The Lamb Rib Revelation
A crimson sunset poured through the window. In one corner of the living room sofa, a white fluffball was passed out, wedged between the cushions.
“......”
I stood in front of the sofa, gazing down at the pitiful sight. Maximus, his face half-squished, tongue lolling out just a bit. His eyes rolled back, showing only whites, and all four legs splayed limply. If some passerby had peeked through the window and seen this, they’d probably call animal control nine times out of ten.
But the culprit who’d reduced Maximus to this state was someone else entirely.
“Wake up~ Maximus~”
Little Areum lay beside him, chin propped on her hand. Her sparkling eyes poked at the fluffball’s side, over and over. Tireless, her gaze brimmed with curiosity and affection as she stared at him.
...Impressive, really.
Dogs’ stamina usually outstrips humans’. Especially small breeds like him—they run around endlessly without tiring. Yet this kid had KO’d an energy bomb like Maximus.
A child’s stamina can be scarier than a natural disaster sometimes.
Did I ever have that kind of energy...?
I seemed to recall running around like that as a kid. But now? A few squats at the gym and my legs turn to jelly. I envied that infinite vigor right then.
“Whew.”
I sighed and stood. Enough reminiscing. Time to prep dinner.
Heading to the kitchen, I ran through tonight’s menu in my head: lamb ribs, chicken skewers, and fish cake soup. The lamb ribs were a pick based on the DIY family’s input—they’d never tried them before. Chicken skewers as a backup in case it didn’t suit their tastes. And fish cake soup? Hard to find someone who hates that.
I pulled the vacuum-packed lamb ribs from the fridge. The bright red meat looked incredibly fresh.
And... out the yard window, at the table in one corner of the yard. Next to it loomed an overwhelmingly massive BBQ grill.
That thing... doesn’t look domestic at all.
Probably thanks to Hwang Grandpa’s influence. Made tonight’s cooking a breeze.
Thanks, Hwang Grandpa.
I gave a quick bow to the air and picked up my knife. Trimming lamb ribs is key. Gotta peel off the white membrane on the surface and trim excess fat clumps. Otherwise, it gets chewy and gamey.
Slice, slice.
The sharp knife sliced cleanly between the meat. I removed the membrane and cut away scraps.
Can’t waste these.
I gathered the trimmings in a separate bowl. Sauté them later with oyster sauce, bean sprouts, and bok choy—perfect drinking snack. Gotta kill any gamey smell first, of course.
I was deep into trimming when—
“Areum, anything I can help with?”
Choi Miyeon entered the kitchen. She eyed the red hunk on the cutting board and furrowed her brow slightly.
“Is this... lamb?”
“Yep. French rack. One of the tenderest cuts of lamb.”
Miyeon sniffed cautiously.
“Hmm... it does have that distinct smell. My husband and I have weak stomachs for that...”
Worry clouded her face. Fair enough—raw lamb has that musty, funky scent. Like wet wool. Push it further, and it borders on rotten something. No wonder newcomers recoil.
“Smells strong, right? That’s why you marinate for pan-frying and use soju to burn off the gaminess. But...”
I pointed at the grill outside.
“We’re doing charcoal, yeah?”
“Oh... does that reduce the smell?”
“Reduce? Nah, it vanishes completely. The charcoal smoke coats the meat and wipes out any gaminess. Even picky eaters can’t resist charcoal-grilled lamb ribs.”
She still looked skeptical despite my confidence. Fine by me. Low expectations mean double the delight on first bite.
I seasoned and plated the ribs. Grabbed fish cake soup ingredients, chicken skewers, sauces, and headed to the yard.
“Areum~ Let’s go~”
Miyeon called Little Areum. Glancing back, I saw Maximus—still out cold—being dragged out in the kid’s arms.
...Sorry, Maximus. That’s just dog life, right?
She wasn’t hurting him, and I couldn’t bring myself to stop it. ...Plus, I wasn’t confident I could keep up with the kid’s stamina either.
