''Galbi'' * (), ''galbi-gui'' (), or grilled ribs, is a type of ''

gui The GUI ( "UI" by itself is still usually pronounced . or ), graphical user interface, is a form of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices through graphical icons and audio indicator such as primary notation, inste ...

'' (grilled dish) in

Korean cuisine Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural envi ...

. "''Galbi''" is the Korean word for "rib", and the dish is usually made with beef

short ribs Short ribs are a cut of beef taken from the brisket, chuck, plate, or rib areas of beef cattle. They consist of a short portion of the rib bone and the surrounding meat, which varies in thickness. There are two major types of cuts: the "flanke ...

. When pork

spare ribs Spare ribs (also side ribs or spareribs) are a variety of ribs cut from the lower portion of a pig, specifically the belly and breastbone, behind the shoulder, and include 11 to 13 long bones. There is a covering of meat on top of the bones and ...

or another meat is used instead, the dish is named accordingly. ''Galbi'' is served raw, then cooked on tabletop grills usually by the diners themselves. The dish may be marinated in a sweet and savory sauce usually containing soy sauce, garlic, and sugar. Both non-marinated and marinated ''galbi'' are often featured in

Korean barbecue Korean barbecue ( ko, 고기구이, ''gogi-gui,'' 'meat roast') is a popular method in Korean cuisine of grilling meat, typically beef, pork or chicken. Such dishes are often prepared on gas or charcoal grills built into the dining table itself. So ...

. This and many other dishes in Korean barbecue influenced

Yakiniku ''Yakiniku'' (焼き肉 or 焼肉), meaning "grilled meat", is a Japanese term that, in its broadest sense, refers to grilled meat cuisine. "Yakiniku" originally referred to western "barbecue" food, the term being popularized by Japanese writer ...

as seen in the use of galbi (coined as karubi).

Preparation

Cuts and marination

Traditionally, ''galbi'' is cut to expose one smooth bone along the short edge with the meat uniformly filleted in flat layers. An alternative cut, "LA ''galbi''", also known as a flanken cut, features cut bones peeking out along the long edge. The method was developed by Korean immigrants in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

to accommodate the thinner

rib-eye The rib eye or ribeye (known as Scotch fillet in Australia and New Zealand) is a boneless rib steak from the rib section. Description Ribeye steaks are mostly composed of the longissimus dorsi muscle but also contain the complexus and spina ...

cut preferred by American butchers. The variation, which enables the marinade to penetrate the meat faster, has since made its way back to South Korea. Non-marinated ''galbi'' is called ''saeng-galbi'' (; "fresh ribs"); marinated ''galbi'' is referred to as ''yangnyeom-galbi'' (; "seasoned ribs"). Pork ''galbi'' is usually served marinated, but non-marinated ''dwaeji-saeng-galbi'' (; "fresh pork ribs"), made of

Jeju Black pig The Jeju Black () is a Korea, Korean list of pig breeds, breed of domestic pig. It is named for, and originates from, the large island of Jeju-do, which lies to the south of the country in the Korea Strait. It is a small pig with a black skin and ...

, is popular in Jeju Island. As pork ribs are smaller, marinated ''dwaeji-galbi'' often consists of pork ribs mixed with shoulder meats.

Beef

Softer cuts of beef, such as from a cow or heifer, are preferred when grilling ''galbi''. Properly grilled, the dish is a glossy, dark-reddish brown with a smoky, sweet taste. The meat should easily fall from the bones. The

marinade Marinating is the process of soaking foods in a seasoned, often acidic, liquid before cooking. The origin of the word alludes to the use of brine (''aqua marina'' or sea water) in the pickling process, which led to the technique of adding flavor b ...

for ''so-galbi-gui'' (; "grilled beef ribs") typically includes

soy sauce Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and '' Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''Asp ...

, sugar, minced garlic and

scallion Scallions (also known as spring onions or green onions) are vegetables derived from various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions and their close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, ch ...

s, ginger juice, ground black pepper, toasted and ground

sesame Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus ''Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cu ...

