Persian Galbi

Although beef is beef, wherever you go, some cuts of beef can only be found in certain places. Koreans love their galbi, which literally translates to "ribs", but has the de facto meaning of "marinated beef short ribs". My local Korean supermarket offers the rib meat without the bone, optionally marinated for bulgogi.

I recently picked up a package of un-marinated, boneless galbi meat as an excuse to Persian-ize it. My first serious foray into Persian cooking came when Amitis -- an admirably stalwart friend who is also my climbing partner -- took the time last year to show me some fundamentals. However, my interest in Persian food is not at all new. Most times I buy beef just so I can eat it with dried, ground sumac, which I have adored for many years now.

An über simple Persian marinade for kebabs consists of onion, garlic, oil and saffron (with a touch of salt and pepper). I let the galbi soak it up overnight. By the next day, the saffron strands had imparted a faint orange hue to the meat. After a fast fry, the meat was ready. I served it on plain rice and sprinkled sumac, of course. The meat was incredibly tender (even after reheating it for lunch the following day) and the marinade was delicious without being overpowering.