Galbitang

Galbitang (Korean Beef Short Rib Soup)

A clear, deeply beefy Korean soup where flanken-cut short ribs are soaked, blanched, then simmered gently with Korean radish until the meat is tender. Seasoned simply with soy sauce and salt, it's finished with glass noodles, julienned egg garnish and spring onion.

Prep

30 min

Cook

150 min

Total

180 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •800 g (1¾ lb) beef short ribs, flanken-cut (across the bone), about 3 cm / 1¼ in thick; ask the butcher to cut across the bones
• •1 large Korean radish (mu), about 400 g; substitute daikon if unavailable
• •1 head garlic, 6–8 whole cloves, peeled
• •1 piece ginger, about 15 g / ½ oz, sliced, unpeeled
• •1 large onion, halved, skin on for colour
• •3 stalks spring onion (scallion), white parts for the broth, greens for garnish
• •100 g (3½ oz) dangmyeon (Korean sweet potato glass noodles), soaked in cold water 20 min before using
• •2 eggs eggs, for jidan (thin egg garnish)
• •45 ml (3 tbsp) soy sauce, guk-ganjang (Korean soup soy sauce) preferred; regular soy sauce works
• •1 tsp salt, plus more for table seasoning
• •1 tsp black peppercorns, whole, for the broth
• •2.5 L (2½ quarts) cold water, plus more for soaking
• •1 tbsp roasted sesame oil, for the egg garnish
• •1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, to serve

Steps

1. 1 Soak the ribs: Place the flanken-cut short ribs in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Soak for 30 minutes, changing the water once or twice, to draw out blood. Drain and rinse the ribs.
2. 2 Blanch: Put the ribs in a large pot, cover with fresh cold water, and bring to a boil. Boil hard for 10 minutes, skimming off any scum that rises. Drain the ribs and rinse them thoroughly under cold water, scrubbing off any coagulated bits. Rinse the pot clean.
3. 3 First simmer: Return the ribs to the clean pot with 2.5 L (2½ quarts) cold water, the whole garlic cloves, ginger, onion, white parts of the spring onion, and whole black peppercorns. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a bare simmer. Skim carefully for the first 10 minutes. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour 15 minutes, adding a little hot water if the level drops too far.
4. 4 Add the radish: Peel the Korean radish and cut into 1.5 cm (⅝ in) thick half-moons. Add to the pot and simmer a further 40–50 minutes, until the radish is translucent and the meat pulls cleanly from the bone with a chopstick. Doneness cue: the meat should offer no resistance when pierced; internal temperature of the thickest piece should be at least 90°C / 195°F for collagen breakdown.
5. 5 Strain and season: Lift out the ribs and radish with a slotted spoon and set aside, keeping them warm. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth, pressing on the solids. You should have about 1.6–1.8 L (about 1¾ quarts) of clear broth. Return the broth to the pot, add the soy sauce and 1 tsp salt, and bring back to a simmer. Taste - it should be clean and beefy, seasoned lightly since more salt is added at the table.
6. 6 Make the jidan garnish: Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks with a pinch of salt and ½ tsp sesame oil. Heat a small non-stick pan over low heat with a few drops of sesame oil, pour in the yolks, and swirl to make a paper-thin omelette. Cook 30–60 seconds until set but not browned. Roll up and slice into fine julienne. (Optional: beat the whites separately and make a white omelette the same way for contrast.)
7. 7 Cook the noodles: Drain the soaked glass noodles. Bring a small pot of water to a boil, cook the noodles 4–5 minutes until clear and chewy, then drain and rinse briefly. Cut into manageable lengths with scissors.
8. 8 Assemble: Divide the noodles among 4 deep bowls. Arrange 2–3 rib pieces and several radish slices in each bowl. Ladle the hot broth over. Top with the egg julienne and sliced green spring onion.
9. 9 Serve: Bring the soup to the table with a small dish of salt and freshly ground black pepper so each diner can season to taste. The soup should be clear, savoury and gently beefy - not heavy.