Korean Beef Short Rib Bulgogi

Dish 3 of the the beer and food pairing was Sierra Nevada’s Torpedo Extra IPA and Korean Beef Short Rib Bulgogi. According to Molly and Sierra Nevada, Torpedo Ale is a big American IPA; bold assertive and full of flavor and aromas highlighting the complex citrus, pine and herbal character of whole-cone American hops.  Torpedo Extra IPA is the newest addition to Sierra Nevada’s year round roster of beers.

I could definitely taste the ramped up hoppy flavor – 3 times the amount of the other beers we tasted. I learned that when pairing beers and food, the hop bitterness balances the sweetness and richness (fat) in foods and it emphasizes the spiciness (chili heat).

It was really interesting to learn how the beer flavors interact with the food. The sweetness and maltiness of a beer balances the spiciness and acidity in food. The roasted malt, carbonation and alcohol all balance the sweetness and richness like the hop flavor does. Molly recommended the following book: Tasting Beer – an Insider’s Guide to the World’s Greatest Drink by author, Randy Mosher. The book has a good section on food and beer pairing.

We switched into food mode after the beer talk.

Chef Dio showed us what Korean Beef Short Rib meat was and then he got started on trimming the beef and making the marinade.

Ingredients:
3 lb. thin cut beef short ribs (Korean Style)  – you can get them at Asian markets or specialty markets – he used Prather Ranch organic beef chuck flanken style ribs.
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, put through a press
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons Mirin
1/2 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Sea Salt to taste
Optional – chili pepper flakes to taste
Canola spray for grilling

Trim off excess fat from the meat. Combine the marinade ingredients and add in the meat. Mix well and marinate for 6-8 hours or overnight. (Chef Dio did ours overnight).

Preheat grill to high heat. Remove meat from marinade and pat dry with paper towel. Spray meat with canola spray and then grill meat for 2-3 minutes per side, slightly charring the meat. Brush meat as it grills with the marinade.

Chef Dio prepared a salad of red leaf lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, cilantro, green onions and kim chee. I thought the meat tasted great. It had a wonderful flavor and teaming it with a light salad was the perfect compliment. A few swigs of the Torpedo Extra IPA and we were onto the next thing.