Yangnyeom-galbi

Cross-cut beef short ribs marinated overnight in a fragrant soy-pear sauce and grilled to caramelised perfection.

Yangnyeom-galbi is the marinated counterpart to plain grilled galbi, and its sweet-savoury lacquered surface is one of the most recognisable sights and aromas in the Korean barbecue landscape. The marinade is a carefully balanced blend of soy sauce, sugar, mirin, garlic, grated Asian pear or apple for natural enzymes that tenderise the meat, sesame oil, and often a touch of ginger. The ribs are butterflied in the distinctive 'LA galbi' cross-cut style — a technique developed by Korean-American butchers in Los Angeles that has since become the Korean standard — and marinated for at least four to twenty-four hours. Grilling over hot charcoal caramelises the fruit sugars rapidly, creating charred, sticky edges that Koreans prize and children specifically request. Yangnyeom-galbi is the dish most commonly prepared at Korean family gatherings and holiday meals, and many families guard their marinade recipe as a treasured inheritance passed from grandmothers to grandchildren. In Korean diaspora communities worldwide, the smell of yangnyeom-galbi on a backyard grill has become synonymous with home.