Galbi

Galbi(Korean:갈비),kalbi,galbi-gui(갈비구이), orgrilled ribsis a type ofgui(grilled dish) inKorean cuisine. "Galbi" is the Korean word for "rib", and the dish is usually made with beefshort ribs. When porkspare ribsor another meat is used instead, the dish is named accordingly.Galbiis served raw, then cooked on tabletop grills usually by the diners themselves.The dish may be marinated in a sweet and savory sauce usually containing soy sauce, garlic, and sugar. Both non-marinated and marinatedgalbiare often featured inKorean barbecue.In Japan, this and many other dishes in Korean barbecue influencedyakiniku, a fusion cuisine that often makes use of galbi (glossed askarubi).
Traditionally,galbiis cut to expose one smooth bone along the short edge with the meat uniformly filleted in flat layers.
Galbican be made using a flanken cut, which features cut bones peeking out along the long edge. This style is called "LAgalbi". The method accommodates thinnerrib-eyecuts preferred by American butchers.
The dish emerged some time in the late 20th century. It is attested to being popularly consumed in South Korea in 1990. There are a number of theories for its origin. The flanken cut is not traditional in Korea; the theories often focus on this aspect of the dish.
One theory, evaluated in an article in theEncyclopedia of Korean Cultureas the most plausible, is that the dish was invented byKorean Americans in Los Angelesin the late 20th century. Meat cut in this fashion was considered affordable, as it was cut by machine. Per the theory, the dish was then imported back to South Korea.
Another theory is that the dish was invented in South Korea as part of a marketing campaign to sell American beef in the country. Per the theory, "LA" was used in the name because it was where the most Korean Americans lived in the United States and would have been more familiar.
Another theory is that the term "LA" is an abbreviation of "Lateral Axis", after the direction the ribs are cut.
Non-marinatedgalbiis calledsaeng-galbi(생갈비; "fresh ribs"); marinatedgalbiis referred to asyangnyeom-galbi(양념갈비; "seasoned ribs"). Porkgalbiis usually served marinated, but non-marinateddwaeji-saeng-galbi(돼지생갈비; "fresh pork ribs"), made ofJeju Black pig, is popular inJeju Island.As pork ribs are smaller, marinateddwaeji-galbioften consists of pork ribs mixed with shoulder meats.
Softer cuts of beef, such as from a cow or heifer, are preferred when grillinggalbi.Properly grilled, the dish is a glossy, dark-reddish brown with a smoky, sweet taste.The meat should easily fall from the bones.
Themarinadeforso-galbi-gui(소갈비구이; "grilled beef ribs") typically includessoy sauce, sugar, minced garlic andscallions, ginger juice, ground black pepper, toasted and groundsesame, andsesame oil. The beef is usually scored on the surface prior to marinating, and the juice fromKorean pearsis brushed on before grilling.
Fordwaeji-galbi-gui(돼지갈비구이; "grilled pork ribs"), the marinade can be eitherganjang(soy sauce)-based orgochujang(chili paste)-based: the former being similar to beefgalbimarinade and the latter being spicy.Cheongju(rice wine) is usually used in both types of marinade to remove any undesired porky smell.
If used, pork shoulder meat is carved into thicker slices of around 2.5 centimetres (1 inch) in width.Deeper cuts are made when scoring the surface to allow the marinade to penetrate the meat.
Galbiis grilled, typically by the diners themselves, on grills set in the tables. The meat cooks for a short time on medium high heat on a lightly greased gridiron over glowing charcoal. The remaining marinade is brushed on during grilling to produce a glazed finish.
Once cooked, the meat is typically cut into pieces over the grill with kitchen scissors,then wrapped inside lettuce leaves,kkaennip(perilla frutescens), or otherleafy vegetables. These made-on-the-spot leaf wraps, calledssam, usually include a piece of grilled meat,ssamjang, raw or grilled garlic, and a sauce made ofdoenjang(soybean paste) andgochujang(chili paste).Like other Korean main dishes,galbiis often accompanied bybap(cooked rice) and side dishes known asbanchan.