Galbi-tang – 갈비탕, –湯

Cuisine: Korean
Region: Common

Galbi-tang is a hearty yet fragrant and often delicate clear beef short rib soup, traditionally offered at Korean wedding receptions. It is now one of Korea’s staple recipes and a regular entry in every Korean restaurant’s menu that’s worth its salt. (Pun intended. :)) Galbi-tang is not difficult to make; but, as all good soups and stews, it just takes some patience – that’s all. Time to cook, eh?

Serves 4 to 6
Cooking time: approx. 150 min (2.5 hrs)
You will need: a pot

Ingredients

• 1.5 Kg (3 Lbs) beef short ribs, roughly 6 cm or 1.5 inch thick.
• 3/4 Kg (1.5 Lbs) Korean radish, moo or daikon.
• 1 large garlic bulb.
• 1 medium sized yellow onion.
• 1 piece of ginger, at the size of a thumb.
• 3 to 6 green onions, plus more green onions for garnishing.
• 15 cups cold water
• 140 g (5 oz) Dangmyeon (Korean glass noodles).
• 1/2 Tsp soy sauce.
• 1/2 Tsp fish sauce.
• 1/2 to 1 Tbsp sea salt.
• Extra salt and pepper for serving.

Instructions

Preparation

1. Take a large pot, fill it up with cold water, put it on the stove, turn the fire on high and bring it to a boil.
2. While you wait for the water to boil, wash the vegetables.
3. Peel the Korean radish and cut off the edges.
4. Cut the garlic bulb in half.
5. Cut the edges of the onion, without removing the skin.
6. Slice the ginger in rounds.
7. Chop the green onions in halves.
8. When the water starts boiling, add the short ribs in the pot and blanch them for about 10 minutes.
9. Then, empty the pot in a colander, rinse the meat under cold water and put it aside.

Cooking

1. Wash the pot.
2. Arrange the blanched meat and the vegetables in the pot and add 15 (fifteen) cups of cold water.
3. Turn the fire on high and bring it to boil with the lid off.
4. Skim the scum and fat as required.
5. When the froth is clear of scum and fat, reduce the fire to medium, put the lid on and simmer for 2 hours.
6. While the meat and vegetables are simmering it’s time to soak the Korean glass noodles: take a bowl, add warm (not hot) water and let the noodles soak while pot meat and vegetable pot is simmering.
7. Two hours later: turn the fire off and remove all vegetables with a slotted spoon or sieve.
8. Discard all vegetables except for the radish (you’re going to use that, later).
9. Make sure the bottom of the pot is clean.
10. Season the stew to taste with the prescribed condiments: soy sauce, fish sauce and sea salt.
11. The soup is ready.

Combining / Serving

1. Slice the cooked radish into bite-size pieces.
2. Chop 1 to 2 green onions for garnish.
3. If the Galbi-tang soup has cooled off by the time you serve, bring it back to boil.
4. Arrange the glass noodles in each serving bowl and add the sliced radish.
5. Pour your boiling hot ribs and soup into the serving bowl, so that the glass noodles are cooked through.
6. Garnish each bowl with green onion and black pepper.

Sides

Warm rice is classic side dish to Galbi-tang. In general, accompanying the main course with a plethora of other nibblers (in this case: kimchi, sour plums, bean sprouts, etc., is often the norm.

Notes

It is popular in Asia to soak meat in cold water for 2 to 3 hours prior to cooking. They do that in order to remove any remaining blood, and this makes a clearer soup. If you decide to do that then do replace the soaking water every hour or so.

Enjoy!