meatloaf which I thought was rather strange. However both were incredibly tender and moist–which I believe might be due to the mildly acidic nature of apples breaking down the connective tissue in the beef (like apple cider… Read more »
Thanks so much Maria I always appreciate someones take on a dish. I think you’re right on that, too. Here’s to a fun, safe and tasty 4th of July weekend! 🙂
Calling all Moms who have kids who are PICKY EATERS! My name is Mary and I have two kids. One who is a great eater and the other one I have to beg to eat! I made these Korean short ribs for my son Mason who is my picky eater, and he LOVED THEM! He actually asked for seconds and thirds the night I made them. He even asked me to make them again, which is something he never says! I went to bed so happy that my boy ate so well!!!! Thank you Kevin! With your recipes, I am… Read more »
THANK YOU Mary. You rock cooking up all these new dishes for the family. Isn’t it fun to make people smile when you serve up tasty food? I love it! 🙂
This is a really fabulous recipe, so bold and full of flavour. I could eat this all the live long day. I haven’t made short ribs in far too long.
Hi there Kim and thanks. I hope you give them a try and cheers to a fantastic 2016!
There’s nothing better than sticky short ribs!! These looks absolutely phenomenal Kevin! YUM!
Thanks Dini – finger lickin’ good stuff! 🙂
Fabulous take on Bulgogi, which is one of my favourite Korean beef recipes! Your ribs looks fabulous and I am pinning for our next rib night!
Thanks Ange, appreciate it. Finger lickin’ good stuff!
These are calling my name, Kevin – some of my favorite flavors and the texture of that sauce looks like sticky goodness.
Finger lickin’ good indeed Marissa. Thank you 🙂
Intriguing recipe! Love your site mission on bold flavors! This recipe looks so flavorful and delicious and pretty!! I’m enticed! The applesauce caramelizing and the marinade ingredients have GOT to be delicious! I can’t wait to get this on the table for my hubby!
Thank you Diane for the kind words. It does deliver in the flavor department. Happy New Year to you both. 🙂
These look amazingly inviting…what a lovely shot. I bet they taste just as good. I will be looking for that sour dough bread recipe here 🙂
Thank you so much Manal. I actually did an entire 6 part series on sourdough. Here is a link to my French Style Round Sourdough Bread. I hope you enjoy! Happy New Year!
Thank you indeed… I hope I will include it in next months schedule and will let you know how it goes 🙂 Happy New Year to you too