The pros: Â Trader Joe's Korean Style Beef Short Ribs have tasty Korean flavors. Short ribs were tender, thin cut, don't require hours of cooking like many short rib recipes do. It's already marinaded and waiting for you to defrost.
The cons:  You can't just grill these out of the bag. They absolutely have to defrost. Not  a deal breaker, but if you are starving please plan accordingly. This isn't a 5 minute meal. I also wish there were more in the bag. As one person it would be easy to polish off the whole bag. Not a deal breaker though. Can't use a microwave.
The verdict:  For $9.99 it's on the expensive side of things found in Trader Joe's freezer aisle, but on the flip side it's short rib. Thats not a cheap cut of beef by any measure. The marinade was very flavorful, but I highly recommend grilling or BBQing these. Tender meat ready in minutes if its already thawed. I'd buy it again, however, if Trader Joe’s Beef Bool Kogi is available in the refrigerated meat case, you might be better off reaching for that. The flavors are similar, you'll get more for your money and it's less of a process making it. Best of all, you won't have to find with bones and you won't waste anything.
The bag in the freezer aisle:
The nutritional information:
The ingredients:
How to prepare:
What you get inside the bag? Another bag.
So I thawed it in some room temperature water:
I didn't grill them although I'm 100% positive that I should have after I ate them. They were good in a skillet but would be awesome charred. I totally committed the error of overcrowding the pan (shame on me) as I didn't realize that they were 5 thin strips of beef. So IÂ cooked for 3 minutes on each side:
Be sure to flip (yes, I'm still mad at myself for successfully crowding a 12" pan):
When they were done (I know they didn't get grilled or very browned, I miscalculated this one):
Short rib is a fattier cut of meat, which means the flavor needs to be there. This was a very tasty marinade. It had strong flavor of soy, sesame, and ginger with a touch of heat. The bone basically will fall off of the meat. I wish I had cooked this on higher heat to let the marinade really concentrate. It's pouring rain otherwise I would have grilled these. If you have a grill pan make sure it is smoking hot and you'll enjoy these. I'll be buying these again.
You'll still need a side to go along with this to make a complete meal. Also, I wonder when Trader Joe's will come out with a Kim Chi condiment of some sort. We will have to wait and see.
Want to see more items I’ve reviewed from Trader Joe’s? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.
Did you try it? Comment below and let me know what you thought.
They were so tough you could not to them. They were terrible. I would never buy them again. We tried hard to eat a couple of them and threw the rest away.
THANK YOU for your awesome post! Great photos!!
I had this TJ package in my freezer for several months. thawed them yesterday. Added a LITTLE molasses (3/4t), honey (1t), garlic powder, few shakes of my paprika mix (I use on nearly EVERYthing!). I used 2 pieces of string and tied the bundle. Put on the gas grill. Med heat. Started with about 4 min/side. Turned up the heat, cut the bundle open and let it finalized with a sear. Probably backwards! BUT...let them rest and it was DELICIOUS!!
Hey Annie! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your modifications to this one. I know it will be helpful to someone who stops by.
I have to agree with Sheila. They were unchewable, I rinsed them off and gave them to my dog. Flavor of the sauce was good.
Hey Maxine! I know I wrote this review awhile a go, so maybe it is time I go back and test them again. Thanks so much for taking the time out of your day to share your thoughts on this!
I loved this - I didn't think it was tough. Husband and kids both liked it. I served it with white jasmine rice and a side of pickled vegetables.
I wanted to have something special for Thanksgiving. They were total crap. Inedible. I thawed them all day. Then grilled them in my oven until they were "golden brown" as the package recommends. I tried six different ribs and had to spit all of the bites out. All fat or gristle and no edible meat. I threw the rest out. Do Not Buy!
Had these ribs for the first time tonight with Jasmine white rice, and Korean sautéed garlic scapes...Very delicious and will buy again!
Thanks for sharing!