The Unexpected Summer Steak
And a Recipe For Grilled Lemongrass Short Ribs with Sweet Pickled Jalapeños + Crispy Rice
Do you like grilling? Do you hate grilling? Do you not have a grill but wish you could make grilled recipes in your non-grill equipped kitchen? Do you have no cooking skills whatsoever? Do you love steak but feel nervous about cooking it? Do you love cilantro? Do you hate cilantro? Do you love lemongrass but don’t really know how to use it? Do you like to impress yourself?
If you answered yes to any of the above Q’s, forge forward.
CULOTTES: DUST ‘EM OFF!
In the 90’s, my adolescent summer outfits were peppered with The Culotte: patterned with loud graphics, sporting elastic waists, and oversized in all the wrong places. It was a skirt. They were shorts. Was the item an “it” or a “they”?! It was confusing and also glorious; they were just on the outer fringe of fashion and also dashingly voguish.
Out with the shorts, skirts, and skorts. Buh-bye, sundress! Once I met the culotte, my body’s bottom half refused all other contenders.
CULOTTES… IN STEAK FORM.
My tastebuds can relate to this feeling of allegiance. This season, the ol’ buds have been steadfastly committed to one thing in particular: the flanken cut short rib.
Cut short ribs “flanken” style, and you’ve essentially got culottes in steak form.* These thin slabs of short ribs are everything, all at once: they’re a steak, they’re ribs, they’re fatty (but not too fatty), and they’ll convince you to reject any other grillable prospects, all summer long. They’ll elongate your silhouette, too. Oh no, wait, that’s culottes.
Out with the ribeyes, flanks, hangars, and sirloins. Once you meet the flanken style short rib, you may never want to dress your stomach with any other cut of steak.
RIBS… IN STEAK FORM
You’re likely most accustomed to seeing short ribs cut “English style.” When butchered this way, these hefty pieces of short ribs– notoriously tough– are best for braising, which breaks down the muscle fibers over the course of many, many hours of low and slow cooking in the oven.
Last I checked, the month is currently July, and I’m pretty sure the curls on my head would revolt (even more) if I voluntarily added extra heat and humidity to my kitchen. Sooo… the English cut of short ribs won’t be present in my household until some wintery snow meets the streets.
But! When short ribs are cut thinly across the bones– and hence, across the grain of meat, which automatically translates to a more tender chew– what once required gentle cooking over a long period of time can be cooked super quickly at a super high temp.
And to me, this is the moment when the short rib transforms into a steak.
WAIT… STEAK?
You may have noticed that I’ve referred to these ribs as “steak” seven times already. Maybe you’ve found this unusual. Indeed, the short rib isn’t typically referred to as such: butchers and pit masters, cue the coup! But I, I’m calling for a rebrand.
People associate the term “steak” with classic cuts like the T-bone, New York strip, skirt, or flat iron. But steak is just defined as a hunk of meat. The way I see it, “steak” is as much a perception or a feeling as it is anything else: steak should be delicious and special, with a succulent exterior crust and a satisfying beefy chew. If these are the conditions that characterize a steak, consider these ribs precisely that.
BACK TO FLANKEN MAKIN’
The flanken cut can also be referred to as Korean-style short ribs or Kalbi ribs. Ask your butcher to prep them for you or go to a Korean market to pick ‘em up. Gleefully, more and more, I’ve been seeing the flanken cut ready to go in the case at many grocery stores, including Whole Foods.
WHAT’S MORE? THEY’RE FOOLPROOF.
I’m pitching these ribbies as the new go-to cut for steak lovers who don’t cook steak for fear that they don’t have adequate skills.
LISTEN: when it comes to grilling this cut, the technique isn’t about cooking to a certain degree of rareness, which is why steak-making can be so intimidating. These ribs are totally unfussy: they aren’t soufflés, rounds of filet mignon, or scallops, where meticulous cook time is everything.
Instead, there’s a large, flexible window wherein these ribs would be considered perfect. They’re hard to overcook because they’re fatty, so they won’t dry out. Since they’re cut super thinly across the muscle fibers, they won’t be tough. And in this case, the vinegar in the marinade acts as a tenderizer, as well. So seriously, you can really chill while you grill.
This is low stress cooking at its finest. If you’ve got a set of working eyeballs, you’ll conquer: the indicator of doneness is more about exterior char than a specific internal temperature. Better yet: even if you take the char too far, these ribs’ll still thrill.
RECIPE D’TAILS
Top line notes: make a marinade with a ton of chopped lemongrass, plus ginger, garlic, rice wine vinegar, and a few other pantry staples.
Let the ribs sit for 3 hours or up to a day in advance.
Pat the ribs dry, transfer the marinade (and all of those bits of lemongrass and other aromatics) to a small pot and reduce for serving.
Make a super sweet, vinegary brine and combine with sliced jalapeños. The sweetness of the brine not only mellows the chiles, making them more akin to pickles than jalapeños, but also offers a spunky dressing that, when spooned over the charred ribs, is quite the flanken finisher. SCRUM!
Serve over crispy rice with herbs— cilantro, mint, and/or basil— plus the reduced marinade, the jalapeños, and their brine. Invite your fingers to join and have at it.
AND YOU SAY I DON’T ACTUALLY NEED A GRILL?
Correct! No grill? You can sear the ribs in a screaming hot cast iron skillet with a touch of oil until blackened, or char them under a hot broiler.
*(Let my culottes analogy not confuse you too much. Incidentally, there is a cut of beef named the coulotte, which comes from the sirloin tip.)
