[Spare Rib Kalbitang-Style Stew]
Once when I visited Korea, I meant to go to Gangnam but accidentally got off at the wrong station. Since it was lunchtime, I decided to grab something nearby and entered a restaurant packed with locals. We were probably the only tourists there. I ordered the soup with bone-in meat that everyone was eating so enthusiastically, and it was so incredibly delicious that I still fondly remember thinking, “Getting off at the wrong station was truly a blessing.”
Kalbitang is a clear soup dish made by slowly simmering beef short ribs on the bone. You savor the meat, which becomes so tender it falls off the bone easily, along with the rich, flavorful broth. Besides the ribs, ingredients like green onions, Korean glass noodles (dangmyeon), jujubes, and ginseng may be added, making it perfect for nourishment and strength. The meat is delicious on its own, paired with the accompanying kimchi, or coated with a spicy soy sauce-based sauce. It's also a tasty dish when you add the rice served alongside to the soup and make it into a kimbap.
While beef short ribs with bone are hard to come by, I heard this kalbitang is also delicious made with pork spare ribs. So, I tried making it in Suzuki's clay pot rice cooker, simmering it with daikon radish and aromatic vegetables. The far-infrared effect unique to Banshu ware slowly and thoroughly heats the spare ribs right to the core. The clay pot's gradual heat transfer prevents the meat proteins from hardening abruptly, resulting in a plump and tender finish.
While this clay pot usually excels at cooking delicious rice, why not try it this way sometimes? The spare ribs simmer until the meat falls effortlessly off the bone. Aromatic vegetables like ginger and garlic, known for their warming properties. And the broth, seasoned simply with salt and a touch of soy sauce – its simplicity allows the flavors of the ingredients to truly shine through.
Kalbitang-Style (Serves 2-3)
Ingredients:
270 g pork spare ribs
3–4 cm daikon radish, cut into quarter-rounds
1/3 stalk long green onion
2 tablespoons sake
2 slices ginger
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1–2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
A pinch of black pepper
750–800 ml water
Instructions:
1. Place water and daikon radish in a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Once boiling, add the spare ribs (rinsed briefly under running water), sake, sliced ginger, and the green part of the green onion.
3. When it returns to a boil, carefully skim off the scum. Cover and simmer over low-medium heat for 30-40 minutes, until the meat is tender.
4. Add garlic, soy sauce, and salt to adjust the flavor.
5. Add the white part of the green onion and sprinkle with pepper to taste. Serve.
Suzuki's Hagama Rice Pot
https://www.shokunin.com/en/suzuki/
Okubo House Mokkosha's Ladle Spoon
https://www.shokunin.com/en/okubo/otama.html
Wajima Kirimoto's Sugiwan
https://www.shokunin.com/en/kirimoto/sugi.html
Shirokiya Shikkiten's Teshiozara
https://www.shokunin.com/en/shirokiya/teshio.html
References
https://karaichi.com/galbi-tang/ (Reference Recipe)
https://www.konest.com/contents/gourmet_guide_detail.html?sc=2113
