i <3 korean barbecue.

i'm ethnically chinese/ taiwanese (and bunches of other stuff) but, man, do i love me some korean barbecue. set me in front of a plate piled high with kalbi, kimchi and japchae and i am a happy girl. (you - not so much because, no, i will not share.)

so, i finally taught myself to make kalbi (marinated short ribs) at home - it's so tasty, everyone loves it, and it's easy to make enough for a big group.

this weekend i had a dinner party for 10, so i just bought 10 pounds of korean short ribs to serve. these are beef ribs, cut l.a. style, into flat pieces with small rounds of ribs all across the top. i bought kimchi (spicy pickled cabbage is most common) and japchae (cellophane noodles with vegetables in sesame and soy sauce), but i'm learning those now too!

my sous chefs

here's the recipe:

* 4-6 pounds of korean short-ribs (if you don't have a FAB local korean market like i do, you can ask your local butcher to do this for you)
* 1 1/2 cups soy sauce
* 3/4 to 1 cup white sugar - i go a bit heavier on the sugar for extra caramelization
* 1/4 cup sesame oil
* 5 cloves of garlic, minced
* 3 large green onions, cut into small pieces
* 2 tbl toasted sesame seeds
* 1/2 to 1 tsp of red pepper flakes - again, i go a bit heavier because i like spicy

1. mix all ingredients, except for the meat, in a large bowl.
2. place meat into large freezer bag(s) and cover with marinade.
3. place in refrigerator for several hours (at least 4) or overnight. turn at least once so all of the ribs are well marinated.
4. remove from refrigerator when ready to barbecue.

at this point, i'd suggest pouring the marinade into a saucepan and cooking over medium/ medium-high until reduced. be sure to bring it to a rolling boil at least once to kill any nasty bacteria that might ruin your night.

in the meantime, cook ribs over very hot grill until they are brown and a bit charred/ caramel-y.

when reduced, and when ribs are ready, serve reduced marinade for dipping or drizzling over noodles and ribs.

not the best picture i could have taken, but i was HUNGRY.

honestly, this could not be simpler. and your friends will eat until they are sick (which is good because i like company when i do the same).

enjoy!

happy campers