, and

sesame oil Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. The oil is one of the earliest-known crop-based oils. Worldwide mass modern production is limited due to the inefficient manual harvesting process required to extract the oil. O ...

. The beef is usually scored on the surface prior to marinating, and the juice from

Korean pear ''Pyrus pyrifolia'' is a species of pear tree native to East Asia. The tree's edible fruit is known by many names, including: Asian pear, Japanese pear, Chinese pear, Korean pear, Taiwanese pear, apple pear, zodiac pear, three-halves pear, pa ...

s is brushed on before grilling.

Pork

For ''dwaeji-galbi-gui'' (; "grilled pork ribs"), the marinade can be either ''

ganjang Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and '' Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''As ...

'' (soy sauce)-based or ''

gochujang ''Gochujang'' (, from Korean: , ) or red chili paste * is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from gochu-garu (chili powder), glutinous rice, ''meju'' (fermented soybean) powder, ''yeotgireum'' ...

'' (chili paste)-based: the former being similar to beef ''galbi'' marinade and the latter being spicy. ''

Cheongju Cheongju () is the capital and largest List of cities in South Korea, city of North Chungcheong Province in South Korea. History Cheongju has been an important provincial town since ancient times. In the Cheongju Mountains, specifically in the ...

'' (rice wine) is usually used in both types of marinade to remove any undesired porky smell. If used, pork shoulder meat is carved into thicker slices of around in width. Deeper cuts are made when scoring the surface to allow the marinade to penetrate the meat.

Grilling and serving

''Galbi'' is grilled, typically by the diners themselves, on grills set in the tables. The meat cooks for a short time on medium high heat on a lightly greased gridiron over glowing charcoal. The remaining marinade is brushed on during grilling to produce a glazed finish. Once cooked, the meat is typically cut into pieces over the grill with kitchen scissors, then wrapped inside lettuce leaves, ''

kkaennip ''Perilla frutescens'', commonly called deulkkae, perilla or Korean perilla, is a species of ''Perilla'' in the mint family Lamiaceae. It is an annual plant native to Southeast Asia and Indian highlands, and is traditionally grown in the Korean ...

'' (perilla leaves), or other

leafy vegetables Leaf vegetables, also called leafy greens, pot herbs, vegetable greens, or simply greens, are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender petioles and shoots. Leaf vegetables eaten raw in a salad can be called salad gre ...

. These made-on-the-spot leaf wraps, called ''

ssam ' (), meaning "wrapped", refers to a dish in Korean cuisine in which, usually, leafy vegetables are used to Wrap (sandwich), wrap a piece of meat such as pork or other filling.

'', usually include a piece of grilled meat, ''

ssamjang ''Ssamjang'' ( ko, 쌈장) is a thick, spicy paste used with food wrapped in a leaf in Korean cuisine. The sauce is made of fermented soy beans (''doenjang''), red chili paste (''gochujang''), sesame oil, onion, garlic, scallion, green onions, ...

'', raw or grilled garlic, and a sauce made of

soybean paste Fermented bean paste is a category of fermented foods typically made from ground soybeans, which are indigenous to the cuisines of East, South and Southeast Asia. In some cases, such as the production of ''miso'', other varieties of beans, such ...

and

chili paste Chili sauce and chili paste are condiments prepared with chili peppers. Chili sauce may be hot, sweet or a combination thereof, and may differ from hot sauce in that many sweet or mild varieties exist, which is typically lacking in hot sauces. ...

. Like other Korean main dishes, ''galbi'' is often accompanied by ''

bap BAP or bap may refer to: Food * Bap (bread), a type of bread roll * Bap (rice dish), a Korean food Music * BAP (Basque band), a hardcore punk group (formed 1984) * BAP (German band), a Colognian rock group (formed 1976) * B.A.P (South Korean ban ...

'' (cooked rice) and side dishes known as ''

banchan ''Banchan'' (, from Korean: ) or bansang are small side dishes served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. As the Korean language does not distinguish between singular and plural grammatically, the word is used for both one such dish or ...

''.

References

External links

{{Beef Barbecue Korean beef dishes Korean pork dishes Table-cooked dishes