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1
Combine soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, grated Asian pear, minced garlic, grated ginger, and sliced green onion in a bowl. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. The marinade is ready when it is uniformly dark, fragrant with sesame and allium, and no sugar crystals remain at the base of the bowl.
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2
Place the flanken-cut ribs in the marinade, ensuring every surface is fully coated. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of two hours; overnight is to be preferred. The pear enzymes require time to penetrate the muscle fibres — this is where the dish lives or dies. Ribs that have marinated insufficiently will grill tough; ribs held overnight will yield at the tooth while retaining structure. The ribs are ready when they carry an even mahogany stain on both faces.
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3
Heat a grill to high. Remove the ribs from the marinade, allowing the excess to drip off but not wiping them dry — the residual sugar is essential to the char. Lay the ribs flat over direct high heat. The grill is at the correct temperature when the ribs sizzle sharply on contact.
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4
Grill for two to three minutes per side without moving. The sugar in the marinade caramelises against the grate, producing the characteristic sweet-savoury char. Turn once. The ribs are done when both faces show deep caramelisation and lightly charred edges, and the aroma shifts from raw soy to roasted, slightly smoky sweetness.
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5
Transfer to a platter. The finished rib yields at light pressure — tender and slightly chewy at the bone — without falling apart. Taste: sweet, salty, and savoury in balance, with the bitter note of charred caramelisation at the edges.