Korean Short Ribs on the Traeger
This is my favorite way to cook Korean Short ribs on the grill. You cook them hot and fast, which produces delicious caramelized edges and the marinade ensures you end up with tender juicy meat. See the note about how to find this cut of beef.
Equipment
- A Traeger grill with cast iron griddle insert
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ½ inch thick, cross-cut, bone-in short ribs also called flanken-style
- 6 tbsp granulated white sugar
- 6 tbsp soy sauce
- 6 tbsp apple juice
- ¼ cup sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 4 tsp grated ginger
- salt & pepper
- vegetable oil spray as needed
- sticky white rice, cooked for serving
- sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onions for serving
Instructions
- In a bowl or dish, combine sugar, soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, ginger and a splash of water.
- Mix well until combined.
- Using your hands, place the beef in the marinade and mix until well covered and combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Meanwhile, preheat your smoker grill with a cast iron griddle or plate until very hot. I set my grill to the highest setting and let it get hot for at least 20 minutes.
- When ready, remove meat from marinade and gently pat dry with a paper towel.
- Spray preheated cast iron with a bit of vegetable oil spray.
- In batches, cook marinated beef ribs on grill, cooking for 2-3 minutes per side until a good crust has developed.
- Flip and repeat on second side.
- Remove to platter or tray, tent loosely with foil, and cook remaining batches.
- Serve immediately with rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions for garnish.
Notes
A note about the meat-- you want to get this specific cut in order to get the best results. We've found them advertised differently depending on where we're shopping. Flanken style short ribs are what they're commonly called. They're thin cut slices of meat, including little discs of the bone, from your traditional BBQ-focused beef short rib. Essentially, the bones are cut across, rather than being cut apart. Sometimes they're called kalbi. We usually find them with 3-4 bone discs per slice, about 1/2 an inch thick, usually 10-20 per package. The cut includes meat interspersed with muscle, fat and tendon, which makes for a strong beefy flavor. They could also be advertised as English Cut, but those are 2-3 inches thick, cut in the same cross-bone direction.