Name: Galbitang (Beef Short Rib Soup)
Prep time: 1 h 20 min
Cook time: 2 h 25 min
Total time: 3 h 45 min
Yield: 4 generous servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 3 1/2 pounds (1.6kg) beef short ribs, English-cut into 2-inch pieces, excess surface fat trimmed; Cold water, about 3 quarts for soaking plus enough to cover for blanching; 12 cups water for the soup; 1 pound (450g) Korean radish (mu), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks; 1 medium onion, halved; 1 large Korean leek (daepa), or 4 scallions, white parts bruised; 10 garlic cloves, peeled; 3 thin slices fresh ginger, about 10g; 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns; 1 tablespoon soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang); 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to serve; 120g dangmyeon (sweet potato starch noodles), soaked in warm water 30 minutes, optional; 2 large eggs, separated, for jidan egg garnish, optional; 1 teaspoon neutral oil, for jidan egg garnish; 2 scallions, thinly sliced; Freshly ground black pepper, to serve

Question 1

How do I make galbitang broth clear instead of cloudy?

Accepted Answer

Soak English-cut beef short ribs for 1 hour, blanch them for 7 minutes, rinse each rib, and scrub the pot before simmering. Keep the broth at a quiet simmer, not a rolling boil. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and skim the fat until the broth looks clear and glossy.

Question 2

Why do you soak and blanch beef short ribs for galbitang?

Accepted Answer

Soaking and blanching beef short ribs removes blood, bone dust, and surface impurities that make galbitang broth cloudy. Soak the ribs in cold water for 1 hour, changing the water after 30 minutes, then hard-boil them for 7 minutes before rinsing and starting the soup.

Question 3

What cut of beef short ribs should I use for galbitang?

Accepted Answer

Use thick English-cut beef short ribs cut into 2-inch pieces for galbitang. English-cut short ribs give the broth enough time to become rich while the meat turns tender. Avoid thin flanken-style LA galbi because it gives up quickly and leaves bones before the soup develops depth.

Question 4

Can I make galbitang in a pressure cooker?

Accepted Answer

Yes. After soaking, blanching, rinsing, and cleaning the pot, pressure cook the beef short ribs with 10 cups water for 35 minutes at high pressure. Let the pressure release naturally, then continue with the Korean radish in an open pot so the radish stays clean and intact.

Question 5

When should I season galbitang broth?

Accepted Answer

Season galbitang after straining and measuring the broth. For 8 cups broth, add 1 tablespoon soup soy sauce and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Simmer 10 minutes, then taste. Seasoning after measuring prevents an over-salty reduced broth.

Question 6

Can I make galbitang ahead of time and store leftovers?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Make galbitang one day ahead through the straining step, then chill the broth and ribs and remove the hardened fat before reheating. Leftover galbitang keeps refrigerated for 3 days. Cool the soup within 2 hours, reheat only what you will eat, and add fresh scallion at serving.

Culinary Explorer

Galbitang (Beef Short Rib Soup)

Ingredients

beef short ribs

cold water

water for soup

Where cooking meets culture.

Ingredient	Quantity
beef short ribsEnglish-cut into 2-inch pieces, excess surface fat trimmed	3 1/2 pounds (1.6kg)
cold water	about 3 quarts for soaking, plus enough to cover for blanching
water for soup	12 cups