Korean BBQ Veal Rib Chops
Get ready for the most mouthwatering, flavour-packed veal chops ever to hit your grill! These thick-cut Ontario veal rib chops are infused with a sweet-and-savoury Korean BBQ marinade, reverse-seared for maximum juiciness and crowned with a luscious gochujang-cilantro butter that melts into every bite.Cooking thick chops on the grill can be tricky, but reverse searing makes it absolute child’s play, giving you complete temperature control so you get an edge-to-edge pink interior with zero guesswork. As the chops finish over high heat, the soy, mirin and brown sugar glaze into a rich, caramelized crust that plays so well off the warm, fermented chili butter. Finished with a golden, nutty scallion sesame crunch for texture, every bite hits that ideal balance of buttery, savoury, crisp, and fresh. Put a batch of short-grain rice on the stove, pull out your instant-read thermometer, and let’s get grilling!
Ingredients
➡️Note About Scaling the Recipe: When scaling to 2X or 3X, the light grey ingredient notes and the instructions remain unchanged. Please adjust as needed.
Veal
- 4 bone-in Ontario veal rib chops approximately 1¼ to 1½ inches (3.2 to 3.8 cm) thick
Korean BBQ Marinade
- ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce 60 ml
- 2 tablespoon water 30 ml
- 3 tablespoon mirin 45 ml
- 1½ tablespoon packed brown sugar 21 g
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 15 ml
- 4 garlic cloves finely grated
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger 15 g
- 2 teaspoon rice vinegar 10 ml
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Gochujang Cilantro Butter
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened 115 g / 1 stick
- 1½ tablespoon gochujang (Korean chili paste) 24 g
- 1½ tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon honey 7 g
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil 2.5 ml
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar 5 ml
- ½ teaspoon finely grated garlic
Scallion Sesame Crunch
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (such as avocado or canola) 15 ml
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs 20 g
- 2 tablespoon raw sesame seeds
- 3 scallions thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil 2.5 ml
- Pinch kosher salt optional
For Finishing
- 1 scallion very thinly sliced on a sharp bias
Instructions
Marinate the Veal
- Pat the veal chops dry with paper towels.
- In a shallow dish or large resealable bag, whisk together the soy sauce, water, mirin, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, and black pepper until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the veal chops, turning to coat thoroughly.
- Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours, turning once halfway through.
Note: Do not marinate past 4 hours, as prolonged exposure to acidic soy marinades can break down the delicate structure of veal.
Prepare the Gochujang Cilantro Butter
- In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, gochujang, cilantro, honey, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and grated garlic. Mix until smooth.
- Taste and adjust. The compound butter should taste buttery and savoury first, followed by fermented chili, herbal cilantro, and light sweetness.
- Cover and chill. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving to soften.
Make the Scallion Sesame Crunch
- Heat neutral oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add panko breadcrumbs and raw sesame seeds. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown and fragrant.
- Stir in the scallion whites and cook for 30 to 45 seconds until slightly softened.
- Remove immediately from heat. Stir in toasted sesame oil and scallion greens. Season with a pinch of salt if needed.
- Transfer immediately to a sheet pan in a thin layer to cool. Leaving the breadcrumbs in the hot pan will cause them to burn.
Prepare Veal for Grilling
- Remove chops from marinade 20 to 30 minutes before cooking.
- Allow excess liquid to drip off, then pat the chops lightly with paper towels to remove surface moisture. Discard remaining marinade.
- Place chops on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to dry briefly while preheating the grill.
NOTE: Removing surface moisture is essential for quick browning without burning the sugars in the marinade.
Preheat the Grill for Two-Zone Cooking
- Set up your grill for two-zone cooking (direct high heat on one side, indirect low heat on the other).
- Target an indirect zone temperature of 275°F to 300°F (135°C to 150°C). Clean and oil the grates thoroughly.
Indirect Cooking Phase
- Place the veal chops on the indirect heat zone and close the lid.
- Cook gently, flipping once halfway through.
- Begin checking internal temperatures early with an instant-read digital thermometer inserted horizontally into the center of the meat (avoiding the bone). Check the thinnest chop first and pull or reposition any smaller chops as they reach 115°F to 118°F (46°C to 48°C) so they do not overcook while the thickest chop finishes.
- For Medium-Rare: Target an indirect pull temp of 115°F to 118°F (46°C to 48°C).For Medium (145°F / 63°C final): Target an indirect pull temp of 125°F to 130°F (52°C to 54°C).
- Expect indirect cooking to take roughly 15 to 25 minutes depending on chop thickness and grill ambient temperature.
Note: If your chops are balanced, you can lean them up on the fat side for this phase. And if you have a temperature probe, you can insert it in the center of the meat (avoiding the bone) at this time.
High-Heat Flash Sear
- Move chops briefly to a clean plate.
- Increase the direct heat zone to high (500°F to 550°F / 260°C to 290°C).
- Lightly blot any moisture from the chops with paper towels. Do not add oil or extra marinade.
- Place chops over direct high heat. Sear for 60 to 90 seconds per side until a rich, caramelized crust forms. Render exterior fat caps by holding chops vertical with tongs for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Pull medium-rare chops off the grill when the internal temperature reaches 132°F (56°C). Carryover cooking during resting will bring the chops to an ideal medium-rare finish.
Rest and Serve
- Transfer chops to a platter. Top each hot chop with 1 tablespoon of Gochujang Cilantro Butter.
- Rest uncovered for 5 minutes. Do not tent with aluminum foil, as trapped steam will ruin the crispy exterior crust.
- Spread the melted butter and resting juices back over the meat. Top with Scallion Sesame Crunch and thinly sliced fresh scallions. Serve chops whole or slice for sharing.
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Video
Notes
Tips, Substitutions & Serving Suggestions
Technique Definitions
- What is Reverse Searing? Reverse searing is a two-step cooking technique where meat is slowly brought up to temperature using gentle, indirect low heat before being finished with a quick, high-heat sear. This method prevents overcooking, minimizes gray bands beneath the surface, and maximizes juiciness for thick-cut meats.
- What is a Scallion Sesame Crunch? This is an Asian-inspired variation of pangrattato (Italian toasted breadcrumb topping). It adds texture, toasted notes, and fresh green onion flavor as a finishing element.
- Veal Cut: This recipe works equally well with thick-cut pork chops or ribeye steaks.
- Gluten-Free: Use tamari or coconut aminos in place of soy sauce, and substitute gluten-free panko for the crunch topping.
- Gochujang Heat: Gochujang offers mild-to-medium fermented heat. To increase spicy notes, add ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes (gochugaru) to the compound butter.
Extra Gochujang Cilantro Butter?
Extra Gochujang Cilantro Butter keeps for up to 1 week in the fridge (or 3 months in the freezer rolled into a parchment log).- Vegetables: Slather over hot grilled corn on the cob, toss with roasted broccoli/Brussels sprouts, or use it to sear cabbage wedges.
- Grains & Noodles: Toss into hot ramen or udon with a splash of pasta water, or stir into hot steamed rice and top with a fried egg.
- Proteins & Seafood: Melt over seared salmon, jumbo shrimp, grilled ribeye steaks, or boneless chicken thighs.
- Bread: Spread onto sourdough for spicy garlic toast, or use on the outside of a grilled cheese sandwich for a crispy, golden crust.
- Serve alongside warm steamed short-grain rice to absorb the compound butter and pan juices.
- Pair with a cold Korean Green Salad, Spicy Korean Coleslaw, and/or kimchi to balance the rich, savoury flavour profile.
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