Kalbi is a Korean dish that is very popular in Hawaii! We marinate short ribs overnight in a savory-sweet marinade of soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and many other pantry seasonings. Next day, grill them! The local Hawaii version of kabli is slightly sweeter than traditional Korean version and it is so delicious. Eat hot with rice and kimchi. Enjoy!
Why This Recipe Works
Hot kalbi, fresh off the grill. A big plate of rice. A side of kimchi!
Kalbi is a Korean short rib dish. The meat is marinated overnight in a simple but delicious savory-sweet mixture. Then the next day we grill and eat it!
The meat is hot and juicy, so tender! So good! It's no fuss, no drama type of dish that is super satisfying.
Kalbi is popular at potluck parties and family/friends bbq and gatherings. No once can resist that juicy, meaty scent of kalbi grilling on a weekend afternoon. Ahh, really the simple things are best.
Korean Plate Lunch
We love eating everything plate lunch-style in Hawaii and this includes kalbi.
You already know about Local Plate Lunch and Hawaiian Plate Lunch. But did you know about Korean Plate Lunches?
Korean Plate Lunch is essential to life in Hawaii! I find myself at a Korean Plate Lunch spot at least once a week. These plates are BIG and I usually split it with my mom. Or eat half for lunch and save half for dinner. Either way, they always hit the spot.
We always pick kalbi and/or bbq chicken for our meat option (or get the combo that includes all the meats). It comes with two scoops of rice and four different sides/banchan. Some places let you pick the sides, other places have set daily sides. It's always delicious.
When we make kalbi at home, we serve it up in a simple plate lunch style. Always with rice, and then a side of kimchi. Then from there you can also serve it with a ton of other dishes depending how big the party is ^_^
Kalbi versus Gabli
In Hawaii, we always see this dish listed as kalbi on the menu. On the mainland I see a mix of both kalbi and galbi. However you spell it, kalbi and galbi generally refers to the same dish.
Meat for Kalbi
Make sure to purchase flanken cut short ribs when making kalbi.
Short ribs cut "flanken style" are easy to find in Hawaii. Sometimes it's can be sold under different names like:
- Flaken cut
- Kalbi cut
- LA-style cut
- Korean cut
- Cross cut
With this style, the short ribs are cut through the rib bones (instead of parallel to the rib bones). Nearly all the supermarkets in Hawaii carry flanken cut, even Costco Hawaii!
If you are on the mainland, you most likely have to visit an Asian supermarket or find a butcher than can do that kind of cut.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make kalbi:
- 5 pounds short ribs, flanken cut
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup mirin
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 onion, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-inch knob of ginger, grated
- 2 stalks green onions, chopped
Now let's get cooking!
Step by Step Directions
Here are the instructions, it's quite simple:
Mix the marinade.
Make the marinade by combining the soy sauce, water, sesame oil, brown sugar, mirin, rice vinegar, onion, garlic, ginger, and green onions in a bowl. Mix well.
Protip: If you have a blender, you can combine all the marinade ingredients in a blender and blend everything together.
This will save you time because you don't need to mince the garlic, ginger, and onion beforehand. It also helps make a more flavorful marinade because all the ingredients are fully blended as opposed to being minced/chopped and stirred in.
Marinate the meat.
Divide the short ribs between two gallon-size Ziploc bags. Then pour the marinade into the two bags and make sure all the meat is coated in the marinade. Seal the bags well and refrigerate overnight.
Because I worry about things potentially leaking in the refrigerator (what a mess that would make!), I put the filled bags into a larger rimmed tray, and then put that in the refrigerator. I use a simple rectangular cake pan, but feel free to use anything that has high enough sides to hold any leaks.
Also! If you have a big enough container you can put the meat in a container and cover it with the marinade. Make sure every piece of short rib is covered in the marinade.
Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
Grill and eat!
Remove the meat from the marinade and turn on the grill. Grill and eat! We grill for about 3-4 minutes on each side.
No grill? No problem. While kalbi is most delicious when cooked on a grill, you can also cook the kalbi in an oven broiler or on a large pan over the stove.
We love kalbi best with rice and a side of kimchi ^_^
FAQs and Tips
You can keep kalbi in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave.
There are so many variations you can do! Our recipe is for a very simple version, but if you have the time, try these changes:
- Add a grated pear or kiwi into the marinade mixture. The fresh fruit gives the marinade a really nice and subtle touch of natural sweetness.
- Add a splash of fish sauce/nuoc nam to the marinade for extra flavor boost.
- Add up to 1 tablespoon of ground black pepper to the marinade.
Yes, you can freeze uncooked kalbi. After marinating in the refrigerator overnight, drain all excess marinade from the bag and then freeze the uncooked meat.
You definitely need rice and kimchi! Those two are a must.
You can get away with only rice in a pinch, but you can never eat kalbi without rice (or at least I can't ;).
Other great dishes to serve with kalbi include:
- Japchae (Korean Glass Noodles)
- Macaroni Salad
- Chicken Long Rice
- Pancit Bihon
- Garlic and Ginger Green Beans
- Korean Bean Sprouts
P.S. If you're visiting Hawaii, make sure to visit our many Korean Plate Lunch spots. That's how we most often enjoy kalbi, local style!
Kalbi Recipe
See below and enjoy ^_^
Kalbi
Kalbi is a Korean dish that is very popular in Hawaii! We marinate short ribs overnight in a savory-sweet marinade of soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and many other pantry seasonings. Next day, grill them! The local Hawaii version of kabli is slightly sweeter than traditional Korean version and it is so delicious. Eat hot with rice and kimchi. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 5 pounds short ribs, flanken cut
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup mirin
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 onion, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-inch knob of ginger, grated
- 2 stalks green onions, chopped
Instructions
- Make the marinade by combining the soy sauce, water, sesame oil, brown sugar, mirin, rice vinegar, onion, garlic, ginger, and green onions in a bowl. Mix well.
- Divide the short ribs between two big ziptop bags. Divide the marinade between the two bags and make sure all the meat is coated in the marinade. (If you have a big enough container you can put the meat in a container and cover it with the marinade.)
- Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
- Remove the meat from the marinade. Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side, and eat! We love kalbi best with rice and a side of kimchi ^_^
Alan
Thursday 21st of July 2022
Hi Kathy: Kalbi is a favorite of mine and of my dogs too -- LOL! I frequent make kalbi at home on my grill and even order it at Korean restaurants. But my wife doesn't care much for kalbi so when I grill kalbi for myself and my dogs, I just plain grill her a filet with Hawaiian steak seasoning on it.