Tteok Galbi
Short rib meat taken off the bone, chopped, seasoned and shaped back onto it, then grilled with a soy and pear glaze.
Photograph credit: Tteok-galbi by ArgentumFerrum · CC0 1.0 · Wikimedia
Grated pear does two things at once and both matter: its enzymes tenderise the meat and its sugars help the glaze caramelise. Asian pear is traditional, but any hard pear works and apple does not — apple is too acidic and turns the surface of the meat mushy rather than tender. Knead the mixture until sticky so the patties hold on the grill.
Questions About Tteok Galbi
How long does Tteok Galbi take to make?
25 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking, plus 1 hour of chilling the mixture, so allow 1 hour 45 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 4.
The Method for Tteok Galbi
Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.
-
Mix the mince with the grated pear, onion, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, mirin, pepper and half the sesame seeds.
-
Knead hard for 4 minutes, until the mixture turns sticky and holds together in one mass.
-
Refrigerate 1 hour.
-
Shape into 8 oval patties about 1.5 cm thick.
-
Mix the glaze soy, honey and vinegar in a small bowl.
-
Heat a griddle or heavy pan with the oil over a medium-high heat.
-
Cook the patties 4 minutes on the first side without moving them.
-
Turn and cook 3 minutes, brushing with the glaze.
-
Turn once more, glaze again, and cook 2 minutes until lacquered and cooked through.
-
Scatter the spring onions and remaining sesame seeds over and serve.
Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.
Something wrong or unclear in this recipe? Report a problem with this recipe.
Tips That Matter
- Pear, not apple.
- Knead until sticky or they fall apart.
- Glaze on the last two turns only, or the sugar burns.
Swaps and Variations
- Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
- An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.
Serve It With
Steamed rice · Lettuce leaves for wrapping · Kimchi
Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Kimchi Fried Rice.
Leftovers and Storage
Shaped raw patties freeze 2 months. Cooked, they keep 3 days.
What's in a Serving
Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: weights that include bone are counted as if all of it were eaten, so the figures run high. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
Cooked this? Keep a note for next time
Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .
You Might Also Like
More Korean cooking and dinner ideas from Weekly Delight.
Dak Galbi
Chicken thighs stir-fried in a gochujang sauce with cabbage, sweet potato and rice cakes in one pan until sticky and…
Galbi Jjim
Beef short ribs soaked, parboiled and braised for two hours in a sweet soy sauce with grated pear, garlic and…
Galbi (Korean Short Ribs)
Beef short ribs butterflied thin, marinated in soy, pear and sesame, and grilled over fire until the sugars char…
Bibimbap
A bowl of rice topped with individually seasoned vegetables, marinated beef, a fried egg and gochujang, mixed…
Dubu Jorim
Tofu slabs pan-fried until golden, then braised in soy and chilli until the sauce has almost gone. Thirty minutes.
Japchae
Chewy sweet potato noodles tossed with individually stir-fried vegetables and a sesame-soy dressing. Naturally…