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Tablitas, literally, little planks in Spanish. Got this recipe from a buddy down in Texas, I gather they're big down there. Basically, they're beef short ribs cut crosswise across the bones about 3/8" thick. You should be able to find them in Mexican markets, Asian markets and in some supermarkets. They might be labeled as Costilla de Res, Short Ribs or Flanken Cut Ribs. Some Mexican places might already have them marinated. It's what Koreans use to make Kalbi.

A Korean friend said to use a Kiwi fruit to tenderize them. But don't over do it or they will turn to mush. Trust me, I know this for a fact. Want to guess how I know this for a fact? Wink Half of a kiwi is more than enough for about 5lbs of meat. A few hours should be more than enough.

I took a kiwi and rubbed both sides of the ribs and gave them a good coating of Simply Marvelous Peppered Cow and let them marinate for about 5 hours. Then onto a smoking hot grill for about five minutes per side. As my Texas buddy said, don't be afraid to put a little char on them, but be careful that you don't burn 'em.

Here's a link with some more info on them that I found.

How to buy and cook tablitas.

Turned out quite tasty!




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The Sam's in Cedar Rapids, IA carries these short ribs. Here is how I fix them

3 lbs Short ribs

Marinade overnight in the following.

3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup water
3 tbsp white vinegar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 large onion, minced

In a day or two I throw them on the grill for a few minutes per side.
Yep, I've had Kalbi before, good stuff. This is sort of a Mexican/BBQ twist on it. Had never heard of it before, from what I've been told, some of the Mexican markets down in Texas sell it already marinated. Most places marinate it in a mixture of pineapple juice and fajita seasoning. I went with the kiwi & BBQ rub this time around, next batch I'll probably try the fajita seasoning.
Kiwi is a great meat tenderizer, the Actinidin enzyme breaks down the connective tissue and it works relatively fast. It also has a neutral flavor and will not affect marinades. A good rule of thumb is 1-2 Tablespoons of kiwi puree per cup of marinade. Like Andy said if you marinate to long or over do it with the kiwi your meat will get mushy.
@danc posted:
The Sam's in Cedar Rapids, IA carries these short ribs. Here is how I fix them

3 lbs Short ribs

Marinade overnight in the following.

3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup water
3 tbsp white vinegar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 large onion, minced

In a day or two I throw them on the grill for a few minutes per side.

Yey! Thank you for this!

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