LA Galbi (Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs)
Enjoy a Korean classic at home with LA Galbi or Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs! Thinly sliced beef ribs are marinated in a salty-sweet-garlicky marinade with lots of pureed onion and pear. Throw on a hot grill to achieve that smoky flavor with charred edges. YUM!
Servings: 4
Calories: 583kcal
Equipment
- Big Bowl
- Food Processor (or box grater)
- Grill
Ingredients
- 3 lbs LA style beef short ribs, 1/4 inch thick
Food Processor:
- 1/2 large onion, peeled + cut into large pieces
- 1/2 large Korean pear, peeled, cored, + cut into large pieces can be subbed with Bosc pear, Bartlett pear, Fuji apple
- 6 large garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/2 inch ginger
Marinade:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce (Don't use the low-sodium kind!)
- 5 Tbsp brown sugar *regular white sugar also works
- 1/2 Tbsp Maesil Cheong green plum syrup
- onion/apple/garlic/ginger puree (from food processor, see above)
- 4 green onions, trimmed + diced
- 2 Tbsp Mirin
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil (add last)
- 1 300ml/ 10 oz can Coca Cola (do not use a sugar free version)
Instructions
Prep the marinade:
- Make puree. In a food processor, add onion, Korean pear, garlic, and ginger. (You can also grate everything with a box grater.) Set aside.
- Make marinade. In a large bowl, add soy sauce, brown sugar, Maesil Cheong (optional) and Mirin. Mix until sugar mostly dissolves. Add onion + apple puree. Add green onions. Mix again.
- Mix together. Add beef short ribs to the marinade and mix together, with hands. Make sure every rib is well coated. Drizzle with sesame oil and mix again.
- Add Coke. Pour Coca-Cola directly on top of the ribs. It will foam and bubble. Mix well. Cover and marinate overnight in the fridge.
Grill:
- Prep. When ready to grill, remove from the fridge and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Heat grill on high and make sure to oil the grates well.
- Grill. Grill ribs on each side until cooked through but still tender, about 6-8 minutes total. Be careful not to overcook or burn the ribs. Charred edges here and there are OK.
- Serve. Transfer to a plate and serve with rice, lettuce wraps, ssamjang, and banchan (Korean side dishes) of choice. Enjoy!
Oven:
- If you don't have access to a grill, a good substitute is using the oven BROIL function. Line a sheet pan with foil and reposition oven racks so they are 5-6 inches from the heat source. Preheat for 10 minutes on HIGH heat.
- Place single layer of Galbi on the sheet pan, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Broil until cooked through, about 6-8 minutes total. Flip about halfway so that both sides get evenly cooked. Plus, you'll get those little charred edges. Warning: the marinade contains a high amount of sugar so be prepared for the marinade to burn and smoke on the sheet pan.
- Serve with rice, lettuce wraps, ssamjang, and banchan (Korean side dishes) of choice. Enjoy!
Notes
*If you choose not to add soda, add 1 Tbsp more sugar and 1/2-3/4 cup water so the ribs are completely submerged in liquid.
**I've used all kinds of soda and while they taste similar, I prefer Coca Cola for that deep, caramel-y taste and color. Full disclosure: I lived in Atlanta during my teen years so I have a not-so-impartial bias for Coca Cola!
***The BROIL method for cooking Galbi comes from many years of cooking Galbi in small NYC apartments with no grill access. Turn on the exhaust fan, if you have it, and open the windows if there's too much smoke!
****This recipe doubles very easily. You won't need 2 cans of soda though. Simply double everything else except the soda. Then cover with enough Coke so that all the ribs are submerged in liquid. That's usually 1 (300ml/10oz) can.
Nutrition
Calories: 583kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 1850mg | Potassium: 1064mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 128IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 6mg