Galbi

Galbi is a Korean dish of marinated beef short ribs, grilled over direct heat and eaten with rice and side dishes. The word means "rib" in Korean.

What it really is

Galbi is usually made from beef short ribs (LA-cut, cut thin across the bones, or the thicker English-cut style). The meat is marinated for several hours in a mixture of soy sauce, grated pear, garlic, sugar, sesame oil and black pepper. Pear and onion are often grated into the marinade to tenderise the meat. The ribs are then cooked on a grill, traditionally over charcoal, until the edges caramelise and the sugars in the marinade char slightly.

Galbi is not the same as galbi-jjim, a braised dish in which the ribs are simmered in a sweet soy sauce with vegetables and sometimes glass noodles, and which is cooked in liquid rather than grilled. Pork ribs marinated in a similar way are sold as dwaeji galbi, which is a separate dish with its own name.

How it's served

• Grilled at the table on a tabletop grill, then cut into bite-sized pieces with scissors.
• Eaten wrapped in lettuce leaves with rice, ssamjang and garlic slices.
• Served with plain steamed rice and a range of banchan (side dishes) such as kimchi.
• Often eaten in restaurants that specialise in Korean barbecue, where the meat is cooked by the diner or by staff.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the cut and the marinade: for example, "Beef short rib, soy and pear marinade, grilled".
• State soy, wheat and sesame on the menu, since the marinade contains soy sauce and sesame oil.
• Say whether the ribs are the thin LA-cut style or the thicker English cut, as the portion and cooking time differ.
• Do not confuse with galbi-jjim (braised) or dwaeji galbi (pork), and label them separately.