Galbi, An Ode to Carnivores (Korean BBQ)

SKIP THIS POST if your main protein source is soy-based or legumes but if Nirvana is synonymous with BBQ or if the image dancing in your head right now is a big fat juicy drippy burger, read on.

I grew up eating Chinese food.  My Dad was the chef in our house. My parents owned a real estate and insurance business in the heart of Chinatown, right on Grant Ave.  Every evening, my Dad would head out of the office 30 minutes early and shop for dinner ingredients.  He surveyed the catch of the day, rock cod, flounder, or striped bass, swimming in tanks. Picked through crates of crisp green beans and fished out squares of freshly made tofu from tubs.  Done with his shopping and catching the “news on the streets” from the vendors, he would swing back to the office, pick up my Mom, and head home.  After a flurry of slicing, chopping, steaming, and stir-frying, dinner would be on the table in less than an hour.

Dad’s Cooking

I took this for granted while growing up, but once I started cooking for my own family, I realized what a mind-boggling feat it was.  My dad began each meal with a quick soup and stir-fried spinach or broccoli. He steamed minced pork seasoned with garlic and black beans, or stir-fried beef with pickled vegetables to round out the meal.

These days, our meals are a mash-up of American cooking and our cultural roots.  We marinate steaks in Hoisin, a Chinese sweet, salty paste, or poach chicken and serve it with soy sauce infused with ginger, garlic, and onions.  Barbecue beef ribs cut crosswise, flanken-style or marinate ribs for a delicious Korean-style BBQ called Galbi.

Galbi starts with flanken-style beef ribs (cross-cut) marinated in a sauce made of soy, sugar, garlic, and onions. It’s sweet and salty, packed with flavor, and Ono-licious!  Looking for something different for your next barbecue, try this, guaranteed to be a winner.

Cross-cut ribs: Can be found in most Asian grocery stores, and definitely in Korean markets.  If not, you will have to  ask your butcher if he can help.  Or, if you can’t get flanken style ribs, use boneless short rib cut.

Asian Pear: Helps tenderize the meat.  You can use pineapple juice or a kiwi instead. If you use pineapple juice limit the marinade time to a couple of hours.

Flanken-style ribs are approximately  1/2 -inch thick, so they cook quickly on the grill.  You will want to cook them until they are medium done, this allows for the connective tissue to be broken down which also contributes to how tender the meat will be.  Keep in mind, it is suppose to have a bit of chew.  This is not a slow braise texture.