Korean-Style Beef Short Ribs with Smashed Sweet Potato and Hibachi-Style Vegetables

Sweet and savory, thin, bone-in beef short ribs paired with sesame, chilies, and hot honey-smashed sweet potatoes and with Kibachi-style onion, zucchini, and mushrooms sauteed in a spicy, tangy black sauce made of hot pepper paste, soy sauce, and black vinegar.

Eat Out In

This was a quick and easy restaurant-quality meal made at home, all in one pan. To begin with, the Hot Honey, honey infused with chilies, coconut milk, and toasted sesame oil, gave the smashed sweet potatoes a kick of spiciness, sweetness, and a nutty flavor.

Additionally, the combination complemented the crispy onions, juicy zucchini, and mushrooms soaked in a tangy sauce. With its black vinegar, soy sauce, and gochujang combination, for instance, this delicious sauce cuts right through the creaminess of the smashed potatoes and fatty short ribs.

To sum it up, this beef short ribs dinner was a great meal—so many flavors with each bite.

Looking for more Korean-inspired deliciousness? Then you must check out this other restaurant-quality meal, Sweet and Spicy Gochujang Chicken and Broccoli Stir-fry with Scallions Radish Salad. For a comforting dish, also try the Salmon Sesame Chili Rice Bowl. However, it doesn't end there; you gotta give Sweet and Spicy Seafood Neoguri with Mushrooms, Spinach, and Fried Egg a chance to glam up your instant noodles.

If you are into instant noodles, check out Beef Flavored Seaweed Ramyun with Egg, Gochujan, and Mushrooms and the popular Quick and Easy Veggie Ramyeon recipe.

Jump to:

• Eat Out In
• Galbi in LA
• Eats Meet Koreatown
• Is it Not Hibachi?
• Ingredients and Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Cooking tip
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Korean Recipes
• Quick and Easy Recipes
• Video
• Recipe
• Food safety
• Have a Comment or Question?

Galbi in LA

To begin with, notice how both Korean and Japanese cooking styles influence this recipe. The Korean short rib, also known as Kalbi or Galbi, gets its sweetness from sugar or honey in the marinade mixed with soy sauce, soybean paste, sesame oil, garlic, and more. Galbi also actually means "rib" in Korean.

Additionally, I used Trader Joe's Korean Style Short Ribs to cut the cooking time. However, if you aren't able to find them or are just curious about how to make the Korean short ribs marinade, here are two excellent Korean food blogs: (1) Maangchi and (2) Korean Bapsang.

Why are they called LA Style? Maangchi mentions two theories that the name "LA Galbi" is derived from the style of the beef cut, "LAterally," and was developed in Los Angeles by Korean Immigrants.

Eats Meet Koreatown

Koreans migrated to Los Angeles in two waves, around the early 1900s to work as truck farmers to domestic workers in Bunker Hill, and then because of the Korean War, when North Korea (DPPK) invaded South Korea (ROK).

Then, in 1965, the Hart-Cellar Act influenced the increase in the Korean population, resulting in California having 63% of the Korean population compared to nationwide around 1970.

Some famous Korean American cuisines included the concept of the Korean Taco, which was a combination of Korean and Mexican cuisines in Los Angeles; I wanted to fly all the way to California for this one when I was an aspiring young cook!

You can also read a snippet on American Asian cuisine and my love and appreciation for Korean cuisine in my Beef Flavored Seaweed Ramyun with Egg, Gochujang, and Mushrooms recipe post.

Is it Not Hibachi?

The hibachi-style vegetables are influenced by Japanese cuisine. Additionally, a remarkable fact is that Hibachi is actually a thing, not a cooking style in Japan. For example, it is translated to "fire bowl," a cylinder-shaped heating device holding hot coal.

What we call hibachi in cooking is actually called Teppanyakik, developed in Japan in the 1940s, with "Teppan" meaning metal plate and "yaki" meaning grilled. Thanks also to Hiroaki Aoki, aka Rocky Aoki, we got Benihana, established in the early 60s in New York, now with international locations from El Salvador to India.

