Roy Choi’s Kogi Short Rib Tacos Recipe

Roy Choi is a celebrated chef widely known throughout the culinary industry as the godfather of the gourmet food truck movement. The 2008 launch of Kogi—a Los Angeles, California, food truck that mixed Mexican and Korean food—blew up the boundaries between fancy restaurant cuisine and street food and put Roy on the map as one of the most original chefs in the United States. However, Kogi’s wild success was only the start of Roy’s culinary revolution.

In the years since, he’s opened nearly a dozen acclaimed restaurants, including Kogi Taqueria in Los Angeles and Best Friend in Las Vegas, Nevada; coauthored LA Son, a bestselling memoir and cookbook; appeared on TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” list; and starred alongside filmmaker Jon Favreau on The Chef Show, a hit docuseries on the streaming platform Netflix.

Kogi short rib tacos feature BBQ kalbi tucked into a tortilla, topped with salsa and slaw. Roy Choi developed these tacos for his food truck Kogi in 2008. They feature four distinct elements inspired by the flavors of Los Angeles:

1. 1. BBQ kalbi: Kalbi (also spelled galbi) are grilled Korean beef short ribs. Two factors differentiate kalbi from other short rib recipes: the cut of the meat and the marinade. Also known as flanken ribs, this protein gets cut crosswise, allowing it to cook more quickly than English-style ribs. Make Roy’s kalbi marinade, which features sesame oil, soy sauce, and fresh fruit, in a blender or food processor from the comfort of your home kitchen. After making this Korean short rib recipe by Roy Choi, remove the bones and cut the meat into small chunks for tacos.
2. 2. Salsa verde: Salsa verde—translated as “green sauce” in Spanish—is a tomatillo salsa that adds a tangy sweetness to tacos and other Mexican dishes, like chilaquiles and enchiladas. Roy Choi’s salsa verde recipe incorporates rice wine vinegar and scallions for an Asian twist.
3. 3. Cilantro-onion relish: This basic street taco relish features onions, cilantro, and lime. The onion adds crunch, while the cilantro and lime echo the bright, herbaceous flavors of the salsa verde.
4. 4. Scallion slaw: The inspiration for this slaw came from a dish typically sold at Korean barbecue restaurants in LA: a crunchy fresh salad of scallions, lettuce, and cabbage tossed in what Roy calls a “really, really pungent, kind of acidic, sweet vinaigrette.” When Roy launched Kogi, he took those flavors and pushed them into a new dimension with his Kogi-style Korean vinaigrette made with fresh ginger, green onions, and gochugaru (Korean chili flakes). A handful of his spicy-tangy slaw crowns each taco, creating a unique flavor combination.

Here’s how to make Korean short rib tacos similar to those you can buy from the Kogi truck in Los Angeles.

1. 1. Prepare the sauces in advance. Kogi short rib tacos incorporate two of Roy’s kitchen staples, which he affectionately refers to as his mother sauces. Make Roy’s salsa verde and Kogi vinaigrette ahead of time so that they’re ready when it’s time to assemble the tacos.
2. 2. Double-caramelize the meat. These tacos are the perfect way to use up leftover BBQ kalbi. Grill the kalbi the night before, then chop up the leftover meat and reheat it on an oiled griddle. Roy calls this “double-caramelized” meat, since the short ribs get seared once on the grill and again on the griddle before serving.
3. 3. Crisp the tortillas. Roy likes to warm his tortillas on an oiled griddle until they’re pliable and slightly crisp. You don’t want them completely fried, like a tostada; cook them just enough so that the edges have a nice crunch when you bite into the taco.
4. 4. Make it vegetarian. For a meat-free taco, simply apply Roy’s BBQ kalbi method to vegetables. Marinate the vegetables in the kalbi marinade and grill them according to Ro’s grilled mixed vegetables recipe. Finally, chop the vegetables into bite-size pieces and double-caramelize them on a griddle.