Galbitang: Korean Beef Short Rib and Radish Soup
Short ribs are soaked, blanched and simmered slowly with radish and aromatics until tender, giving a clean, savoury broth. Glass noodles and thin egg ribbons make it a satisfying meal with rice and kimchi.
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Method
- 1
Soak the ribs. Cover the ribs with cold water in the large bowl and leave them for 30 minutes, changing the water once. Then drain them. Soaking draws out blood that would otherwise cloud the broth.
- 2
Blanch and rinse. Put the ribs in the pot, cover with fresh cold water, bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes. Drain them in the colander, rinse each piece under running water and wash out the pot. This quick boil removes the scum early, which is the secret of a clear galbitang.
- 3
Simmer gently. Return the ribs to the clean pot with the 2400 ml cold water, onion, garlic, ginger, peppercorns and spring-onion whites. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat, set the lid slightly ajar and simmer very gently for 45 minutes. Barely bubbling liquid keeps the fat from emulsifying into the broth.
- 4
Add the radish. Add the radish chunks and continue simmering for 45-60 minutes, until the meat pulls away from the bone and the radish turns translucent. The radish soaks up the beefy stock and adds a gentle sweetness.
- 5
Strain and skim. Lift out the ribs and radish with the slotted spoon, strain the broth through the sieve and discard the aromatics. Skim off as much fat as you can; you should have about 1.6 litres. Slice the radish into thin squares and return it and the ribs to the broth with the salt and pepper.
- 6
Soften the noodles. Cover the glass noodles with just-boiled water in the heatproof bowl for 8-10 minutes, until soft and springy. Drain and snip them into shorter lengths. Soaking separately keeps them from turning the broth starchy.
- 7
Make egg ribbons. Heat the oil in the frying pan over medium-low heat, pour in the eggs and swirl into a thin layer. Cook for about 2 minutes, flip and cook 1 minute more until fully set, then roll up and slice into thin ribbons. Low heat keeps the omelette yellow rather than browned.
- 8
Serve. Bring the soup back to a simmer and taste for salt. Divide the noodles between four bowls, ladle over the ribs, radish and broth, and top with egg ribbons and sliced spring onions. Rice and kimchi on the side complete the meal.
Storage
Refrigerate the broth, ribs and radish up to 3 days, or freeze up to 3 months; keep noodles and egg separate. Reheat until piping hot. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- large bowl
- large pot (about 6 litres) with a lid
- colander
- slotted spoon
- fine sieve
- fat separator or ladle for skimming
- non-stick frying pan (about 24 cm)
- heatproof bowl
- sharp knife
- ladle
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 690 kcal |
| Protein | 24.7 g |
| Carbohydrate | 24 g |
| of which sugars | 5 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 54.7 g |
| of which saturates | 22.7 g |
| Fibre | 3.1 g |
| Salt | 1.85 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
3.6 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
