Korean Short Ribs

Christmas week. They arrived on the twenty-third: Sarah and Jim and the boys first, Carol in the morning on Christmas Eve, Frank and Barbara in the afternoon. The farmhouse full. Finn at seven covers every room he occupies with the specific quality of noise and movement that only children produce, which I find entirely welcome. You forget, when you're alone, that a house sounds different when a child is in it. Then a child comes and you remember.

Christmas Eve: cookies, carols, the spiced pear compote set out alongside the other things. Sarah tasted it immediately and stood very still for a moment, the way she did last year. She said: this again. I said: every Christmas Eve. She said: good. That's it. Good. Some things you affirm simply.

Christmas Day: the lamb. I've made the Christmas lamb every December for thirty-some years — with Helen for most of them, alone for the last few. This year it was right. The marinade overnight, the rosemary and garlic smell filling the house from ten in the morning. Eight people at the extended table. Teddy brought the buche de Noel — the third version, the one he'd described as having it now — and set it on the table after dinner. Barbara photographed it before the cutting. Teddy said: cut it please. Frank said: it's too beautiful to cut. Teddy said: it's food, Frank. Cut it. It was cut. It was eaten. It was excellent.

Finn raised his glass at dinner. He knew when. He said: Grammy Helen. The table waited for it. It landed, settled, became part of the meal. He is seven years old and he has given Helen a seat at the table without anyone asking him to. That's a gift he'll understand better when he's older.

The Christmas lamb has been my anchor for thirty years, and I won’t stop making it — but I’ve had more than one person ask what they should bring to a table like ours when they want to contribute something that holds its own weight. These Korean short ribs are my answer: marinated overnight just as the lamb is, filling the house with something low and serious from mid-morning on, and arriving at the table with the kind of tenderness that makes eight people go quiet for a moment before the conversation starts again. They are food that means it.

Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus overnight marinade) | Cook Time: 3 hours | Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes + marinating | Servings: 6–8

Ingredients

4 lbs bone-in beef short ribs (flanken or English cut)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup rice wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 Asian pear or Bosc pear, grated (about 1/2 cup)
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon gochujang or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, to finish

Instructions

Make the marinade. In a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, grated pear, scallions, and gochujang until the sugar dissolves.
Marinate overnight. Add the short ribs to the marinade, turning to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
Sear the ribs. Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove ribs from marinade (reserve marinade) and sear in batches, 2–3 minutes per side, until deeply browned. Transfer to a plate.
Build the braise. Pour the reserved marinade and beef broth into the Dutch oven, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Return the ribs to the pot, nestling them in so they are partially submerged. Bring to a simmer.
Braise low and slow. Cover tightly and transfer to the oven. Braise for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, turning the ribs once halfway through, until the meat is completely tender and pulling from the bone.
Reduce the sauce. Remove the ribs to a serving platter and tent with foil. Skim excess fat from the braising liquid, then simmer uncovered over medium heat for 8–10 minutes until slightly reduced and glossy.
Finish and serve. Spoon the sauce over the ribs. Scatter toasted sesame seeds and additional sliced scallions over the top. Serve with steamed rice or roasted potatoes.

Nutrition (per serving)

Korean Short Ribs — The Christmas Table Deserves a Roast Worth Remembering