Free Recipe
Korean Galbi-Style Grilled Short Ribs
Galbi uses thin, flanken-cut beef short ribs sliced across the bones, marinated in a sweet-savory soy and pear mixture, then grilled fast and hot over direct heat. This is a completely different technique from low-and-slow smoking, and a great next step once you are comfortable with basic grilling.
Prep30 min
Cook15 min
Total6 hr 45 min
ServingsServes 4
DifficultyAdvanced
Rating★ 4.8
Why You'll Love This
- Fast, hot grilling technique
- Sweet-savory soy and pear marinade
- Great for lettuce wraps and rice bowls
Ingredients
- 3 lbs beef short ribs, flanken-cut (cross-cut, about 1/3 inch thick, with several small bone pieces per strip)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 Asian pear, peeled and grated (or 1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice as a substitute)
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 green onions, finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 small onion, sliced (for the marinade)
Method
- If the flanken-cut ribs are thicker than 1/3 inch or have not been scored, ask your butcher to cut them thinner and score lightly between the bones; thin, evenly cut ribs are essential since this method grills hot and fast.
- Soak the short ribs in a bowl of cold water for 20-30 minutes, changing the water once, to help draw out excess blood and bone fragments left from cutting through the bone; this keeps the marinade clean and the flavor pure.
- Pat the ribs dry, then whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, grated pear, water, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, chopped green onions, sesame seeds, black pepper, and sliced onion in a large bowl to make the marinade.
- Add the short ribs to the marinade, making sure every piece is well coated, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight; longer marinating gives a deeper, more tender result since the sugar and acid help break down the thin meat.
- About 30 minutes before cooking, remove the ribs from the refrigerator to take the chill off, and preheat your grill to high heat (450-500F) for direct grilling.
- Shake excess marinade off each piece (too much clinging marinade will burn quickly over high heat) and lay the ribs directly over the hot grates.
- Grill for 2-3 minutes per side, watching closely and flipping once the edges begin to char and caramelize; because the meat is thin, this cooks very quickly and can go from perfect to burnt in under a minute.
- Check doneness by cutting into a thicker piece near a bone; the meat should be cooked through with no pink remaining near the bone but still tender and juicy, since this cut does not need to reach the 195-203F range used for thick racks.
- Transfer the grilled short ribs to a platter, sprinkle with extra chopped green onion and sesame seeds, and serve immediately while hot.
- Serve with steamed rice, lettuce leaves for wrapping, and a simple dipping sauce of soy sauce with a few drops of sesame oil.
Tips
- Do not skip soaking the ribs in water first; flanken-cut ribs are cut through the bone with a bandsaw and often carry small bone fragments and blood that soaking rinses away.
- Keep a close eye during grilling; the sugar in the marinade caramelizes fast, so these thin ribs need constant attention rather than the hands-off approach used for smoked racks.
Nutrition (estimated per serving)
Calories: 430
Protein: 29g
Fat: 27g
Carbs: 14g
Fiber: 0g
Sodium: 990mg
