Kalbi in a Slow Cooker

By Katie Barreira
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

Traditionally, kalbi, Korean bbq’d short ribs, is prepared on the grill with a foot-long strip of rib beef that has been sliced across the bone, leaving the tips of the rib bones along the top. It’s not the most accessible cut of meat, so when I get a kalbi craving, I like to use the classic sweet and savory Korean marinade as a braising liquid for individual beef short ribs, a cut that is widely available and perfect for the slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Kalbi
Think of this dish as the Korean version of tacos. Meltingly tender rib meat stands in for ground beef, white rice replaces beans, and instead of corn shells, lettuce leaves are the vehicle for getting all that goodness from plate to mouth. The fixins are distinctly Asian, but use them just as you would salsa, shredded cheese and sour cream.

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SERVES 6
4 pounds individually cut beef short ribs
1/4 cup flour
Salt and pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup lite soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup chili sauce
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bunch scallions, sliced, divided
1-1/2 cups raw white rice (preferably Jasmine)
2 heads Boston or butter lettuce, separated into individual leaves
Toasted sesame seeds, for serving
Sriracha or hot sauce, for serving
Kimchi, for serving (optional)

1. In a large sealable plastic bag, combine the short ribs, flour, 1 teaspoon salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper. Seal bag and shake to coat the ribs. In a large skillet, (or the vessel of the slow cooker if your model is designed for stovetop cooking) heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the ribs, shaking off excess flour and working in batches if necessary, and cook on all sides until well-browned, about 5 minutes, adding more oil as needed. Transfer seared ribs to the slow cooker.
2. To the ribs, add the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, chili sauce, garlic and half of the sliced scallions. Turn the ribs in the sauce to coat and evenly distribute the sugar throughout the sauce. Set the slow cooker to medium high and cook until the meat shreds easily and is falling off the bone, about 6 hours. Using tongs, transfer the short ribs to a cutting board; discard bones and shred the meat with two forks.
3. About an hour before serving, prepare the rice according to package directions.
4. Serve the rice and pulled beef in the lettuce cups, sprinkled with sesame seeds. Serve the remaining scallions, sriracha, and kimchi (if using) alongside for topping.

Note: to toast sesame seeds, put them in a dry pan over medium heat and toss them about for a couple of minutes until the seeds turn light brown and a few start to pop; watch carefully to prevent burning.

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