Koreatown LA Galbi
LA갈비·(LA gal-bi)
The Sunday Church Potluck
This is the taste of a 1980s Koreatown church potluck, born from immigrant ingenuity adapting an American butchery cut to ancient homeland marinades. The secret to recreating that exact glossy finish isn't a magical ingredient, it is a grandmother's unyielding technique. You must squeeze the puréed pear and onion to extract only the clear juice. Discarding the fibrous pulp means the meat caramelizes into a sticky glaze in a weeknight skillet instead of burning into bitter ash.
Before you start
Purge the blood and bone dust by soaking the ribs.
Place the short ribs in a large bowl, cover with cold water, and stir in the white sugar to alter the osmotic pressure and draw out impurities quickly. Soak for 30 to 45 minutes, then individually rinse each strip under cold running water, scrubbing the bone edges with your thumb before draining thoroughly.
Extract the tenderizing enzymes from the aromatics while discarding the fibrous pulp.
Roughly chop the pear and onion, blend them until completely smooth, then press the purée through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth over a bowl. Discard the solid pulp to ensure your marinade caramelizes cleanly in the pan.
Whisk the golden ratio marinade.
To your bowl of extracted juice, add the soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, garlic, ginger, toasted sesame oil, and black pepper, whisking vigorously until the sugar is completely dissolved before stirring in the scallions.
Submerge the ribs and let the enzymes do their work.
Layer the drained ribs in a shallow airtight container, ladling marinade over each layer until fully submerged. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or ideally overnight to let the pear juices melt the tough muscle fibers.
Ingredients
- flanken-cut beef short ribs4 lb
- white sugar1 tbsp
- Asian pear1 large
- yellow onion1 med
- soy sauce1 cup
- brown sugar1/2 cup
- mirin3 tbsp
- garlic3 tbsp
- ginger1 tsp
- toasted sesame oil2 tbsp
- black pepper1 tsp
- scallions1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Sear the ribs in a hot skillet.
Heat a large cast-iron or heavy non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Lift the ribs from the marinade, shake off the excess, and lay them flat in the dry pan, letting them cook for 2 to 3 minutes until deeply browned and juices pool on top.
- 02
Flip the meat and build the stovetop glaze.
Flip the ribs and spoon a tablespoon or two of the leftover marinade from the container directly into the pan. Let the liquid bubble furiously and reduce into a sticky glaze that coats the meat, cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes before pulling them from the heat.
- 03
Snip the meat with kitchen shears and serve immediately.
Transfer the glistening ribs to a cutting board and cut the long strips between the bones into bite-sized pieces. Serve piled high alongside steamed short-grain rice, crispy lettuce for wrapping, and ssamjang.
Notes
Substitutions for the Asian pear.
If Asian pears are out of season, a large Fuji apple or Bosc pear works perfectly. In a pinch, replace both the pear and onion with one and a half cups of canned Korean crushed pear juice.
The freezer stash.
LA Galbi freezes exceptionally well. Place the raw, drained meat and the mixed marinade together in a zip-top freezer bag; it will marinate as it safely thaws in the refrigerator months later.
From Cook Korean in America.