Ingredients and Instructions

However, for this Korean-style beef short ribs dish, I don't use a flat grill for cooking the vegetables, and it's actually influenced by the Americanized sauce served at places like Benihana, which always had zucchini and onions cooked in soy sauce and sesame oil.

For this hibachi vegetable recipe, you'll brown the zucchini, onions, and mushrooms in the short rib's rendered fat. Then, finish and season it with garlic, ginger, gochujang, soy sauce, black vinegar, sesame oil, and sesame seeds.

You can also switch up the vegetables to your preference; try cauliflower, carrots, scallions, broccoli, Chinese broccoli, or cabbage. Furthermore, I encourage creativity and would love to see your dishes!

See the beef short ribs recipe for quantities.

Next, saute the sweet potato chunks in oil and garlic for the smashed potatoes. Add the coconut milk when brown and allow it to simmer until tender. Most of the liquid will then evaporate, and you will mash up the soaked potato chunks.

Then add and mix in the hot honey and sesame oil. Also, this version of my recipe is dairy-free, but you can substitute coconut milk for soy milk, milk, or heavy cream. In addition, to develop this recipe, I used Mike's Hot Honey.

See the beef short ribs recipe card for quantities.

Busy Folks - Become a better home cook with cooking tips to help you cook more efficiently on Cook's Notebook tab.  In addition, some related detailed steps can be found there.

Substitutions

• Avocado Oil - It is a neutral-tasting oil that won't overpower the dish's taste like olive oil would. You can also try other neutral-tasting oils like canola oil.
• Low-Sodium Soy Sauce - Try amino liquids, tamari, non-gluten soy sauce, or Worcestershire sauce.
• Black Vinegar - Black vinegar contains wheat if you are concerned about using products with gluten. For example, use gluten-free black vinegar or rice wine vinegar.
• Hot Honey - I used the famous Mike's Hot Honey to develop this recipe. However, if you need an alternative, try Nature Nate's Hot Honey or Bees Knees Spicy Honey; both are infused with habanero peppers. Alternatively, you can use regular honey with chili powder and cayenne pepper.

Change Heat Level - Modify the recipe's heat level to your liking and learn more about the Scoville Scale and Chili Pairings.

Variations

• Vegetable Swap - You can also switch up the vegetables to your preference; try cauliflower, carrots, scallions, broccoli, Chinese broccoli, or cabbage.

Equipment

• Medium Saute Pan - Used for making the entire beef short ribs recipe. Because it's wide enough to saute and deep enough to boil and simmer like the All-Clad Hard Anodized Nonstick Sauté Pan with Lid.
• Medium Holding Tray - This is for holding the beef short ribs. I suggest using a metal tray like the Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker's Half Sheet Pan since it is the perfect size to place next to the stove to keep the ingredients warm.
• Potato Masher - Used for mashing the potatoes, like the NEW OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Potato Masher. However, if you do not have a masher, use a fork.

Kitchen Must Haves - Find other tools I use here.

Storage

• Refrigerator - To store in the fridge, you can place the sides together or separately in a  shallow 2-inch pan to cool down quickly. Then, store in an air-tight sealing container. The meal will last up to four days.
• Freezer - Follow the refrigeration process mentioned above. Then, you can place it in the freezer in a labeled, airtight container.

Air Tight Food Containers - I use Glass Food Storage Containers with a plastic clipping lid to store food.  For example, I always suggest glass storage containers since you can microwave them, and hold food without staining the container, and the glass keeps them at a more stable temperature which keeps the food fresher longer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Korean Recipes

Looking for other Korean-inspired recipes like this? Try these:

Quick and Easy Recipes

Looking for other quick and easy recipes like this? Try these:

Video

Recipe

Food safety

• Cook chicken to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat to prevent foodborne illness from contaminated uncooked meats.
• Wash hands after touching raw meat to prevent cross-contamination.
• Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods; this can breed bacteria.
• Never leave cooking food unattended to prevent burns and fires.
• Use oils with a high smoke point to avoid harmful compounds.
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

Have a Comment or Question?

If you have a question or comment about this recipe, please post it below. You will definitely get a quick response. It also helps our other readers to stay informed. Thanks!