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1
Combine soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, grated garlic, grated fruit, rice wine, and black pepper in a bowl and whisk until the sugar is fully dissolved, because undissolved sugar will burn in isolated hot spots on the grill rather than caramelising evenly across the meat. The marinade should smell sharp and sweet in equal measure, with no gritty undissolved sugar remaining.
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2
Score the surface of each flanken rib lightly with a knife so the marinade travels into the meat fibres rather than sitting on the surface alone. Submerge the ribs completely, pressing out any air, seal, and refrigerate for a minimum of eight hours and ideally twenty-four — the flanken cut is thin enough that full penetration is the only measure of readiness, and the meat should have darkened uniformly to its bone edge when a piece is held to the light.
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3
Bring the grill to its highest possible heat — the grate should be too hot to hold a hand over for more than one second — because the sugars in the marinade demand an immediate and violent Maillard reaction; a moderate or warm grill will steam the ribs, dissolve the caramelised crust before it can form, and leave the meat pallid and soft. This is where the dish lives or dies. A coal bed should be white-ashed and dense; a gas grill should run at full flame for a minimum of fifteen minutes before cooking.
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4
Remove the ribs from the marinade and allow excess to drip off so that pooling liquid does not suppress the char on contact with the grate. Lay the ribs flat on the blistering grate and cook for two to three minutes per side without moving them — the sound should be an immediate, aggressive sizzle on contact, and the surface is ready to turn when it releases cleanly from the grate and shows a deep mahogany char with defined caramelised edges.
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5
Transfer to a warm plate and rest for two minutes. The crust should remain lacquered and rigid to the touch, not soft or wet. Scatter toasted sesame seeds and sliced spring onions over the ribs and serve immediately.