GRILLED LEMONGRASS SHORT RIBS with SWEET PICKLED JALAPEÑOS AND CRISPY RICE
Serves 4
REMEMBER, BEST PRACTICE: READ THE RECIPE ALL THE WAY THROUGH BEFORE YOU START COOKING!
This recipe may seem long, but its length belies the active time that it actually takes to cook.
Don’t forgo making the jalapeños with this dish... they REALLY make the ribs come alive! And fear not the heat: the sweetness of the pickling liquid will mellow the spice of the chiles.
For the crispy rice, use any ol’ leftover rice that may be lying around. Or double the recipe for my Ride or Die Creamy Coconut Rice! Whether you make this recipe or plain steamed rice, spread rice on a baking sheet and transfer to the refrigerator to chill before crisping, for at least an hour or up to a day in advance. LINK HERE: https://norasingley.substack.com/p/burnt-honey-is-back-was-it-ever-a
No grill? No problem. Char the ribs, in batches, in a screaming hot cast iron skillet with a bit of vegetable oil, just a few minutes per side. Or use your broiler and cook until charred on one side. Flip and repeat. Broilers vary! This could take 2-5 minutes per side.
2 stalks lemongrass
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, divided
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons mirin (or substitute with 2 teaspoons granulated sugar)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus additional for crisping rice and oiling grill grates
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and grated
2 packed tablespoons finely grated ginger (plus any accumulated juice)
Kosher salt
1 bunch cilantro (and/or mint and basil, if desired)
2 ¼ pounds flanken cut beef short ribs (about 10-12 pieces, each slice ¼-inch thick)
3 jalapeños, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Kosher salt
Ride or Die Crispy Coconut Rice, doubled, or 3 cups cooked rice, spread out in a layer and cooled uncovered in the refrigerator, preferably made a day in advance
Flaky salt, for serving
MARINATE THE RIBS
1. Cut the bottom 5-inches off of the lemongrass stalks. Discard the tops or reserve for a soup or stock. With a sharp chef’s knife, cut each piece in quarters lengthwise, for a total of eight long stalks. Now thinly cut crosswise and finely chop into small pieces. You should have about ½ cup of chopped lemongrass.
2. Add the lemongrass to a medium bowl, along with ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, mirin (or sugar), vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, and 2 teaspoons salt. Mix to combine. Add the stems from your cilantro bunch, if desired (just chop off the stems and keep the leaves for serving.)
3. In a large resealable plastic bag, arrange half of the ribs in a single layer. Pour half of the marinade onto the ribs, flipping to coat. Add the remaining ribs in layers, pouring the marinade on top to distribute the lemongrass evenly and dress all sides. Press out any air, seal, and transfer the bag to the refrigerator, flipping every so often if you remember, for at least 3 hours and up to a day in advance.
PICKLE THE JALAPEÑOS
4. Place the sliced jalapeños in a small, heatproof jar or glass.
5. In a small pot, combine the remaining ½ cup rice wine vinegar, ¼ cup water, the granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a low simmer, stirring just until the sugar and salt dissolve. Do not boil (this will cook off the vinegar).
6. Pour the brine over the jalapeños in the jar. Let sit at least 1 hour before serving. (Jalapeños can be pickled weeks in advance. Store in the refrigerator.)
MAKE CRISPY RICE, IF DESIRED!
7. Heat the largest skillet you have over medium-high heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and swirl to coat.
8. Add the rice, drizzle the top with the remaining tablespoon of oil, and stir to coat. (If the skillet isn’t big enough, you may need to crisp the rice in 2 batches.) Spread the rice in an even layer, lightly pressing to encourage contact with the bottom of the skillet. Cook, without stirring, until the bottom of the rice is lightly golden, about 6-10 minutes. Take little peeks with a fork from time to time to see how the crisping is progressing. Note that drier, day-old rice will crisp more quickly; rice that is freshly made or less dry will take longer, up to 15 minutes.
9. When the rice is crisp on the bottom, stir again, adding a bit more oil if the rice seems dry. Spread and press in an even layer, and continue to cook until crisp on the underside, about 4-8 minutes more. Remove from heat, season to taste with salt, and toss to distribute seasoning. Warm slightly before serving. Note: no need to go crazy with the crisping: overly crisp rice will be dry and crunchy; the variation of both soft and crisp is what you’re after.
GRILL THE SHORT RIBS
10. Remove the short ribs from the marinade, shaking off excess marinade into the bag. Lightly pat dry with paper towels and place on a plate or sheet pan.
11. Transfer the marinade to a small pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer until slightly reduced and lemongrass is softened, about 6-10 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Reheat before serving.
12. Prepare a hot fire in a grill, or preheat a gas grill to high. Brush and oil the grill grates.
13. Place the ribs on the grates and grill until beginning to char on the edges and grill marks appear on the underside. Flip. Continue to grill on the second side, until darkened in most spots. Give the ribs one final flip and kiss the first side again for an additional 30 seconds or so. This should all take less than 8 minutes total. If your grill is extremely hot, the ribs may cook through in 2-3 minutes per side. Expect flare ups– totally fine– these ribs are fatty! If on a charcoal grill and your flames are wildly engulfing the ribs, remove the ribs, let the charcoal cool down a touch, and return ribs to the grill when the coals aren’t quite as hot. Remove ribs to a platter.
14. Season to taste with flaky salt and serve! Drizzle jalapeño pickling liquid over the ribs and top with jalapeños, reduced marinade, and cilantro.
I’m a veg-head, but I’m a big fan of lemongrass and culottes and your writing!