Galbi Korean BBQ Short Ribs
I SAY GALBI, YOU SAY KALBI
My first encounter with (in my book) one of the finest, if not THE finest Korean grilled meat was over 20 years ago. I was still in college … Australia. (Oh how I miss you Gold Coast!) One of my good friends Benny, a native South Korean, one day took me to a hole in a wall Korean restaurant for lunch. “Try Galbi, I think you’ll love it!” he said with a big smile.
The air in that small joint was coated thick with a delicious fumy aroma coming out of the kitchen behind a cloth divider. I salivated. I grabbed the lower part of my hair and sniffed. Yep, I smelled exactly like the ‘delicious fumy aroma.’ “Hmmh… I bet I would make some kids drool when I get back to the lecture hall,” I thought to myself … Sweet!
Benny was absolutely right. The second that thinly cut barbecue beef short ribs landed on my tongue I gasped. And then I rolled my eyes. They’re smoky, they’re sweet, they’re savory, and totally habit forming! Love at first bite.
I definitely use my handy-dandy super hero blender to prepare the marinade. (A nice short cut). Especially if you have one of those kick butt blenders like mine, that retails at almost 700 bucks. Believe me, I don’t like the price, but I love love love the payoff. Everytime. I know, . . . I sound like a snob. Please forgive me, but I do need a lot of help. The right tool for the right job is a must-have for me. It makes my constantly juggling life a heck of a lot easier.
Serve these bad boys on rice or if you’re like me, you can pretty much just treat it like a snack. Nobody judges… If you like it a little more sauced, you can reserve the marinade and gently boil it, then smother your ribs with it. I hope your place (and your hair & clothes) will be filled with a delicious fumy aroma when you make this!
- ½ cups soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 apple pear, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
- 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into coins
- 1 green onion, trimmed and coarsely chopped
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- Salt and pepper, to season
- 1½ pounds LA style beef short ribs
- Make the marinade by combining the soy sauce, water, vinegar, brown sugar, granulated sugar, garlic, pear, ginger, green onion, and sesame oil in a blender and pulse several times.
- Lay the beef in a single layer in a baking dish and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Pour the marinade over the beef, turning the beef over to coat both sides. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours, not more than 4 hours.
- Get your grill ready. Set the temperature to high (425°F.) If you are using a cast iron grill pan, make sure your pan is hot.
- Grill the meat.
- Remove the beef from the marinade; but don’t discard the marinade.
- Arrange the beef on the grill. 2 minutes per side, or until the meat is cooked to your liking. Transfer to a platter or plates. Meanwhile, gently boil the marinade (optional.) Pour over you ribs. Serve immediately.
