Korean BBQ Kalbi

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Moist and flavorful Korean BBQ Kalbi are so easy to make and grill up in no time. They’re so addicting, it will be hard to eat just one!

One of G’s favorite weekend activities is barbecuing outdoors. Any reason is good enough reason for him to get the charcoal going. Seriously, he’s the only person I know who would go to all the trouble of firing up the grill to cook 2 burger patties when a cast iron skillet would have done the job just as well.

The man sure is at his happiest manning his beaten-down grill and tending to his prized meat. With an ice cold beer in hand, of course.

When I was presented with an opportunity to work with Heineken, G was beyond thrilled. He knows and loves his beer and Heineken is definitely his top choice.

Made with barley, hops, and water, it’s light, refreshing, and pairs well with these grilled Korean BBQ kalbi and almost everything and anything you can throw on the grill.

G was so excited about our summer cookout, he basically planned the whole thing! From picking up a 12-pack of Heineken at our neighborhood Ralph’s (click here to find Heineken near you) and preparing our various side dishes to marinating the Korean BBQ Kalbi and grilling them, he made the whole shindig happen. He even saved a few dollars on the beer using a mobile rebate!

All I had to do was stretch comfortably on our lawn chair, with a good book in one hand and a perfectly chilled Heineken in the other, and wait for my food to be served like a queen for a day. It was an awesome summer afternoon, indeed. 🙂

Korean barbecue (Gogigui) refers to the Korean cooking method of grilling beef, pork, and/or chicken at the diner’s table using gas grills built into the table itself or portable stoves set on the table. One of the most popular types of meat in this style of cooking is Galbi which is made of beef short ribs marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and onions.

These succulent beef ribs are definitely our favorite when we visit our go-to Gogigui restaurant. A delightful marriage of sweet and salty, they’re absolutely addicting! Unfortunately, Kalbi can get pretty pricey, especially when it takes a good few pounds to satiate our hefty appetites. Since we seem to crave it almost every day week, I resolved to learn how to make them at home.  My first tries, though, were close to a fail. They were delicious but missing a certain hint of flavor I couldn’t put my finger on.

Like what most enterprising home cooks would do, I went to the store,  checked the label of a popular commercial Korean kalbi marinade and noted down the ingredients. Boy, oh, boy! Did my short ribs taste like they came from a Korean BBQ restaurant!

That missing hint of flavor I couldn’t put my finger on? Pears. Pureed pears, to be exact, give this Korean BBQ kalbi the finger-licking, lip-smacking goodness we love!

Nothing says summer more than the smell of barbecue in the air and nothing is better than family and friends gathered together for a backyard BBQ. So, my peeps, fire up the pit, grill up a batch of these short ribs, pop a bottle (or two) of Heineken and savor the beautiful outdoors. Life is good.