Galbi Jjim — Oh Little Ribs, How Did I Get Along Without You?

I had never ordered Galbi Jjim before. I guess because it tends to be served at galbi places. And when we eat at galbi places, we choose to eat the kind fired over charcoal.

But I had to try this one, simply because it was one of the obvious main Korean dishes that I hadn’t had.

I convinced Eun Jeong, who was more in the mood for seafood stew, to humor me and go out for galbi jjim at Nolboo, a chain of Korean galbi houses.

I am so glad I tried this, and I am craving more. It’s ribs, not the butterflied rib meat served for charcoal galbi. It’s ribs on the bone. They’re smothered in gochujang, vegetables, and seasoning and served steaming hot.

Unlike the other galbi, there’s no assembly. Just dig in with your hands and eat. It’s a very simple looking dish.

The taste is a little smoky and very saucy. This is the closest I’ve gotten to BBQ from back home in Korea. As soon as I can get a recipe, I’m posting it.

And Eun Jeong agreed that it was better than seafood stew.