i’ve always loved korean bbq - and even more-so - korean short-rib, also known as galbi. what could be better than melt in your mouth short rib marinaded in a sweet. punchy sauce….? i’ll wait.

the rich and flavorful short rib pairs perfectly with the fresh lettuce, crunchy cucumbers and fiery heat from the kimchi.

this dish is fairly simple to make, it just requires a little bit of patience, and i promise you, it’s worth it

make it ahead

don’t have 3 hours to spare the day you’re looking to enjoy these lettuce wraps? totally fine - these short ribs can be made 1-2 days in advance. if you’re making the short ribs in advance, let your meat come to room temperature after removing from the oven and then transfer to a plate, cover with saran and place in the fridge for up to 48 hours. no need to slice your meet before placing in the fridge - take advantage of the fact that it will be much easier to slice once it’s firmed up in the fridge. when you’re ready to serve your lettuce wraps. remove the short ribs from the fridge and follow the slicing instructions from the recipe. preheat your oven to 300°f and reheat your sliced meat in a pyrex dish for 20-30 minutes until warm.

ingredients

short ribs

4 bone-in short ribs

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1/4 cup korean gochujang paste

kosher salt and pepper

sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1/4 cup korean gochujang paste

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons soy sauce

cucumbers

2 cucumbers

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

sesame seeds for topping

fixings

1 head butter lettuce

1 bunch cilantro for topping

1 bunch scallions for topping

kimchi (optional)

method

step 1

Heat oven to 275f. liberally season short ribs with salt and pepper and place on a large baking sheet. combined equal parts hoisin sauce and gochujang in a small bowl. bake short ribs for 2 hours. after 2 hours, remove the short ribs and brush with hoisin/gochujang mixture before returning the ribs to the oven for another 1.5 hours.

step 2

in a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup hoisin sauce, 1/4 cup gochujang paste, 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons honey and 2 tablespoons soy sauce. set aside

step 3

slice your cucumbers into thin slices and salt generously. let salted cucumbers sit for 10 minutes before rinsing cucumbers under cold water and placing in a mixing bowl. add 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons sesame oil and 2 teaspoons soy sauce. place in fridge to marinade while short ribs cook.

STEP 4

once short ribs are fork tender. remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes to allow for easier slicing. once slightly cooled. carefully slice the meat off the bone and gently slice the meat against the grain into thin strips.

STEP 5

chop up scallions and cilantro for garnish. remove cucumbers from fridge and top with sesame seeds.

STEP 6

assemble lettuce wraps with butter lettuce, sliced meat, marinaded cucumbers, homemade sauce, cilantro, scallions and optional kimchi.