Galbi-jjim갈비찜

For a long time, galbi-jjim (갈비찜) was not something just anyone could eat. Both Goryeo and Joseon restricted the slaughter of cattle, which were needed to work the fields, and in Joseon beef was even called geumyuk (禁肉), "forbidden meat." A 1639 entry in the Seungjeongwon Ilgi, the royal secretariat's daily records, discusses serving pork ribs instead of beef ribs at a banquet for envoys from the Qing court. Ribs still cost more than lean cuts, so galbi-jjim remains a luxury dish.

The word galbi has its own story. In the Joseon era ribs were also called gari, which is why the dish is sometimes known as gari-jjim. The scholar Jeong Yak-yong noted in his book Aeongakbi that the cut called uhyeop (牛脇), the flank of the ox, was known as galbi.

Galbi-jjim was also a holiday dish. Braised chicken was the usual choice for Chuseok, but some families served galbi-jjim instead. A well-made galbi-jjim, it is said, has meat so tender it slips off the bone, a glossy dark color, just enough sauce left in the pot, and a mild, slightly sweet taste. A pressure cooker softens the meat quickly, but traditional cooks say it never soaks up the seasoning as deeply as ribs braised slowly over low heat.