L.A. Galbi: Marinated Beef Shorts Ribs

Written by Joe Wabe.

This past Chuseok holiday, one of the main dishes at my parents-in-law’s holiday feast was “L.A. galbi,” or marinated beef short ribs. This variation of galbi (ribs) stands above the rest for a couple of reasons: First, the unique marinate ingredients allow the flavors to penetrate the meat quickly, and second, this galbi style apparently originated in L.A. where Korean immigrants adapted this thin cut to American butchers’ style, making it a specialty. Another theory regarding the name is that the term “L.A.” comes from the fact that these were “LAteral” rib cuts, which is easy enough to understand. In Korea, beef galbi is a very popular dish, and it can be prepared in different ways, including non-marinated (saeng-galbi) and marinated (yangnyeom-galbi). Pork ribs are just as popular, and they come in different forms as well, like non-marinated (dwaeji saeng-galbi) and marinated (dwaeji galbi), the latter of which is the most common way, usually mixed with shoulder meats.

One of the most important ingredients of this sweet and savory dish is Korean pear or “bae.” In South Korea, the city of Naju is popular for producing the largest quantity of this pear, and it’s one of the icons of the city. This dish is not seasonal and can be consumed all year long, so without delay, let’s get to it.

Ingredients (Serves 4–6)

1.5 kilograms of L.A.-style beef short ribs
3 tablespoons of cooking syrup
2 tablespoons of honey
½ cup of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
1 medium onion (grated)
1 teaspoons of minced ginger
½ Korean pear (grated)
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of sesame seeds (garnish)
½ teaspoon of black pepper
2 green onions (thinly sliced)
1 medium carrot
¼ cup of rice wine (or mirin)

Preparation

Rinse and wash the ribs, then soak them in water with the rice wine for 15 minutes. In a blender, put most of the remaining ingredients except the grated onions, carrots, and green onions. Mix them all, and put the contents in a bowl. Drain the meat, give it another wash, and put it together with the mix. Add the rest of the ingredients (i.e., the grated onions, carrots, and green onions). For optimal results, a 6–8 hour marinate should be ideal, but if in a rush, after one hour you should be able to cook it. Use the sesame seeds as garnish after cooking. These ribs can be cooked in a skillet or on a grill.

Photograph by Missy Dee

The Author
Joe Wabe is an established photographer and Gwangju local business entrepreneur. He has been contributing to the GIC and the Gwangju News for more than eight years.