Boneless beef ribs woo eaters to Taebaek
JoongAng Daily
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| Taebaek hanwoo galbisal, or boneless Korean beef ribs, is a must for visitors to Taebaek, Gangwon. Provided by the Korea Tourism Organization. |
Everyone knows it’s nearly impossible to kill two birds with one stone. But Taebaek citizens in Gangwon have found a way to achieve both quality and quantity with their renowned Taebaek hanwoo galbisal, or boneless Korean beef ribs.
The city is known for the high quality of its Korean cows, the meat of which is very expensive outside of the city.
In Taebaek, however, Korean beef is both affordable and comes in generous servings.
Like most Korean barbecue dishes, the meat is served with an array of side dishes, some of which are put on the grill along with the meat.
About 30 or 40 years ago, Taebaek was filled with large and small coal mines. It became customary for miners to gather together after the day’s work and light up charcoal barbecue fires to “clean the coal dust in their throats” with grilled pork. As these gatherings became regular events, many restaurants started selling the dish.
These days, most of the coal mines are gone but one thing remains: Taebaek dwellers’ appetites. And instead of grilled pork, people come to the area seeking hanwoo galbisal.
It’s easy to see large groups of people walking around Taebaek, because many athletes come to the city during the off-season for training. Taebaek has been popular for a long time among those who play sports, as it sits on high ground, at an altitude of 700 meters (2,300 feet), where there’s plenty of fresh air and water, both of which are necessary for athletes.
After the many days of tough training, the athletes are eager to fill their stomachs with something nutritious and delicious. For those hungry eaters, Taebaek’s hanwoo galbisal, grilled over a charcoal fire, is the perfect, and succulent, solution.
The word that Taebaek served up quality beef, grilled on charcoal, quickly spread as satisfied athletes told their friends and families all about it once they returned to their hometowns.
As Taebaek hanwoo became popular, more and more restaurant owners started substituting beef for pork.
No matter which kind of meat is used, however, hanwoo galbisal is known for its succulence. Just the right amount of fat gives galbisal its tenderness, and the smell of coal makes mouths water.
Taebaek hanwoo is also known for having less saturated fat and an abundant amount of unsaturated fat, which is good news for the body.
By Yim Seung-hye Contributing writer [estyle@joongang.co.kr]