The dish to eat in Los Angeles · United States

Korean barbecue (galbi)

Name: LA galbi (Korean barbecue short ribs)
Yield: 4
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 3 lb (1.4 kg) flanken-cut beef short ribs, 1/3 to 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick; For the marinade: 1/2 cup (120 ml) soy sauce, 1/2 cup (120 ml) water; 1/2 Asian pear (or 1 kiwi for faster tenderizing), peeled and grated; 1/2 small onion, grated; 6 garlic cloves, grated, and 1 tbsp grated ginger; 3 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp mirin; 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, 1/2 tsp black pepper; 3 scallions, chopped; To serve: red leaf lettuce and perilla leaves, ssamjang (soybean-chili dip), sliced garlic and green chilies, steamed rice, kimchi and other banchan

Photo: ayustety, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source

Beef short ribs marinated in soy, pear and garlic, grilled at the table and eaten in lettuce with banchan.

LA's Koreatown is the biggest outside Korea, and its grill-at-the-table restaurants, open past midnight, are the city's great late dinner.

Where to eat it Cook it at home

Where to eat it: the best three in Los Angeles

Park's BBQ
Koreatown, Vermont Avenue
Order: Galbi (marinated short rib) and the prime beef cuts
The Koreatown benchmark for beef quality, run by chef Jenee Kim.
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Soowon Galbi
Koreatown, 8th Street
Order: The galbi over real charcoal
A neighborhood standby that grills over charcoal and keeps the banchan coming.
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Kang Ho-dong Baekjeong
Koreatown, 6th Street
Order: The combo with pork belly and beef, plus egg and corn cheese on the grill rim
Loud, fun and packed late, with the egg cooked around the grill.
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All three are on Chef Amazing’s list The best Korean barbecue (galbi) in Los Angeles, which you can save and take with you.

Cook it at home: LA galbi (Korean barbecue short ribs)

Serves 4Time 45 min, plus 4 hr to overnight marinating

Buy flanken-cut short ribs (cut across the bones, about 1/3 inch thick). Grated Asian pear tenderizes and sweetens the meat. Grill hot and fast so the sugar caramelizes.

Pans and tools

Grill or cast-iron grill pan
Large dish or zip bag for marinating
Grater
Tongs and kitchen scissors

You’ll need

3 lb (1.4 kg) flanken-cut beef short ribs, 1/3 to 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick
For the marinade: 1/2 cup (120 ml) soy sauce, 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
1/2 Asian pear (or 1 kiwi for faster tenderizing), peeled and grated
1/2 small onion, grated
6 garlic cloves, grated, and 1 tbsp grated ginger
3 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, 1/2 tsp black pepper
3 scallions, chopped
To serve: red leaf lettuce and perilla leaves, ssamjang (soybean-chili dip), sliced garlic and green chilies, steamed rice, kimchi and other banchan

Steps

Soak the ribs in cold water 30 minutes to draw out blood and bone dust, then drain and pat dry. Run a finger over the bone edges to remove any bone shards.
Whisk all the marinade ingredients until the sugar dissolves.
Layer the ribs in a dish or bag with the marinade, making sure every piece is coated. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight (no more than 6 hours if using kiwi).
Heat a charcoal grill to high, or a gas grill to high for 15 minutes, or a cast-iron grill pan over high heat.
Lift the ribs from the marinade and let the excess drip off. Grill 2 to 3 minutes per side, until caramelized with charred edges and just cooked through. Don't wander off: the sugar burns quickly.
Cut between the bones into bite-size pieces with kitchen scissors, the Korean way.
To eat, put a piece of meat in a lettuce leaf with a little rice, a dab of ssamjang, a slice of garlic and chili, then fold and eat in one bite. Serve with kimchi and other banchan.

Chef’s tips

Find flanken-cut 'LA galbi' at any Korean market.

Save the leftover marinade? No; mix a fresh small batch to boil down as a glaze.

Ssamjang is easy: 2 tbsp doenjang, 1 tbsp gochujang, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp honey, a little garlic and scallion.

Contains: Soy, wheat, sesame.

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