Korean LA Galbi (Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs)
Whenever we go to our favorite Korean restaurant, my wife almost always orders galbi. She’s a big fan of it and honestly, I can’t argue with her choice. It’s not the cheapest thing on the menu, but that savory, sweet, rich but not heavy flavor makes it worth it every time.
Recently, I decided to try making it at home for her. There’s something satisfying about recreating a dish you usually only get when eating out. The smell of the marinade hitting the heat, the caramelized edges forming, the glossy finish — it’s hard not to be excited.
And yes, a few pieces may have disappeared “for quality control” before they made it to the table.
Here’s how I made it.
Beef:
4 lbs beef short ribs (flanken cut, also known as LA galbi)
Marinade:
- 1/2 Korean Pear (peeled)
- 1/2 Fuji Apple (peeled)
- 1/2 Kiwi (green)
- 1/2 Yellow Onion
- small piece of ginger (around 1 tbsp minced)
- Roughly 10-12 garlic cloves
- 1.5 cups water
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
Directions:
Rinse the beef short ribs in cold water to remove any bone fragments, then pat them dry with paper towels.
Prepare Your Marinade
In a food processor or blender, add in all your Korean pear, apple, kiwi, onion, ginger and garlic. Blend until smooth.
Add the remaining marinade ingredients and blend again until everything is well combined.
Marinate the Beef
In a large flat container, pour in a cup of the marinade and begin layering the short ribs, adding marinade between each layer. Make sure all of the beef is well coated.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.
Cooking the Beef
Heat a pan over medium to medium-high heat. Place 3–4 strips of galbi in the pan and cook for about 5–6 minutes per side, flipping occasionally to prevent burning, until nicely browned with some good caramelization.
Serve
Serve topped with sliced green onions or toasted sesame seeds, and enjoy.
This recipe turned out better than I expected, and might make it more often.
And if you like comforting beef dishes like this, stay tuned — I’ll be sharing my take on Taiwanese beef noodle soup soon.