LA Galbi (Korean BBQ Short Ribs)
Make the best LA Galbi (Korean BBQ short ribs) at home using my tried-and-tested recipe for the perfect galbi marinade. It’s best to grill the marinated beef short ribs over charcoal, but a gas grill or a grill pan heated on the stove top works well too.
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 3 - 4 pounds cross-cut beef short ribs (flaken or LA galbi cut) (about ⅓ - inch thick)
- 1/2 Korean/Asian pear (or 1 apple), grated (see note 1 for substitutes)
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 plump cloves)
- 1/2 medium onion, grated
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger (about 1 inch chunk)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 -4 tablespoons sugar (You can reduce sugar and add more pear or maesilcheong (Korean plum syrup) to taste - see note 1)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup cooking rice wine (Korean matsul mirim or mirin)
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 3 scallions finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the ribs to wash off bone dust and remove some blood on the surface. See note 2. Drain well. Pound the meat lightly with a meat tenderizer, or stretch it out with your hands. This second part helps tenderize the meat, but you can skip it if you want.
- 2
Blend the pear (or apple) together with the onion, garlic, and ginger in a mini/regular blender as fine as possible. Mix all the marinade ingredients well in a large bowl or container.
- 3
Add the meat to the marinade and coat each rib with the marinade. Marinate the meat for 6-8 hours (overnight for best results). Flip them over half way through. The thicker the meat, the longer you’ll want to marinate.
- 4
Grilling: Preheat the grill over medium-high heat. Grill the short ribs, turning only once, 2-3 minutes on each side. You can use charcoal or wood charcoal (soot bul) grill, gas grill or a grill pan over the stove top.
- 5
Broiling in the oven: Set the oven to broil and preheat. Lay the meat in a single layer on a broiling pan and place it on the top rack of the oven, usually about 6 inches below the broiler. Cook until the ribs are slightly charred and caramelized, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip them over and cook for an additional 3 – 4 minutes. Watch closely not to burn them.
- 6
Pan-frying: Preheat a large non-stick pan. Reduce the heat to medium. Lay the short ribs in a single layer, 4 or 5 ribs depending on the size of the pan. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes. When the pan is getting dry, add the marinade through a strainer. Flip them over and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes until all the sauce is gone and the ribs are nicely browned. See note 3.