Galbi or Galbi-gui is a Korean dish of roast beef ribs cut short. In Korean, galbi means ribs (short ribs) or meat around the ribs. Sometimes, these foods can also be made with pork ribs. Galbi can be seasoned or cooked without seasoning. When seasoned, ribs are usually soaked in sauce made from pear juice of Asia, rice wine, soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, and sugar. This sauce can be made more spicy or more crisp according to taste.
When baked, rib meat is usually sliced along the bone. This is so that the sauce can seep into the meat more quickly, the meat can mature faster, and meat can be more easily consumed with chopsticks after ripe. In Korea and some other countries, rib meat for sliced galbi has been available in supermarkets and butchers.
Kalbi is usually served in a restaurant known as galbijip (galbi house). Visitors grill their own galbi meat above the toaster that is on each table. The meat is then wrapped in lettuce, perilla leaf, or other vegetable leaves. Before being eaten, leaf-wrapped meat is dipped first in ssamjang, a sauce made from a mixture of soy bean paste and red pepper.
Ingredients
- 16 ribs *
- 1 cup soy sauce, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water
- 1 Asian pear, chopped ** (or 1/2 Korean pear)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 4 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon juice of ginger
(*Get ribs from Korean market, it’s easy. There are two types of cut.One is that the rib is wrapped with thinly sliced meat with one side attached to a bone.The other is 1/3 to 1/4 inch thick meat sliced across the bone, so 3-4 bones are in one piece.)
(**Pear acts as a tenderizer, also adds flavor. The best is Korean pear which contains more water and sweet flavor, has soft texture, and it is almost large as a cantaloupe.
If you don’t have a access to it, use kiwi, but small amount.)
Method
Wash meat. Rarely but sometimes you can find tiny bone scraps stick to the meat. Soak in water for 1 hour, drain. In a food processor, add chopped onion and pear, puree finely.
Pour out to a large bowl, add remaining ingredients, stir. Marinate beef for 8-10 hours or overnight. They cook fairly fast, 2-3 minutes on one side. Traditionally, it is grilled with a wood charcoal but certainly you can grill on a gas stove or out door grill.
