Summertime and the living is easy. Or that’s basically what it feels like whenever I pull out the grill for an afternoon of grilling. There is something to be said about the simple act of putting meat to fire and coming out with something truly delectable. I’ve always been a fan of short ribs, but when they are made, they are usually done like pot roast. Seasoned, dredged in flour, seared, and then cooked low and slow until the meat falls off the bone. Not this time. This time, we marinated them in a wonderfully sticky sweet marinade and set them to cook on our grill. The great thing about these is you can cook them just like a nice steak or low and slow over indirect heat. These grilled ginger-soy short ribs would be just perfect for that Fourth Of July barbecue that you’ll be attending! 

I did splurge a bit and purchase very meaty short ribs from Whole Foods Market, and I’m not disappointed. These ended up cooking very well and didn’t shrink into nothingness like so many thinly cut short ribs tend to do. The ribs were left to sit in the simple marinade for 2 hours, while I grilled other things – like salmon, trout, duck wings, and pork belly. Oh, yes I did! This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite Grilling Gurus Steven Reichlen, and I have to say, when it comes to grilling, he’s probably the top grill master in my book. Straightforward, and tried and true recipes. 

I do think that these could take being kept in the marinade overnight, but doing it for two hours in the refrigerator is also long enough to get flavor into it. I would like to also note that all of the flavor came from the marinade and not one iota of salt or pepper, blah, blah, blah. I love it! The ribs are seared over direct heat and then finished off indirectly. You can let these cook while enjoying other grilled items since they take about 1.5 – 2 hours to finish cooking. I weep at how beautifully these came out, and how much flavor came from a marinade. 

Ginger Soy Shortribs

Yield: 4

Grilled Ginger Soy Short Ribs

A sweet and savory recipe for grilled short ribs

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Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup Chinese oyster sauce
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup sake, Japanese rice wine, Chinese rice wine, or dry sherry
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 piece 1 inch peeled fresh ginger, minced
• 2 scallions, white parts minced, green parts thinly sliced
• About 3 pounds bone-in individual beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide pieces

Instructions

1. 1. Place the sugar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sake, garlic, ginger, and scallion whites in a large, nonreactive mixing bowl and whisk to mix. Stir in the short ribs. Cover the bowl and let the ribs marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.
2. 2. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high
3. 3. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the short ribs on the grate and grill until sizzling and darkly browned on the outside and cooked to taste, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium.
4. 4. Transfer the ribs to a platter or plates, sprinkle the scallion greens on top, and serve.

Notes

Adapted from Reichlen on Ribs, Ribs, Outrageous Ribs