Tender strips of beef short ribs marinated in a sweet and savory blend of nashi pear, garlic and sesame oil, seared over high heat for a flavorful, lacquered caramelization.
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg beef short ribs
- 1 piece fresh nashi pear (or very ripe Bartlett pear)
- 1 piece medium yellow onion
- 6 cloves fresh white garlic cloves
- 15 g fresh ginger root
- 120 ml naturally brewed dark soy sauce (such as Kikkoman or jinjanjang)
- 50 g unrefined brown cane sugar
- 3 tbsp sweet rice cooking wine (mirin with 14% alcohol)
- 2 tbsp 100% toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 pieces scallions (fresh green onions with green tops)
- 1 tbsp unsalted toasted white sesame seeds
Method
- Place the beef short ribs in a large bowl of very cold water. Let sit for about 45 minutes, changing the water halfway through, to draw out impurities and fine bone dust from the cutting process. Drain the meat carefully and pat each strip completely dry with paper towels.
- Peel the nashi pear, yellow onion, garlic cloves and ginger root. Roughly chop everything and place in a blender. Blend until you have a very smooth, fluid puree with no remaining chunks.
- Pour this vegetable puree into a wide, shallow dish. Add the naturally brewed dark soy sauce, brown cane sugar, sweet rice cooking wine, toasted sesame oil and ground black pepper. Whisk vigorously until the sugar is completely dissolved and the marinade becomes glossy and homogeneous.
- Submerge the beef short rib strips in the marinade, making sure each piece is generously coated on both sides. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least eight hours, ideally overnight, to let the enzymes work deep into the meat.
- Remove the meat from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature and prevent the fibers from seizing up when they hit the heat. Thinly slice the scallions on the bias, including both the white and green parts.
- Heat a cast iron grill pan or a griddle over very high heat until the surface is smoking. Remove the beef from the marinade, letting it drain briefly to drop the excess liquid without scraping off the aromatic puree. Lay the strips flat on the scorching surface without overlapping them.
- Sear for 2 to 3 minutes without moving the meat, until you achieve a deeply caramelized crust and slightly crispy edges around the bone. Flip each strip using tongs and sear the second side for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the juices caramelize evenly without burning.
- Immediately transfer the grilled ribs to a warm platter. Promptly sprinkle the toasted white sesame seeds and sliced scallions over the sizzling meat. Serve right away, setting out kitchen scissors to snip the meat into bite-sized pieces between each bone.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 385.3 kcal
- Protein
- 47.49 g
- Carbohydrate
- 7.19 g
- Fat
- 17.8 g
- Fibre
- 0.64 g
- Calcium
- 32.62 mg
- Iron
- 0.69 mg
- Magnesium
- 18.65 mg
