History
What are the ingredients for Galbi?
Galbi
The ingredients (often, ribs or meats) are marinated in a sauce made primarily from soy sauce, garlic, and sugar. However, several variations on the marinade exist, including recipes that utilize sesame oil, rice wine or hot pepper paste. Fruit juice, lemon-lime soda and honey have become more common additions to Korean marinades in recent years, and is present in some incarnations of the dish. When cooked on a griddle or grill, the meat is usually cut in thin slices across the bones. This style of cut, called L.A. Galbi, permits the marinade to penetrate the meat faster. It also allows the meat to cook more quickly, creates a more tender cut, and makes it easier to eat the finished dish with chopsticks. The traditional cut is called Wang Galbi, literally meaning King Ribs. In this version, the ribs are cut into 2 to 5 inch segments, and the meat is filleted in layers away from the bone to form a uniformly thin layer. Wang Galbi is usually what is served in traditional Korean restaurants, as the traditional cut is considered more genuine. Rarely, if ever, are L.A. Galbi served at top establishments. Pre-cut galbi is available from many meat markets in Korea and elsewhere. "Galbi" is generally served in restaurants known as "galbi houses", and the meat is cooked right at customers' tables on grills set in the tables (usually by the customers themselves). It is typically served with lettuce, perilla, or other leafy vegetables used to wrap the meat, which is then dipped in "ssamjang" (쌈장), a sauce made of fermented bean paste and red pepper paste. It is often accompanied by side dishes known as banchan. Many Korean dishes incorporate ribs, including soups and stews. Some restaurants serve "pork galbi", and chicken galbi is a specialty of the Chuncheon region. "Galbitang" is a clear soup containing pieces of "galbi". "Galbi jjigae" is a thick stew with many large pieces of galbi, usually single bone cuts, which may also contain red peppers, green peppers, kimchi, and "doenjang" (Korean bean paste). "Galbi Jjim" is short ribs braised in a sweet soy sauce based sauce.