Galbi – Korean Grilled Beef Ribs Recipe
Galbi are marinated beef ribs that Koreans grill during gatherings with family and friends. The meat is sweet-salty, very garlicky and fragrant with sesame, and after grilling it develops a lightly caramelized crust. It’s a bit like a cross between BBQ ribs and an Asian marinade, except you eat them wrapped in lettuce leaves with various toppings.
This recipe brings the atmosphere of a Korean barbecue to your home: aromatic, sweet-salty ribs with a caramelized crust, eaten wrapped in lettuce with rice and side dishes. The fruit-based marinade with pear tenderizes the meat and gives it a distinctive, restaurant-style flavor.
Chef's tips
Ask your butcher to cut the ribs across the bone into thinner strips – they will marinate and grill more evenly. Don’t skip the resting time in the marinade; overnight marinating gives the best texture and depth of flavor. Keep an eye on the heat: too high and the sugar in the marinade will burn before the meat is cooked through.
How to serve
Serve the ribs on a large platter, sprinkled with chives and sesame seeds, surrounded by lettuce leaves. Add bowls of hot rice, kimchi, sliced cucumber, and perhaps some pickled radish. Put everything in the middle of the table so everyone can assemble their own lettuce wraps.
Ingredients
- beef ribs cut into thin strips or classic ribs, you can ask the butcher to cut them - 1.2 kg
- pear for the marinade, preferably sweet and juicy - 1 piece
- onion medium - 1 piece
- garlic - 5 cloves
- soy sauce light - 120 ml
- brown sugar - 3 tablespoons
- honey for light caramelization - 1 tablespoon
- sesame oil - 2 tablespoons
- pepper freshly ground - 0.5 teaspoons
- water to thin the marinade - 100 ml
- chives chopped, for sprinkling - 4 tablespoons
- sesame seeds toasted - 1 tablespoon
- lettuce e.g. butterhead or romaine, for wrapping the meat - 1 head
- rice cooked, as a side - 300 g
- vegetable oil for brushing the grill grate or grill pan - 1 tablespoon
Preparation
- Rinse the ribs under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. If they are in long strips, you can lightly score them between the bones so the marinade penetrates better.
- Peel the pear, remove the core and cut into pieces. Peel the onion and cut into smaller chunks. Peel the garlic.
- Blend the pear, onion, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, sesame oil, water and pepper with a blender into a smooth marinade. Taste it – it should be distinctly salty and sweet at the same time.
- Place the ribs in a large bowl or zip-top bag, pour over the marinade and mix thoroughly with your hands so every piece is coated. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
- Before grilling, take the ribs out of the fridge for about 20–30 minutes so they are not ice-cold. Preheat the grill, oven grill function or a grill pan and lightly brush with vegetable oil.
- Remove excess marinade from the ribs (reserve the marinade), then place the ribs on the hot grate or pan. Fry or grill for about 15–20 minutes on each side, depending on thickness, until the meat is well browned and the edges are slightly charred.
- While grilling, you can brush the ribs a few times with the remaining marinade so they stay juicier and glossy. Be careful not to burn the marinade – if it starts to darken too quickly, reduce the heat.
- Transfer the finished ribs to a board and sprinkle with chopped chives and sesame seeds. Serve with lettuce leaves and cooked rice – wrap a piece of meat and some rice in a lettuce leaf and eat with your hands.
Storage
Upieczone żeberka przechowuj w lodówce w szczelnym pojemniku do 3 dni. Możesz je też zamrozić do 2 miesięcy; rozmrażaj w lodówce i podgrzewaj w piekarniku pod przykryciem, podlewając odrobiną wody.
