Korean

Sweet-Savory Korean Galbi Short Ribs

This LA-style galbi uses flanken-cut ribs and a pear-forward marinade that hits sweet, savory, and smoky all at once. Grilled over high heat, the thin ribs char fast, stay juicy, and land with the sticky bite everyone wants from Korean barbecue.

  • Adapted from Maangchi's LA Galbi and My Korean Kitchen's Bulgogi / LA galbi method
  • Primary source maangchi.com
55 mins High cost Serves 4
Gluten-FreeDairy-FreeHigh ProteinHigh CarbMake Ahead

At a Glance

Time
55 mins
Serves
4
Cost
High
Cuisine
Korean
Dietary fit
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

Instructions

  1. Rinse the flanken ribs under cold water, pat them dry, and set them in a large bowl. Whisk the Korean pear, onion, garlic, ginger, tamari, water, brown sugar, honey, mirin, sesame oil, scallion, and black pepper into a fragrant marinade.
  2. Coat the flanken ribs in the marinade, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight. The pear and onion should make the sauce smell sweet and savory before it ever touches the grill.
  3. Remove the ribs from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high to high heat so the metal is hot enough to sear right away.
  4. Lift the ribs from the marinade and let the excess drip off. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side until browned, lightly charred, and just cooked through; the sugar in the marinade should blister into dark sticky edges.
  5. Transfer the ribs to a platter, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve with rice, lettuce, and ssamjang or kimchi for wrapping.

Adaptations

Works As Written
  • Gluten-Free: Works As Written Works as written; verify packaged ingredients as noted below.
  • Dairy-Free: Works As Written Works as written; verify packaged ingredients as noted below.
  • Vegetarian: Not Vegetarian Not adaptable; this recipe is built around meat, poultry, or seafood.

How to adapt: The marinade is already built on tamari, so the ribs are naturally gluten-free and dairy-free as written.

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