Korean BBQ Grilled Short Ribs & Spicy Gochujang Stew

Korean short ribs aka galbi and spicy stew is an elite combination. I recently made my version of this recipe using Korean melon aka chamoe for a dinner party with friends and it was so delicious! The melon had a curious, musky way of infusing the marinade with a subtle, honeyed flavor.

When putting together the menu for this dinner party, I knew I had to serve kimchi stew or gochujang stew — something hot and savory alongside the galbi. So here are my takes on this Korean classic combo meal. Feel free to adjust the recipe to your needs. It scales up or down beautifully!

Korean Galbi Marinated Short Ribs (6-8 servings):

For the galbi:

• 4-5 lbs cross-cut prime beef short ribs (about 0.5 to 0.75 lb per person)
• 1 large Korean melon or 2 small, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 8 cloves garlic
• 3/4 large onion
• 1 1/2 inch piece ginger
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 4 TBSP sugar
• 1/3 cup mirin
• 3 TBSP sesame oil

For the ssamjang sauce:

• 4 TBSP Korean soybean paste (doenjang)
• 2 TBSP Korean red pepper paste (gochujang)
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 TBSP sesame oil

For the lettuce wraps :

• 2 heads of romaine lettuce, washed and crisped
• 2-3 bunches of perilla leaves, washed and crisped (optional)

Soak meat. In a large bowl, rinse the meat a couple times in cold water to remove small pieces of bone, etc. Soak the meat in cold water for 30 minutes to draw out any excess blood from the meat. Drain on a colander while you prepare the marinade.

Make marinade. Combine melon, onion, garlic, ginger and water in a food processor. Empty into a large tupperware and add soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and sesame oil. Mix to combine. Add meat to the container, ensuring every piece is completely immersed in the marinade. Let sit in the fridge 6-8 hours, ideally overnight.

Enjoy. Combine the ingredients for the ssamjang in a resealable tupperware container. For serving, put a big dollop of ssamjang in a little serving dish with some sesame seeds sprinkled on top. For the meat, cook on a charcoal grill or pan fry on the stovetop for a few minutes on each side until meat is cooked and sauce is glistening. To enjoy, wrap meat in a piece of lettuce and romaine with a little sauce and enjoy!

Gochujang Stew (6-8 servings):

• 1-2 lbs pork spare rib (optional)
• 6 cups anchovy broth (or water with anchovy soup tablet)
  • 6 cups water
  • Handful of anchovies, headed and gutted
  • 1/2 onion
  • 3 scallions (light green and white ends)
  • 1 small piece of dashima kelp (about the size of your hand)
• 1 yellow onion, cut into medium chunks
• 2 small potatoes, cut into medium chunks
• Pinch of gochugaru or red pepper flakes (optional)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red or green chili pepper, sliced
• 4-5 TBSP gochujang
• 1 TBSP doenjang
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced into bite sized pieces
• 1 cup frozen mix seafood like shrimp, clams, squid
• 1 pack soft tofu, cut into medium cubes
• 1 bunch enoki mushrooms
• 1 scallion, sliced

Make anchovy stock. Combine all anchovy stock ingredients in a large pot and simmer for at least 30 minutes to an hour.

Make stew. In a thick bottomed pot, heat a glug of vegetable oil over medium high heat and sear the pork ribs, if using. Brown on all sides and then add onion, garlic, potatoes, gochugaru, and chile peppers. Sauté for a minute and then add 6 cups of anchovy broth (or water and anchovy tablet). Add gochujang and doenjang, adjusting to your liking. Simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes to let the flavors combine. Add zucchini, frozen seafood, and cubed tofu. Taste and adjust, adding a splash of fish sauce or pinch of sugar or salt as needed.

Enjoy. FInish with fresh enoki mushrooms and scallion on top and serve hot at the table, ladling out the stew into small bowls for each person alongside rice and short ribs 😊