Galbitang beef rib soup (갈비탕) is served with big chunks of beef rib in a delicious broth in a huge bowl. It's one of the unmissable dishes served for guests, especially on special occasions like weddings. Beef ribs are so tasty that the soup can be cooked all sorts of ways, like roasting or steaming.

This dish is tasty and nutritious, as well. In fact, the "Dongui Bogam" (동의보감, 東醫寶鑑), the representative text on traditional Korean Medicine, says that, “Beef warms and protects the body. It also boosts energy and blood circulation, improving the overall body condition.”

After eating the slices of meat-on-bone and enjoying the rice in the broth together, it will give you a real boost.





** Ingredients
800 grams beef ribs
1 kilogram (5 cups) water for pre-cleaning
5 kilograms (25 cups) water for boiling
200 grams radish
36 grams (2 tablespoons) clear soy sauce
8 grams (2 teaspoons) salt
60 grams (1) egg
6.5 grams (1/2 tablespoon) cooking oil

Fragrant seasoning:
40 grams (1 root) green onion
42 grams (6 cloves) garlic
130 grams (½ head) onion

Seasoning:
28 grams (2 tablespoons) minced green onion
16 grams (1 tablespoon) minced garlic
0.3 grams (⅛ teaspoon) ground black pepper






** Preparation
1. Cut the beef ribs into 5-centimeter slices and soak them in cold water for 3 hours to draw out the blood, changing the water every hour. 2. Remove the fat and tendons from the beef ribs. 3. Trim and wash the radish, peel off the skin, and cut into 6-centimeter strips. 4. Panfry an egg for the separate yellow and white garnishes, and cut them into 2-centimeter strips in the shape of a diaper. 5. Blend the seasoning.





** Recipe
1. Pour the water in a pot and heat it for 5 minutes over high. When it boils, add the beef ribs and boil them for another 2 minutes. Discard the boiling water. 2. Pour the cold water and beef ribs in a pot, and boil it for 20 minutes over high. Then lower the heat to medium and let it simmer for 1.5 hours. Add the radish and fragrant seasoning, and boil for another hour while regularly skimming off the fat. 3. When the radishes are well-done, take out the radishes and cut them into 3-centimeter wide, 4-centimeter long and 0.5-centimeter thick rectangles. Remove the fragrant seasoning from the pot. 4. Cool the broth and filter it through a cotton cloth. Skim off the fat. Season it with the clear soy sauce and salt. Put the beef ribs and radishes back into the broth and boil it for 5 minutes over medium. 5. Place the beef rib soup in a bowl and top it with the egg garnish. Serve with the seasoning sauce.








Managed by Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer
In cooperation with the Institute of Traditional Korean Food (ITKF)
Recipe from “The Beauty of Korean Food: 100 Best-Loved Recipes”
arete@korea.kr