Video Recipes – DIY's – Island Life – Travel – Natural Living – Minimalism

Korean BBQ LA Galbi Ribs 갈비

Deeply marinated Korean BBQ ribs are my favorite meat dish of all time. These are so flavorful and juicy, you’ll require them at your next BBQ!

Korean BBQ LA Galbi

Galbi is my favorite type of Korean barbecue.  I think it’s something primal about enjoying meat off the bone {which also imparts a richer flavor}.  I find that it’s got the perfect ratio of fat and meat producing a juicy flavor that when soaked in sweet and savory Korean barbecue marinade, is out of this world delicious.  I’ve been known to settle in with a plate of these without even missing the rice, lettuce wraps or kimchi because I enjoy them that much.

So why the LA in La Galbi?  It’s said that this dish originated in Los Angeles.  Or it could be that it’s cut differently than how they do it in Korea.  Here, it is a thin flanken/LAteral cut (like bacon). Why galbi?  It means “ribs” in Korean.  As a southern girl, I’ve grown up on some of the best southern barbecue ribs and you can think of these as the best kind of Korean barbecue ribs.  With these, there is no need to brush extra sauce on them as they’re marinated overnight and seal in those flavorful juices as soon as the meat starts sizzling on the grill.  The natural sugars in the sauce help create a caramelized crust and it warms up a tangle of flavors that include but aren’t limited to garlic, ginger, and onion.  The sharp bite of these aromatics are softened by the honey and pear and the soy and soju/coke deeply penetrate the meat while injecting flavor and tenderness all at the same time.

I’m sure I don’t even have to tell you how incredible this smells out on the grill.  The smell alone instantly makes me think of grilling out with my family.  If you can’t find this cut of ribs at your market, you can either ask your butcher to do it for you by cutting them laterally in a thin flanken cut or substitute with bone-in ribeye {my second favorite cut}.  If all else fails, this marinade is even delicious on meatballs, turkey, pork or chicken.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Korean BBQ Galbi
 
Prep time

Cook time

Total time

 

Author:

Ingredients
  • 3 lbs beef short ribs (thin, flanken/lateral cut ribs)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 c soy sauce
  • ¼ c soju or coke
  • ¼ c sesame oil
  • 1 tb sesame seeds
  • ¼ c brown sugar or honey
  • ¼ c grated Asian pear (or bosc)
  • 5 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 ts grated ginger
  • 1 onion
  • 3 stalks green onions/chives
  • Salt (as needed)

Instructions
  1. Make sure to rinse your ribs well. There are lots of tiny bone fragments that are not good to eat.
  2. Drain and set aside on a bed of onions and green onions/chives. Pepper both sides well.
  3. Blend all of your marinade together and pour it over your ribs. Massage it into your meat with your hands.
  4. Allow the marinade to penetrate into your meat for at least a few hours. Overnight is best.
  5. Bring to room temperature and cook over a hot grill.
  6. Best served with perilla/butter/bib/romaine leaves, hot pepper paste sauce, and grilled garlic and mushrooms.

 

 

 

SaveSave

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

46 thoughts on “Korean BBQ LA Galbi Ribs 갈비

  • CCU says:

    What a beautiful dish my friend, a Korean BBQ sounds amazing

  • hi! says:

    Oh geez I’m frickin hungry!!!

  • Louise says:

    I do believe I can smell them from here, Squishy! Just to be sure, could you just waft a whiff my way? Oh yea!!! Thanks for explaining the name too. I didn’t know and now I do:)

    Thanks for sharing…I’m coming to your house for dinner! Tiramisu too???

  • Alex says:

    I’m curious to what the Asian Pear brings to this dish. Is this a traditional recipe? Thanks.

  • Ronda says:

    Oooooh… That sounds tasty!

  • Sophia says:

    Yeah, I’ve always wondered why LA…when galbi is Korean! I used to think it was because LA sounds so hip and cool, haha. Your bbq looks delish. I haven’t had Korean bbq for a long time, now that I don’t live with my mother’s awesome cooking.

  • yummychunklet says:

    Yum!

  • thehautecookie says:

    my fave recipe. gotta make it this week now… drool drool kekeke.

  • Libby @ theveryveryhungrycaterpillar.com says:

    Mmmm LOVE Korean BBQ ribs!

  • LinsFood says:

    Oh yum, I could eat this all day, everyday! Just my sort of dish!

  • Lester says:

    I have had this wonderful dish before Angie! I LOVE IT! DELICIOUS! I LOVE the way you make it! ( Two different nail colors you have in this video Angie! Cool!) Thanks for sharing, Have a great day

    ( Love and prayers)

    Les.

