Instant Pot Korean Short Ribs with Asian Pear Marinade

Name: Instant Pot Korean Short Ribs with Asian Pear Marinade
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 5 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 4 lb (1800 g) bone-in English-cut beef short ribs, cut into 2- to 3-inch (5 to 7.5 cm) pieces, excess surface fat trimmed, patted dry; 1 large (about 10 oz) (300 g) Asian pear, peeled, cored and roughly chopped; ½ medium (100 g) yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped; 8 large cloves (40 g) garlic cloves, peeled; 1 tbsp (8 g) fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped; ½ cup (120 ml) regular soy sauce; ¼ cup, packed (55 g) light brown sugar; 2 tbsp (30 ml) mirin; 2 tbsp (30 ml) toasted sesame oil; 1 tsp (2 g) freshly ground black pepper; 1 tsp (2 g) gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) (optional); ½ cup (120 ml) water; 3 whole (45 g) scallions, thinly sliced; 1 tbsp (9 g) toasted sesame seeds

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Bone-in short ribs soak up a savory-sweet marinade of grated Asian pear, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, garlic and ginger, then turn fall-off-the-bone tender in the Instant Pot in under an hour. The pear's natural enzymes help tenderize the beef, and the braising liquid reduces to a glossy glaze.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 1 hr 20 min
Wait: 4 hr
Total: 5 hr 45 min
Makes: About 4 pounds of ribs (5 servings, roughly 3 ribs each) plus ¾ cup glaze

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Ingredients

5 servings

4 lb (1800 g) bone-in English-cut beef short ribs, cut into 2- to 3-inch (5 to 7.5 cm) pieces, excess surface fat trimmed, patted dry
For the marinade
1 large (about 10 oz) (300 g) Asian pear, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
½ medium (100 g) yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
8 large cloves (40 g) garlic cloves, peeled
1 tbsp (8 g) fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
½ cup (120 ml) regular soy sauce
¼ cup, packed (55 g) light brown sugar
2 tbsp (30 ml) mirin
2 tbsp (30 ml) toasted sesame oil
1 tsp (2 g) freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp (2 g) gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) (optional)
For cooking
½ cup (120 ml) water
To finish
3 whole (45 g) scallions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp (9 g) toasted sesame seeds

Equipment (6)

6-quart (5.7 L) or larger Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker
Blender (or box grater)
Large zip-top bag or 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) dish with a lid
Fine-mesh strainer or fat separator
Tongs
Instant-read thermometer

Steps

Before you start

Plan ahead: the ribs need at least 4 hours in the marinade (up to 24 hours in the fridge) for the best flavor.
Use English-cut short ribs: thick, meaty pieces with one bone, cut about 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) long. Thin flanken (cross-cut) ribs cook much faster and need a different time.
Use regular (all-purpose) soy sauce, not dark or 'extra salty' soy sauce, or the glaze will be too salty once reduced.
This recipe is sized for a 6-quart (5.7 L) or 8-quart Instant Pot. Do not fill past the two-thirds mark.

