Galbi” is the Korean word for “rib”, and the dish is usually made with beef short ribs. Traditionally, galbi is cut to expose one smooth bone along the short edge with the meat uniformly filleted in flat layers. An alternative cut, “LA galbi”, also beef brisket marinade recipe as a flanken cut, features cut bones peeking out along the long edge. The method was developed by Korean immigrants in Los Angeles to accommodate the thinner rib-eye cut preferred by American butchers.

Jeju Black pig, is popular in Jeju Island. As pork ribs are smaller, marinated dwaeji-galbi often consists of pork ribs mixed with shoulder meats. Softer cuts of beef, such as from a cow or heifer, are preferred when grilling galbi. Properly grilled, the dish is a glossy, dark-reddish brown with a smoky, sweet taste.

The meat should easily fall from the bones. If used, pork shoulder meat is carved into thicker slices of around 2. Deeper cuts are made when scoring the surface to allow the marinade to penetrate the meat. Galbi is grilled, typically by the diners themselves, on grills set in the tables. The meat cooks for a short time on medium high heat on a lightly greased gridiron over glowing charcoal. The remaining marinade is brushed on during grilling to produce a glazed finish.