Pipikaula-Style Kalbi
Pipi Kaula·(pee-pee-kow-lah)
Pau Hana: Sunset Bites & The Pūpū Platter
Before the plate lunch, there was the paniolo—the Mexican cowboys brought to the islands to wrangle wild cattle, who hung salted beef over their saddles to dry in the trade winds. Generations later, plantation cooks swapped the harsh salt for sweet shoyu and ginger, and modern locals perfected the form by trading tough flank steak for rich, fatty, flanken-cut short ribs. This is the grandma-approved, two-step secret to a proper Honolulu pau hana: an agonizingly slow, low-temp oven dehydration to concentrate the marinade into a sticky lacquer, followed by a screaming hot, last-minute sear. The result is profoundly savory, sticky-crisp on the outside, and meltingly tender against the bone—the exact taste of a Kalihi sunset, right in your own kitchen.
Ingredients
- flanken-cut bone-in beef short ribs3 lb
- Aloha or Kikkoman soy sauce3/4 cup
- dark brown sugar1/3 cup
- garlic cloves6 med
- fresh ginger root1 tbsp
- coarse kosher salt1 tbsp
- black pepper1 tsp
- red pepper flakes1 tsp
- hickory liquid smoke1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Whisk together the marinade.
In a large bowl, whisk the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and liquid smoke until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- 02
Marinate the beef overnight.
Place the individual short rib pieces into a large heavy-duty zip-top bag, pour the marinade over them, massage to coat, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours to let the tough meat break down.
- 03
Prepare the oven and drying rack.
Preheat your oven to its lowest possible setting, ideally 170F or 180F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and place a wire cooling rack directly on top.
- 04
Arrange the ribs for dehydration.
Remove the beef from the marinade, shaking off any excess liquid, and arrange the pieces on the wire rack with space between each piece to allow 360-degree air circulation.
- 05
Slowly dry the meat in the oven for three to five hours.
Place the tray in the center of the oven, cracking the door open about an inch with a wooden spoon so moisture can escape. They are ready when tacky and darkened—about 75 percent dry—but still slightly squishy and moist inside.
- 06
Flash-fry the ribs right before serving.
Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of neutral oil, and sear the semi-dried ribs for 1 to 2 minutes per side until the residual sugars caramelize and the intramuscular fat renders.
Notes
Serve it right.
Serve immediately alongside steamed white rice, an ice-cold beer, and thick slices of raw sweet onion dipped in coarse Hawaiian sea salt to cut the heavy fat.
Make it ahead.
You can do the dehydration step up to a week in advance; just keep the semi-dried ribs in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to pan-fry them for happy hour.
From Cook Hawaiian in America.