Kalbi, Korean-style Barbeque

Filed under Beef · Print This Post

I watched the boy make his own kalbi marinade for a barbeque party once. It’s so involved, that’s why people usually just buy it in a jar. Kalbi, or galbi, as some Koreans spell it, is really just short beef ribs cut across the bone. You can even leave them uncut but they’re easier to marinate and broil later if the bones are smaller. Filipino barbeque is as sweet as this Korean-style version, so I immediately knew my parents would like it. I went to the meat market and asked the butcher to cut the ribs lengthwise. I now make this marinade ahead of time and store it in a jar in the fridge. For more flavor, marinate the ribs for a day.

Ingredients:
2 pounds beef short ribs, cut lengthwise
1 cup soy sauce
2 tbsps white sugar
a jig of rice wine
3 tbsp sesame oil
1 knob ginger, minced
1 bulb of small garlic, minced
1 bunch of scallions, finely chopped
salt, pepper

1. Make kalbi marinade. In a small pot over low heat, slowly dissolve sugar in soy sauce. Slowly add small amounts of water to dilute the saltiness of the soy sauce. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2. Massage meat with sesame oil and the rest of the ingredients in a glass baking pan. Add the marinade over the meat and let sit, covered with plastic wrap, for a couple of hours.
3. When ready to cook, broil in the oven for about 10 minutes.

Comments (2)

Noodletown

Filed under Chinese, Chinatown · Print This Post

28 1/2 Bowery corner of Bayard
212/349.0923
about $10 for two, without drinks, with tip
♥ ♥ ♥

Noodletown is not only a restaurant, it’s an institution. When Chinatown becomes a ghost town, Noodletown, or Great N.Y. Noodletown, as their sign suggests, is still open and stays open until four in the morning. Asian kids who come from a long night of dancing and drinking usually end up in Noodletown. Customers sit with strangers in round tables with only one thing in mind: the congee to cure the hangover that’s to come in the morning. I’ve made many inebriated visits to Noodletown as well. I usually order the congee with slivers of roasted duck and dot it with spicy hot oil. Visit during the day for a saner experience and order the roast duck or roast pork hanging by the window. For less than $5, it’s a great deal for lunch. The soft-shell crabs, lightly battered and flash-fried, are delicious when they are in season. If you can manage to get one of the abrupt waiters to tell you what vegetable is fresh, order the peashoot leaves or the swamp cabbage sauteed in garlic or stir-fried in oyster sauce.

Comments