  • Nami | Just One Cookbook says:

    It’s not even lunch yet, but my stomach knows what’s great food! This is amazing… Adding soju huh, this sounds delicious. Oh I love Korean food! Saving this recipe -thank you for sharing!

  • Suzie says:

    This looks amazing! I definitely want to make it but, I don’t know if I can find that cut of meat. I will definitely try very hard to find it though. I can see why you’ve had it 3 times this week

  • Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says:

    Oh I had no idea that that was why LA Galbi was called that!

  • Cucina49 says:

    My mouth is watering looking at this–that looks so amazing! I would never have guessed that the sauce had Asian pear, an ingredient I just love.

  • chocolatecookiesandcandies says:

    Thank you for sharing this recipe. i’m always on a lookout for simple Korean dishes that I can make at home. Now I just need to figure out where to get these thinly sliced ribs. They’re hard to find where I live.

  • Liz says:

    Mmmmmm….I’m a huge fan of Asian styled ribs and these look irresistible! I bet they’re crazy delicious, too~

  • Allen of the Graph says:

    can I buy you a drink?

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    Only if it’s of the stinky, durian variety =D

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    I’m Korean and I never get sick of these =D Hope you’re well, Liz!!

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    Thank YOU. (I use this for thinly sliced ribeye for “bulgogi”) too…and it works well on Chicken, believe it or not =)

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    It brings a surprise element to the party…but not in a tight red dress “look at me!” kinda way

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    You can always pour this same marinade over thinly sliced ribeye. I dooo believe I’ll be having it for dinner again tonight (silly me) =D

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    I realize I completely bypassed it in the video, lol. It’s what’s in my first liquid bowl with the Soy Sauce and Sesame Oil, lol.

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    I’m always encouraging people to try Korean cuisine and this is a great “gateway.” Everyone I know loves it and I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed it too, Les!! Have a wonderful weekend, my friend!

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    Me too—we can both be fat ole’ ladies together =D

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    Meeee too. I hope you’re enjoying yourself, Libby!

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    Can’t wait to see yours, Unni!

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    Thank YOU Hope you have a great weekend!

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    I knew you’d appreciate it =D

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    I think that’s a valid idea too. Mama’s cooking is always the BEST!

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    Thanks, Ronda

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    It brings a subtle sweetness to the dish. I find that it penetrates the beef well and melts into the marinade–along with the sugar/agave/honey, it creates a soft sort of glaze to the ribs and isn’t too overwhelming and just enhances the savory/salty bite of the soy. Hope that helps =D

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    We neeed to come up with smella-vision or internata-vision LOL. C’mon over! Please bring tea and a healthy appetite

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    Aliens are always invited

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    You’re amazing and we’ll all miss you!!

  • Tom @ Waegook Tom says:

    Angie, ohmygod you have me drooling here, gurl! Not fair as it’s 2am haha! I’ve never seen galbi cut like this before – may have to hunt it down next year when I’m in the US! Is it just an LA thing, or can you get it elsewhere do you think? (say NY or San Fran?)

  • Jenn and Seth says:

    ok, this looks absolutely amazing and i need to make this asap

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    Thanks, y’all! =D

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    It’s definitely available everywhere—I remember eating a lot of chicken, pork and seafood in Korea so I hope you hunt some down in the states when you get here!!

  • Zalina says:

    My ribs are marinating as I type. I’ve been meaning to make these for a while now. Luckily I live in LA and have access to a plethora of Asian markets. I got the cross-cut ribs at 99 Ranch Market for those of you in LA who don’t know where to get them. Not cheap, mind you, but I’m sure, well worth it! By the way, when I’ve seen Korean friends making Galbi, usually the marinade covers all the ribs. It’s not quite the case with this recipe. Does that even matter? Will check back tonight to let you know how delicious these came out! Thanks for the recipe!

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    I’m so happy that you’re making these, Zalina! For me, I feel that the brininess of the soy cuts through and tenderizes the meat well. Because this marinade doesn’t bathe/soak the meat, I feel that it almost caramelizes as it grills—slightly sticky, sweet, smoky….Let me know how you enjoyed it, Zalina and thanks for letting me know =)

  • michael says:

    Is there a way to make these on the stove top or oven? My apt complex doesnt allow for grills. Thanks in advance
    Michael

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    Hi, Michael! Sure thing. On rainy days, we do it inside all the time. The trick is to use a hot pan and to avoid overcrowding it by cooking just a few pieces at a time =)

  • Claude says:

    Is the Asian pear very important? I wasn’t able to find any in my area.

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    Hi, Claude! You can use any pear or apple in a pinch =)

Leave a Reply to The Squishy Monster Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe: