This is for a quick night dinner, and this meal is built from the ground up to honor that rule without asking you to compromise on a single bite. The Korean BBQ beef short ribs come from the frozen section of Trader Joe’s already fully cooked in a genuine kalbi-style marinade — sweet, savory, garlicky, and deeply flavored in a way that would take hours to replicate from scratch. All you do is get a cast iron pan screaming hot and let the ribs warm through for a few minutes per side until the marinade caramelizes at the edges and the meat picks up a slight char. The jasmine rice runs in the background in the rice cooker from the moment you walk in the door.
Ingredients
- Korean BBQ beef short ribs (fully cooked, refrigerated section) — 1–2 packs (see portion guide)
- Jasmine rice — cooked in rice cooker (see portion guide for amounts)
- Baby bok choy — halved lengthwise
- Sesame oil — 1 tsp
- Garlic cloves (sliced) — 2
- Low-sodium soy sauce — a few drops, to finish
- Salt — to taste
Preparation
- START THE RICE COOKER FIRST: Measure jasmine rice and water and start the rice cooker the moment you walk in. It will be ready by the time the ribs and bok choy are done.
- HEAT THE RIBS: Heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. No added oil is needed — the kalbi marinade contains enough fat to prevent sticking. Add the ribs and heat 3–4 minutes per side until warmed through and slightly charred at the edges. The marinade will caramelize on the hot surface and that is exactly what you want. Remove from heat. PORTION 3:3:2 by weight for the ribs. Set aside extra ribs and rice in a separate container for Thursday lunch bowl.
- SAUTE THE BOK CHOY: While the ribs rest, heat 1 tsp sesame oil in the same pan or a separate skillet over medium heat. Add 2 cloves of sliced garlic and stir 30 seconds until fragrant. Add halved baby bok choy cut-side down. Cook 3–4 minutes until wilted and slightly charred at the cut edges. Finish with a few drops of low-sodium soy sauce. Total time from walk-in to plate: 20 minutes.
Notes
Portions: Her: ~3 oz Korean BBQ beef ribs + 1/2 cup jasmine rice + sauteed baby bok choy. Him: ~5 oz Korean BBQ beef ribs + 3/4 cup jasmine rice + generous baby bok choy
