Korean Barbecue Beef

1 pound beef short ribs, cut for kalbi (see tips, below)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 tablespoon rice wine (sake)
Pinch of black pepper
1/2 piece of fresh kiwi, juiced in a blender


1. Distribute the sugar evenly on the beef short ribs by sprinkling it on each piece. Allow beef to sit for 10 minutes.
2. In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, sake, and black pepper. Put aside.
3. Massage the beef with the kiwi juice using your hands. The kiwi works as a tenderizer. Add the sauce and mix. Allow the beef to marinate for 2 hours before barbecuing.


• Kalbi and its sister dish bulgogi are the staple barbecued beef dishes of Korean cuisine. Both recipes use similar marinades; kalbi is made from short rib meat that's sliced 1/4-inch thick including the bone, while bulgogi uses thinner slices of rib eye that are sandwiched with rice and sauce in a lettuce leaf.
• For the marinade, use pure toasted (Asian) sesame oil. This is a dark liquid, not the raw oil sold in health food stores and some supermarkets.
• This dish is traditionally grilled over a wood fire. For tips on this process, check out Steven Raichlen's guide to grilling.

Yield: Serves 2

From Dok Suni: Recipes from My Mother's Korean Kitchen by Jenny Kwak and Liz Fried, 1998. Reprinted in epicurious.com.