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Cook the Book: Kalbi with Korean Slaw

Posted by Caroline Russock, June 24, 2009 at 1:00 PM

If you are anything like me, food shopping makes you hungry. I've tried eating before I go to the market but I invariably get hungry halfway through my trip. In a prefect world I would be able to do some of my shopping, sit down and eat, and then finish up. One of the most enticing things about Farmers Market is that it's not only a great place to shop for ingredients but also a dining destination.

I crave Korean food on a nearly daily basis and a Korean restaurant in the middle of a fantastic market sounds like heaven to me. JoAnn Cianciulli adapted this recipe for Kalbi with Korean Slaw from the La Korea restaurant in her book, L.A.'s Original Farmers Market Cookbook.

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Kalbi (Marinated Short Ribs) with Korean Slaw

- serves 4 -

Adapted from L.A.'s Original Farmers Market Cookbook by JoAnn Cianciulli.

Ingredients

1 large onion, quartered
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup dry red wine such as Merlot
2 tablespoons sesame oil
4 pounds Korean-cut bone-in beef short ribs (see Note)
Vegetable oil for brushing
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Korean Slaw (recipe follows)
Cooked white rice for serving

Procedure

1. Put the onion and garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the sugar, pepper, soy sauce, wine and sesame oil. Stir to combine and dissolve the sugar.

2. Put the ribs in a large plastic bag, pour in the marinade, squeeze out any air, and seal closed. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight, turning the bag a couple of times.

3. Place a large grill pan on two burners over medium-high heat, prepare a fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high. (You can also use your oven broiler.)

4. Remove the ribs from the marinade. Brush the grill grates lightly with the oil. Place the ribs on the grill meaty-side down and cook, turning as needed, until well browned but still pink inside, about 5 minutes total. Set the ribs aside to rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Serve with the Korean Slaw and white rice.

Ingredient Note on Short Ribs: Korean-style short ribs, also known as flanken or crosscut, are sliced crosswise across the bones instead of between the ribs. You end up with a strip of meat about 8 inches long that has 3 slivers of rib bones lining the bottom. This cut not only helps the meat to absorb the marinade but also makes eating easier, especially with chopsticks. Korean-style short ribs can be found at most butchers and Asian markets. If not available, butterfly the meat by slicing each rib lengthwise almost to the bone and opening it up like a book.

Korean Slaw

Ingredients

1/4 head red cabbage, cored and cut cross-wise into shreds
1 head green cabbage, cored, quartered, and cut into shreds
1 carrot, grated
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt

Procedure

Soak the red cabbage in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes to draw out some if the color so it doesn't bleed into the slaw. Drain, dry well, and put into a large bowl. Add the green cabbage and carrot; toss with your hands to combine. Drizzle in both oils, tossing well to coat the vegetables. Combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a bottle or jar and shake to blend well. Pour the vinegar mixture over the slaw and toss to combine.

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Tags: beef, cabbage, Cook the Book, JoAnn Cianciulli, Korean, L.A.'s Original Farmers Market Cookbook, short ribs