Galbi

Galbi (Korean Grilled Short Ribs)

A cornerstone of Korean barbecue, galbi features thin-cut beef short ribs marinated in a sweet-savory blend of soy, garlic, and Korean pear, then grilled over open coals until caramelized and smoky. Serve with lettuce, rice, and ssamjang for the classic ssam wrap.

Prep

30 min

Cook

10 min

Total

40 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1.5 kg (3.3 lb) beef short ribs, LA-style flanken-cut, about 7-8 mm thick; partially freeze for 30 min if slicing yourself
• •180 ml (¾ cup) soy sauce, Korean or Japanese
• •120 g (½ cup packed) Korean pear, Asian pear, peeled, cored, grated; provides natural tenderizing enzymes
• •60 g (⅓ cup) brown sugar
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) mirin, or rice wine
• •20 g (6 cloves) garlic, minced
• •15 g (1 tbsp grated) fresh ginger
• •20 ml (4 tsp) toasted sesame oil
• •10 g (2 tbsp) toasted sesame seeds, crushed
• •5 g (1 tsp) black pepper, freshly ground
• •2 stalks scallions, thinly sliced, for marinade
• •1 small yellow onion, grated or finely grated
• •1 head butter lettuce or red leaf lettuce, leaves separated, for wrapping
• •300 g (1⅓ cups uncooked) cooked short-grain white rice, to serve
• •120 ml (½ cup) ssamjang, Korean dipping paste, to serve
• •1 to taste kosher salt, for seasoning ribs

Steps

1. 1 Pat the short ribs dry and, if needed, trim excess surface fat. Lightly season with a pinch of salt and set aside.
2. 2 In a large bowl, combine soy sauce, grated Korean pear, brown sugar, mirin, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, sesame seeds, black pepper, scallions, and grated onion. Whisk until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
3. 3 Add the short ribs to the marinade and toss to coat thoroughly, massaging the marinade into the meat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight (up to 24 hours).
4. 4 About 30 minutes before grilling, remove the ribs from the fridge to take the chill off. Reserve the marinade in a small saucepan.
5. 5 Bring the reserved marinade to a steady boil in a small saucepan over medium heat and boil for 3 minutes to make a basting glaze. Skim off any foam and keep warm.
6. 6 Prepare a charcoal grill for two-zone, high-direct-heat cooking (a gas grill set to high also works). The grate should be clean and very hot; ribs should sizzle loudly on contact.
7. 7 Place the ribs on the hot grate over direct heat. Grill for 2-3 minutes per side, turning once, basting with the reduced glaze in the last minute, until the surface is deeply caramelized and slightly charred in spots.
8. 8 Check doneness: the exterior should be richly browned with grill marks, and the meat should register 57-60°C (135-140°F) for medium, or 65°C (150°F) for medium-well on an instant-read thermometer. The flesh should yield easily when pressed.
9. 9 Transfer grilled ribs to a platter, tent loosely with foil, and rest for 3-5 minutes.
10. 10 Serve immediately on a hot platter with lettuce leaves, steamed rice, and ssamjang. To eat, wrap a rib in a lettuce leaf with a spoonful of rice and a dab of ssamjang.