Barbecued beef short ribs (galbi)

The ingenious way of filleting the meat from the rib into a long thin strip of meat – but leaving the bone still attached – means it won’t take long to cook at all.

Credit: Billy Law

• serves

  4

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) beef short ribs

Marinade

• ½ onion, peeled
• 1 Nashi or Asian pear, peeled and cored
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2-cm (¾-in) piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 2 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
• 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) soy sauce
• 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) mirin
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Soy and wasabi dipping sauce

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1 tsp rice (or white) vinegar
• 1 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
• dab wasabi paste
• 2 tsp finely chopped onion

Marinating time: 2 hours

Instructions

1. Trim any fat and silver skin from the ribs, then cut the beef between the ribs into individual pieces. Place a rib, bone side down, on a chopping board. Starting from one side of the rib, carefully tease the meat away from the bone with a very sharp knife without separating it completely. Leave one end of the meat still attached to the bone like a hinge. Open out the meat from the rib (like opening a book), and butterfly the meat part into a long, flat strip, about 5 mm (¼ in) thick. Repeat with the remaining rib pieces then place them in a large bowl.
2. To make the marinade, combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend to a purée. Pour the marinade over the ribs and mix well using your hands.
3. Take a rib bone, roll the meat back around the bone into a scroll, then place it back in the bowl. Repeat with the remaining ribs, so they are sitting neat and tidy in the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours, or preferably overnight.
4. Take the ribs out of the refrigerator at least 1 hour prior to cooking to allow them to come to room temperature.
5. Meanwhile, for the dipping sauce, combine all the ingredients and 2 tbsp water in a bowl and stir to dissolve. Cover and set aside until ready to cook the ribs.
6. Heat your barbecue to high, or set a chargrill pan over high heat. Place the rib pieces on the barbecue, unrolling them into long strips so they cook evenly. Grill the meat, turning occasionally, for 2–3 minutes or until slightly charred and caramelised on each side.
7. Cut the meat into bite-sized chunks with a pair of kitchen scissors. Serve immediately with the soy and wasabi dipping sauce.

 

Recipe and images from Little Korea: Iconic Dishes and Cult Recipes by Billy Law, Smith Street Books, RRP $49.99

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.