Paju charcoal grill for two servings of pork ribs: Jeongwon Galbi

Where to eat charcoal-grilled pork ribs in Paju: Jeongwon Galbi Paju Main Branch

Jeongwon Galbi Paju Main Branch is a newly opened charcoal pork rib spot in Paju, and a great one at that. I heard there was a new galbi place worth trying in Paju, so I went.

With charcoal-grilled pork ribs, the key to the flavor is where the heat of the charcoal meets the seasoning of the ribs — the Maillard reaction. If the charcoal is too weak, or the seasoning too heavy, that Maillard reaction won't happen properly.

The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction of amino acids discovered in 1912 by the French scientist Maillard. When amino acids meet high heat, they form brown melanoidins, which produce complex flavors and aromas.

This Jeongwon Galbi I visited had good charcoal and good-quality ribs, so it really delivered on flavor.

Pork ribs at 16,800 won a serving: ordering two servings

This is two servings of pork ribs. At ₩16,800 per serving, it's great value, and it's domestic pork.

There's also a lunch menu available on weekdays, so it seems pretty accessible.

The restaurant is quite spacious.

Direct-flame charcoal grilling is the key to the pork rib flavor.

The prices are really good.

This is the menu I ordered.

It was good enough that I got curious about the other menu items too.

Maybe because it's newly opened, the place was spotless.

Charcoal heat and the side dish lineup at Jeongwon Galbi

The charcoal at Jeongwon Galbi had really great heat and quality. That, in the end, is the key to everything.

The seasoning and portion of the pork ribs were excellent.

These are properly seasoned ribs.

The side dishes come out really well.

It puts you in a good mood.

How to grill pork ribs properly

The seasoned pork ribs at Jeongwon Galbi need to be grilled carefully so they don't burn.

If you flip them often to let the Maillard reaction develop properly, you can really taste the difference.

These are truly well-grilled pork ribs. The flavor was excellent. The juices inside were well preserved while the outside browned nicely with a Maillard reaction, giving that crispy-outside-juicy-inside texture along with the varied, complex flavors and aromas of the melanoidins.

Back to Jeongwon Galbi the next day with my mother-in-law

I think I've found a proper galbi place. In fact, as I write this, I went back again just yesterday and took my dear mother-in-law along for a meal.

I think a good restaurant is one that makes you want to go back once or twice more!

Useful info: where charcoal-grilled pork ribs came from

Pork ribs were originally a dish sold as bar food at various Seoul drinking spots, but it wasn't until after the 1970s, when dedicated restaurants appeared, that they began winning over Seoul residents. This period coincided with the start of large-scale pig farming, and ordinary people opened up a family dining-out culture by gnawing on relatively cheap pork ribs. Through the rapid growth years of the 1980s and 90s, pork ribs became established as a signature dining-out dish for Seoul residents.

Interestingly, some accounts say a racetrack was part of how pork rib alleys formed. In Seongsu-dong, Seoul, the owner of the original galbi restaurant that opened in 1975 says the alley formed as customers stopping by the racetrack came in to fill up on food. Originally, 'galbi' referred to beef ribs, but as it became popularized, the meaning expanded to include pork and chicken ribs too.

3 secrets behind the flavor

• The smoky aroma and Maillard reaction from charcoal — grilling meat over high-heat charcoal triggers the Maillard reaction, where amino acids and sugars in the meat combine, turning the surface brown. Discovered in 1912 by French scientist Louis-Camille Maillard, this chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars produces brown compounds (melanoidins) that create a range of flavors and aromas. Add the smoky compounds from the charcoal itself, and you get that distinctive smoky-fire flavor you can't get from a gas burner or frying pan.
• The balance of the marinade — a soy-sauce base with pear, onion, garlic and other fruit and vegetable juices creates the essential sweet-and-salty seasoning. When the sugars meet the intense heat of the charcoal, the outside caramelizes slightly while the inside stays moist — considered the benchmark of good pork ribs.
• Trimming and thickness — flattening the meat attached to the bone so the seasoning soaks in evenly, then finishing on the charcoal after a pre-grill, is known as the technique for locking in juices while making the outside crisp.