Korean Short Ribs With Cucumber Kimchee Food

V'S SLOW-BRAISED KOREAN SHORT RIBS WITH CARAMELIZED KIMCHI RICE AND KOREAN CABBAGE SLAW

Steps:

• For the ribs: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup canola oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and chili-garlic paste to make a vinaigrette. Measure out 1/3 cup of the mixture and set aside, reserving for later. Add Bulgogi Marinade, sesame oil, and salt to the bowl; whisk to combine. Place ribs in a 9-by-13-inch pan, in two even layers. Pour sauce over ribs, shuffling the ribs around to ensure the sauce coats every side of every rib. Cover the pan securely with foil. Bake the ribs until the meat is tender and almost falling off the bone, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. To check ribs for doneness, lift corner of the foil and plastic wrap and use a fork to try to pick up a rib. If the meat is not yet done, replace plastic wrap and foil and place ribs back in oven for an additional 15 minutes. Remove ribs from oven.
• For the sides: Chop the kimchi into 1/2-inch pieces. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat; add the remaining 2 tablespoons canola oil. Add the butter and kimchi to the pan. Stir until the kimchi is caramelized and turns golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir well to combine. Cook until the rice fully absorbs the liquid from the kimchi and the flavors are incorporated, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add salt to taste. Remove from heat. Place the green and red cabbage in a medium bowl. Pour the reserved 1/3 cup vinaigrette over the cabbage and toss to coat.
• Divide the kimchi rice equally among four plates, placing it in a pile on one side of each plate. Do the same with the cabbage slaw, placing it next to the kimchi rice on each plate. Using a large spatula, gently remove ribs from the pan and place 3 ribs on top of the rice and slaw. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if using.
• Place soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, green onions, onion, pear, apple, and mirin in a blender and blend until pulpy but not liquified. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.
• Use a knife to slit the bottom of each cabbage an inch into the base. Set knife aside. With your hands, rip each cabbage in half lengthwise. Submerge the cabbage halves in water for 15 minutes. While cabbage soaks, put the 2 cups water and flour into a pan on the stove on high heat; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. When water reaches a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer until the liquid coats the spoon, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar. Set aside to cool.
• Remove cabbage from water, and shake off any excess water; place cabbage in a large bowl. Sprinkle and massage salt into each individual cabbage leaf. Let sit for 1 hour, turning cabbage every 15 minutes. Pour the cooled flour mixture into a blender. Add the oyster sauce, garlic cloves and ginger; blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and stir in the gochujaro, daikon radish, and green onions. Rinse the cabbage in the sink to remove salt, and squeeze or shake out any excess water. Rinse bowl and return cabbage to the bowl. Using gloves (repeat: using gloves), massage paste in between each cabbage leaf. After working paste into each half of cabbage, place cabbage into a prepared kimchi vessel and press it down to the bottom as far as it will go. When all the cabbage is in the vessel, add any remaining paste to top of the cabbage. Make sure there is a weight to keep the cabbage below the level of the liquid. Replace lid or close bag, whichever is needed for the type of vessel being used; be sure there is ability for air to escape. Place a baking sheet underneath kimchi vessel before storing it to catch any liquid that may overflow during the fermentation process. Store kimchi container in a dark, out-of-the-way place at room temperature for 24 hours. Check after 12 hours to make sure cabbage is submerged in the liquid; if not, press cabbage down into the liquid.
• After 24 hours, place kimchi container in the refrigerator. Let kimchi sit for a minimum of 7 days before eating, checking and pressing down every 3 days. The longer the kimchi is allowed to sit and ferment, the stronger the flavor; the sweet spot is around 20 days.
• Note: There are a variety of vessels you can use to make kimchi. You can use a traditional earthenware jar, food-safe bucket, or even a large bowl or food storage container. Make sure your vessel is large enough to have room at the top for the fermentation process to happen. I suggest a clean black garbage bag as a liner to any container you use so it creates a dark environment, and it's easy to check because you can unwrap and retie it easily. For your weight, use anything heavy that fits inside the top of the container; I use a brick wrapped in foil.

QUICK COOK KOREAN SHORT RIBS

Steps:

• For the short ribs: Whisk together the soy sauce, rice wine, brown sugar, sesame oil, gochujang and black pepper in a large bowl. Puree the garlic, onion, Asian pear and ginger in a food processor until smooth. Whisk into the soy mixture, then thin down with 1/3 cup water. Stir in the sesame seeds. Submerge the beef in the marinade and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight, if time allows.
• Remove the beef from the marinade and discard the marinade. Let the chill come off the beef for 30 minutes prior to grilling.
• Preheat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Sprinkle the short ribs with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Place on the grill and cook until deeply charred on both sides, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove to a platter to rest while you make the salad.
• For the banh mi salad: Whisk together the granulated sugar, rice vinegar, chile flakes and lime juice in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper, then add the cabbage, cilantro, mint and scallions, tossing to thoroughly coat.
• Pile the salad up on one side of a platter. Shingle and stack the charred short ribs along the other side. Serve.

KOREAN-STYLE BBQ SHORT RIBS

Steps:

• Score ribs every 1/2-inch along the length and width of the bone, making sure not to cut too deep so the meat will stay attached to the bone.
• Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl to make the marinade. Pour the marinade over the ribs and push the sauce into the cuts so it gets all the way down to the bone. Turn the ribs over face down in the marinade and cover for a minimum of 2 hours or refrigerate overnight for a stronger flavor.
• Remove ribs from the marinade and barbecue over a charcoal grill. Serve ribs with Cucumber Kimchi, steamed rice, and green Korean peppers. Enjoy!
• Make 3 deep slashes of equal size along the length of the cucumbers. Make sure not to cut all the way to the end of the cucumber to keep the cucumbers whole.
• Dissolve the 2 tablespoons of salt in the water. Soak the cucumbers for 2 hours to soften so they won't crack when they get stuffed.
• For the stuffing, combine the remaining ingredients except for the chicken stock and mix well.
• Squeeze as much water as possible out of the cucumbers. Stuff the turnip mixture tightly into the cuts. Place the cucumbers in a jar with the remaining stuffing and let sit for 3hours. Pour the chicken stock over the cucumbers and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours. Refrigerate and serve with Korean short ribs.