1
Prep the ribs
- Trim any thick caps of hard surface fat from the short ribs, leaving the thin layer of fat that is attached to the meat.
- Pat the pieces dry with paper towels and set them in a large zip-top bag or a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) dish.
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Ready when: Ribs look neat, with no thick slabs of white fat and no wet surface.
Tip: Trimming now keeps the final sauce from being greasy.
2
Blend the marinade
- In a blender, combine the chopped Asian pear, onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, toasted sesame oil, black pepper and the gochugaru if using.
- Blend 30 to 45 seconds until completely smooth and pourable, like a thin purée.
- No blender?
- Grate the pear and onion on the small holes of a box grater, mince the garlic and ginger, and whisk everything together.
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Ready when: Marinade is smooth, with no visible chunks of pear or onion, and the sugar has dissolved.
Tip: Don't use more pear than listed. Pear enzymes can turn the meat mushy if overdone.
3
Marinate the ribs
- Pour the marinade over the ribs and turn them until every piece is coated.
- Seal the bag, pressing out the air, or cover the dish tightly.
- Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours, flipping the bag once halfway through.
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Ready when: Ribs are evenly stained deep brown by the marinade.
Tip: Take the ribs out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking to take off the chill.
4
Load the pot
- Pour the ½ cup (120 ml) water into the Instant Pot's inner pot.
- Add the ribs, bone side up where possible, and scrape in all of the marinade.
- Don't stir, and don't use a trivet.
- Nestle the pieces so they sit mostly in the liquid.
- Lock the lid and turn the steam valve to Sealing.
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Ready when: Pot is no more than two-thirds full, the lid is locked and the valve is on Sealing.
Tip: The water helps the pot reach pressure without a 'Burn' warning, since the marinade is thick with sugar.
5
Pressure cook
- Select Pressure Cook (or Manual) on High and set the time to 45 minutes.
- The pot takes about 10 minutes to come up to pressure before the 45-minute countdown starts.
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Ready when: The display counts down from 45 and the float valve stays up.
Tip: If your ribs are smaller than 2 inches (5 cm) thick, use 40 minutes. If they are very thick, use 50.
6
Release the pressure
- When the cook time ends, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes without touching the valve.
- Then carefully turn the valve to Venting to release any remaining steam, keeping hands and face away from the vent.
- Open the lid once the float valve drops.
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Ready when: The float valve has dropped and the lid turns freely. A fork slides into the meat with almost no resistance, and the meat is pulling back from the bone ends.
Tip: A quick release right after cooking can make the meat tough and spray sauce from the valve.
7
Rest and skim
- With tongs, carefully lift the ribs onto a rimmed plate or baking sheet, since they will be fragile.
- Tent loosely with foil.
- Let the braising liquid settle for 5 minutes, then spoon off the layer of clear fat floating on top, or pour the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a fat separator and return the liquid to the pot.
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Ready when: Ribs reach about 200 to 205°F (93 to 96°C) inside, and the surface of the sauce shows only a few specks of fat.
Tip: Hold each rib near the bone as you lift. The meat may slip off if you grab the meaty side.
8
Reduce the glaze
- Select Sauté and set to High (More).
- Bring the liquid to a steady, bubbling simmer and cook uncovered 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced by about half to roughly ¾ cup (180 ml).
- Turn the pot off.
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Ready when: Sauce coats the back of a spoon and a line drawn with your finger stays put for a second or two.
Tip: The sauce thickens more as it cools, so stop while it is still a little looser than you want.
9
Glaze and serve
- Return the ribs to the pot, or place them on a platter, and spoon or brush the hot glaze over every piece, turning to coat.
- Sprinkle with the sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds.
- Serve right away with steamed rice and kimchi or quick-pickled vegetables.
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Ready when: Ribs are shiny and fully coated, and the meat is tender enough to pull from the bone with a fork.
Tip: Handle gently when turning so the meat doesn't fall off the bones.

Good to know

Tips

Don't skip the water. Pressure cookers need thin liquid to build pressure, and thick sugary marinade alone can scorch on the bottom.
For flanken-cut (thin cross-cut) ribs, reduce the pressure time to 18 to 20 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
For extra caramelized edges, sear the glazed ribs in a hot skillet over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes per side, watching closely so the sugar doesn't burn.
Chill the leftover sauce and lift off any solidified fat before reheating for a cleaner flavor.

Make ahead

Marinate the ribs up to 24 hours ahead in the fridge. The fully cooked ribs and sauce can also be made up to 3 days ahead: cool, refrigerate in the sauce, then reheat gently on the stovetop before serving.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Fridge: store ribs in their sauce in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezer: freeze with the sauce for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat covered in a skillet over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes with a splash of water, turning once, until steaming hot throughout (165°F/74°C).

Substitutions

Asian pear → Bosc pear or ripe Bartlett pear (same weight). The flavor is slightly less crisp and floral, but they work similarly. Use a firm, ripe Bosc if you can.
mirin → Dry sherry or rice wine plus ½ tsp sugar. Gives a similar mild sweetness.
regular soy sauce → Tamari or gluten-free soy sauce. Makes the dish gluten-free. Check that the mirin is also gluten-free.
light brown sugar → Honey or maple syrup, 3 tbsp (45 ml). Gives a slightly different flavor, but the glaze will still reduce well.