Korean Beef Short Rib BBQ

I am often asked by my non-Korean friends how to make Korean BBQ known as Galbi. I always tell them by saying "Well, this is how I make Galbi, but this is not the only way."

I think most of Koreans learn how to make Galbi not from a universal recipe or a cookbook, but from his/her family. It is a personal recipe to Korean... like meatballs or tomato sauce recipe to Italian. :)

The following recipe is not 100% of my mother's but a modified version.

The most important bases for the Korean BBQ marinade are soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, and scallion or onion. I replace scallions with a leek. I use leek instead of scallions for a few reasons. First, it is hard to find the large scallion used in Korea from regular grocery stores in the U.S. And I find it annoying to clean about eight scallions when you can just clean one large leek. Also, I think when you add scallions in the marinade, the beautiful taste of scallions - slightly sharp but sweet flavors – cannot really shine. Leek has much more mild flavor but still give you oniony note which I need in the marinade.

The recipe also was modified in terms of the level of sweetness. My mother seldom uses sugar in her savory foods, which is very traditional and healthy way. I used some fruits and honey (all natural sweeteners - still healthy) to add little bit of sweetness to the Galbi.


Korean Beef Short Rib BBQ (a.k.a. L.A. Galbi)

(Yield: 10 servings / Cooking time: 1 hour*)
* Cooking time 1 hour does not include marinating time of 5-6 hours

Ingredients:
+ 5 lb beef short rib (quarter inch, Korean L.A. Galbi style*)
* Beef short ribs cut in about a quarter inch thin slices across three or four bones are called L.A. Galbi in Korea (Galbi means short rib in Korean). You can find this cut in most of Korean grocery market, or you can simply ask your butcher to cut regular beef short rib to a quarter inch slices. There are a few explanations as to why people call this cut as "L.A. Galbi" in Korea. Most likely, the cut was developed by Korean immigrants living in Los Angeles, CA.



Korean BBQ marinade
+ 1 cup low sodium soy sauce (+ extra 1/4 cup, if needed)
+ 1 Tbsp sesame oil
+ 1 leek white part
+ 1/2 large onion
+ 1 asian pear or 2 d'anjou pears
+ 1 large apple
+ 8-10 garlic cloves
+ 2 tsp grated ginger
+ salt and pepper
+ (optional) 1 Tbsp honey or light brown sugar



Garnishes
+ 1/2 Tbsp pine nuts, minced really finely... almost like a powder.
+ Some grilled vegetables.

Procedures:
1. Add white part of leek, onion, apple, pears, garlics, minced ginger to a blender. Blend until there is no chunk.

Before you add the ingredients into the blender...
- White part of leek: leek usually has lots of sand between the layers. Chop the leek roughly and clean in cold water.
- apple and pears: peel and seed.
- onion and garlics: peel and chop roughly.



2. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, freshly grounded pepper, and little bit of salt. Taste it. It should not taste really salty. It should have little bit higher salt content than regular sauce.


3. Rinse the short ribs in cold water just to remove any remaining bone fragments. Pat dry with a paper towel. In a non-reactive container, place the short rib in a layer. Glass container is the best. Plastic container may absolve the garlic and soy sauce smell. Pour the marinade over it. Layer the short rib and marinade again until the container is filled.



4. Make sure the top is covered with marinade. Wrap tightly and marinade the short rib for 5-6 hours in a refrigerator (or overnight).


5. Take out the marinated short ribs at least 20 minutes before the cooking to make sure the inside of meat is not too cold. If you are not cooking all the short ribs right away, you can freeze the meat in an airtight plastic bag (like Ziploc bags).

6. Heat your grill, griddle or pan over high heat. This thin slice of meat will cook really quickly. Cook both sides about 3 minutes each.

7. You can use your toaster oven or regular oven instead of grill or pan. I love to use a toaster oven when I cook Galbi less than 2 portions --- there is nothing to clean up after you cook it. :) Cover marinated short ribs with cooking foil and cook in pre-heated 320°F (160°C) oven for 15 minutes.


2 portions: Two slices of short rib for each.

8. Uncover and cook both sides of short rib slices under broiler until the outside of the short ribs are caramelized but not burned.


After about 3-4 minutes under toaster oven broiler. Looks good to me!

9. Grill or pan sear the vegetables. I used king oyster mushrooms, carrots and scallions.


10. Slice the short rib between the bones, so one piece will have only one bone. Sprinkle the top of grilled short rib with pine nut powder and garnish with grilled vegetables.


Enjoy~