Type Gui Associated national cuisine South Korea | Place of origin Korea | |
 | ||
Alternative names Galbi-gui, grilled ribs Main ingredients Beef short ribs or pork spare ribs Variations Saeng-galbi, yangnyeom-galbi, L.A. galbi, so-galbi, dwaeji-galbi Similar Dak‑galbi, Bulgogi, Yakiniku, Samgyeopsal, Kimchi | ||
Asian at home galbi kalbi korean marinated rib bbq
Galbi (갈비), galbi-gui (갈비구이), or grilled ribs is a type of gui (grilled dish) in Korean cuisine. Beef short ribs are often used as the word galbi means "rib" in Korean, but pork spareribs and other meat can also be used, in which case the ingredient gets to specified in the name of the dish. Diners usually cook the ribs on tabletop grills, as galbi is served freshly cut or cut and marinated in sweet and savory, usually soy sauce-based sauce. Both the non-marinated and the marinated galbi are often featured in Korean barbecue.
Contents
- Asian at home galbi kalbi korean marinated rib bbq
- Preparation
- Cut of beef
- Marination and grilling
- Serving
- References
Preparation
Softer, cow or heifer beef are preferred when grilling galbi. Properly grilled galbi is glossy and dark reddish brown, with grilled smoky flavor and sweetish taste. Meat should easily fall off the rib bones.
Cut of beef
Traditionally, galbi is served with one smooth bone along the short edge, and the meat attached to a short rib uniformly filleted in flat layers.
Galbi cut in thin slices across the bones called "L.A. galbi", as the method is developed by the Korean immigrants in Los Angeles, United States. Because most American butcheries cut ribs rib-eye style, instead of the thicker chunks of individual ribs South Koreans typically do in their own country, South Korean-owned restaurants in Los Angeles made galbi with these thinner cuts of beef with several ribs. This variation has since made its way back to South Korea as well. With several cut bones peeking out along the long edge, the L.A.-style cut permits the marinade to penetrate the meat faster.
As the traditional cut is considered more genuine, it is the galbi is served in traditional Korean restaurants. Rarely, if ever, are L.A. galbi served at top establishments.
Pre-cut galbi is available from many meat markets in Korea and elsewhere.
Marination and grilling
The non-marinated galbi is referred to as saeng-galbi (생갈비; "fresh ribs"), and the marinated galbi is referred to as yangnyeom-galbi (양념갈비; "seasoned ribs").
For so-galbi-gui (소갈비구이; "grilled beef ribs"), the most common ingredients for marinade include soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic and scallions, ginger juice, ground black pepper, toasted and ground sesame, and sesame oil. The beef for galbi is usually scored on the surface prior to marination, and the juice from Korean pear is brushed to the marinated ribs before grilling. Galbi is gilled on a lightly greased gridiron over glowing charcoal, for a short time on medium high heat. Remaining marinade brushed to it during the grilling process gives galbi a glazed look.
For dwaeji-galbi-gui (돼지갈비구이; "grilled pork ribs"), marinade can be either ganjang (soy sauce)-based, or gochu-jang (chili paste)-based. To the spicy, latter version, soy sauce and gochutgaru (chili powder) is also added. Cheongju (rice wine) is usually used in the both types of marinade to get rid of undesired porky smell from the meat.
Serving
Galbi is generally served in restaurants known as "galbi houses", and the meat is cooked right at customers' table on grills set in the tables (usually by the customers themselves). The meat usually cut into pieces over the grill with kitchen scissors. It is then wrapped inside lettuce leaves, kkaennip (perilla leaves), or other leafy vegetables used to wrap the meat. These on-the-spot leaf wraps called ssam usually include of a piece of grilled meat, ssamjang (sauce made of soybean paste and chili paste), raw or grilled garlic.
Like other Korean main dish, galbi is often accompanied by cooked rice known as bap and side dishes known as banchan.