It’s definitely BBQ season! My previous two posts were Korean BBQ dishes, but no series of Korean BBQ recipes is complete without one for galbi, grilled marinated beef short ribs.
The word galbi literally means “ribs,”and the full name of this dish is galbi gui (grilled). It is the most popular backyard/outdoor BBQ dish in Korean homes.
Over the years, I’ve made this dish countless times for my family and various guests. This relatively forgiving recipe can be easily doubled, tripled, or quadrupled, making it perfect for large groups of people. These grilled ribs are so tasty that everyone loves it every time. The smooth balance of sweet and savory flavors is certainly palate pleasing!
How to butterfly the short rib meat:
Your butcher may be willing to butterfly the short ribs for you. To do it yourself, you will need a sharp knife. Holding the bone part firmly, slice the meat lengthwise close to the bone almost to the other end (1/4 to 1/2 inch from the edge). Do NOT cut through. Open it up like a book. Starting from the middle, run the knife through the meaty part, 1/4 to 1/2-inch from the bottom, almost to the other end. Open it up. Repeat if necessary to open the meat into a long thin strip. This might take some practice, but it’s totally worth it. If this does not work, simply slice the rib meat into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick rectangles.
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds beef short ribs (good quality English cut)
Marinade:
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup rice wine (or Mirin)
- ¼ cup about 1/2 of a medium Korean/Asian pear grated
- ¼ cup about 1/2 of a medium onion grated
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Rinse the ribs and drain water. Trim excess fat. Butterfly the short ribs so the meat is 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. (See below for the instructions.)
- Mix all marinade ingredients well. Marinate the meat for at least 6 hours (overnight for best results). The thicker the meat the longer you'll want to marinate.
- It's best to grill over charcoal or wood charcoal (sootbul), but a gas grill works well too. Grill over medium high to high heat, turning only once, 2 - 3 minutes on each side. Make sure to preheat the grill for nice grill marks.