Out in the yard, Kim Seontae had already lit the charcoal. It glowed red-hot, fierce flames.
“Ooh, fire’s perfect.”
“Watched your YouTube and fanned it hard. Haha.”
I set ingredients on the table. Camping cooking’s simple: good stuff, good fire, grill and flip. Done.
But that simplicity hides subtle skill gaps.
I slipped on work gloves.
This familiar, chilly feel.
...Left outside, they were colder than expected. Outdoor winter gloves never quite acclimate.
Placed thick lamb ribs on the grate. Sizzle—
A crisp sound, white smoke rising.
“Wow!”
Little Areum, watching from the side, smacked her lips.
“Unnie! What meat is this?”
“Lamb. From the baa~ sheep.”
“Gasp...”
Baa too shocking? Pity makes it hard to eat. But against my worries, her eyes lit up.
“Sheep are edible too!”
“It’s all about whether it’s edible, huh...”
Good she’s not picky. I’d promised tasty, but lamb ribs need time to cook through. Can’t starve a hungry kid.
Pulled out pre-made store skewers.
“Areum, want one first?”
“Yes!”
Laid chicken skewers on the grate’s edge. Pre-cooked, just needed charcoal kiss to be ready.
Crackle, crackle. Skin browned, fat bubbling. Sweet-salty teriyaki scent wafted.
“Here, blow on it—it’s hot.”
Handed a done skewer to Little Areum. She gripped it tight and nibbled carefully.
Nom nom.
Her eyes went wide.
“So yummy!”
Thumbs up from the kid. Of course. Microwave vs. charcoal grill? No contest.
Confirmed she was eating, then back to the grill. Main event time.
Lamb surface browning. Fat drips hit coals—sizzle—smoke billowing, wrapping the meat in smoky essence.
But...
...Something prickly?
Intense gaze from behind. Glanced back.
Seontae and Miyeon at the table, cracking canned beers. Chopsticks poised, eyes drilling into my hands. Like baby birds awaiting mom’s regurgitated worm.
Those eyes—desperate, burdensome. Normally I’d grill casually, but today time crawled.
Why isn’t it done yet?
Felt like ten years. Sweat beaded my forehead. Fire weak? No, it’s roaring.
“Uh... almost there. Just a sec.”
Awkward smile. The couple nodded in sync.
“Sure, take your time. The smell’s so good, I got ahead of myself...”
Seontae scratched his neck sheepishly. Miyeon swallowed hard beside him.
The same lady worried about the smell earlier?
Finally, ribs done. Crispy crust outside, juicy within. Tongs lifted a rack.
“All set.”
Plated bone-in for the couple and kid.
“No sauce yet—just try plain.”
They gripped ribs gingerly. Blew on steam, mouths agape.
Crunch.
Tearing sounds in unison. Then...
“......”
Silence fell. Their movements froze. I swallowed nervously.
Taste bad?
That instant—Seontae’s eyes flashed.
“Whoa...!”
Miyeon covered her mouth, gasping.
“This... the same lamb? No smell at all! My god, softer than beef?”
“Mom! This is so good!”
Little Areum already gnawed every scrap off the bone.
No gaminess—just savory juices bursting, subtle charcoal smoke, perfect fat richness. They tore in wordlessly.
Watching, a strange conquest surged.
Yeah, this is why I grill.
The sweat, smoke, fire— all for these faces. Seeing folks bliss out on my cooking. That’s camping’s other flavor.
Of course...
I gotta eat too.
Grabbed a big rack for myself. Self-serve.
Huge bite. Juices exploded, filling my mouth.
“Ahh...”
Meat on the bone’s the best. Perfect meal.
Minus the pathetic whining at my feet.
“Woof! Woof!”
“Wait a bit. I saved unseasoned ones for you...”
“Woof! Bark! Grrr!”
“...?”
Maximus? You didn’t just cuss me out, did you? Voice got rough all sudden?