Galbi (Korean BBQ Short Ribs)
hwoo.lee•
January 27, 2026
Why this recipe works: Starting with a quick brine removes blood and bone dust while hydrating the meat through osmosis, making it 10-15% juicier. Freshly juiced pear, onion, and other ingredients contain natural enzymes (proteases) that tenderize the collagen without the burnt pulp or grit you'd get from leaving solids in. Scoring the meat in a diamond crosshatch pattern maximizes marinade absorption and prevents the meat from warping on the grill. Marinating for 1-3 days allows the enzymes to peak at 24-48 hours, creating that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Pro tip: If you buy a full short rib plate (~10-12 lbs), you can debone and butterfly the meat into long thin flaps yourself for maximum marinade surface area and thin, quick cooking.
Ingredients (18)
Ingredients (18)
Quick Salt/Sugar Brine
Meat
Marinade
Instructions
Quick Brine (30 Minutes)
Make the brine: Warm 500 milliliters (2 cups) of water and dissolve the turbinado sugar (½ cup) and kosher salt (1 ¾ oz) in it. Add 2.5 liters of cold water or ice to cool it down quickly.
Brine the ribs: Submerge the short ribs (4 lb) in the brine for 30 minutes in the fridge or in an iced container. Drain, rinse under cold water, and pat completely dry with paper towels.
Marinate (1–3 Days)
Prepare the marinade: Grate and squeeze the Asian pears (~1.5 whole pears to get 375 grams juice), navel oranges (~1.5 oranges for 150 grams juice), onion (1 large onion for 100 grams juice), garlic (0.5 head for 12.5 grams juice), and ginger (2 inches knob for 12.5 grams juice). Strain out all the solids - you want just the fresh juices, no pulp.
Whisk together the soy sauce (1 cups), mirin (½ cup), water (1 cups), all the fresh juices, toasted sesame oil (⅓ cup), plum syrup (⅔ cup), raw turbinado sugar (½ cup), Yondu (⅛ cup), salt (¼ oz), and cracked black pepper (cup) until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Score and marinate: Score the meat in a diamond crosshatch pattern about 0.125 inch deep, making cuts every inch across the surface—this helps the marinade penetrate and prevents warping on the grill. Submerge the ribs completely in the marinade (the recipe makes about 1.6 liters). Refrigerate for at least 1 day, up to 3 days, flipping the ribs daily so they marinate evenly.
Grill the Ribs
Remove the ribs from the marinade and pat them dry - you can reserve the marinade for basting if you like. Heat your grill to medium-high. Grill the ribs for 3-5 minutes per side for flanken-cut ribs, until nicely charred on the outside but still juicy inside.