Galbi Jjim – Korean Braised Short Ribs.
This is mom’s specialty!
Every Christmas, she is whipping up an extra large pot of these Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs.
As the Galbi Jjim simmers and reduces, the savory aroma permeates through the house, and everyone slowly starts to lose their focus.
Today, I want to share with you how to make this incredible dish!
It does require an overnight of marinating (some patience required!) but the cooking steps are straightforward.
The balance of flavors in this marinade is spot-on! Salty, Savory, Slightly-Sweet.
You know you achieved balance… when you wouldn’t mind just eating the leftover sauce straight, drizzled over some rice.
Dare-I-Say, the best Galbi Jjim recipe on the internet?!🕺
Note: We are using Korean Pears in our recipe. It adds sweetness to the marinade while also tenderizing the meat.
But if you don’t have Korea Pears, use kiwis. Kiwi – like Korean Pears – contain enzymes that break down the collagen in meat, while adding a slight amount of sweetness.
(We recommend using 4 whole Kiwis as a substitute for ½ a whole Korean Pear).
Cooking notes:
Leave the meat to marinate for 1 whole day. The minimum is 12 hours (overnight) – so the marinade can penetrate the meat
Before adding-in the vegetables, poke the simmering meat pieces with a chopstick.
It should go through with some effort. However -if the meat is very firm - let it boil away for longer until it gets more tender.
Make sure to boil the meat with a lid-on – without it, the broth will evaporate away too quickly.
Towards the end of the cooking process, if the meat is still not tender enough and there is little sauce left, don’t be afraid to add in more water and continue to let it boil. The flavor will still taste great!
If you have a pressure cooker, use it! It will reduce the cooking process by half.
This will make enough portions for 2 people.
Test out the recipe and tweak to your preference. Then double up the ingredients and make it for the whole family!
Bon Appetit Neighbors! 🕺😛 This one is an incredible dish!!
-Dan-yul out ⛵️
Ingredients
- 800-900 grams Beef Short Ribs
- Handful of Korean Radish
- 1 whole Carrot
- 3 stalks Spring Onion Each, forearm-sized piece
- 5 Shiitake Mushrooms
- 1 cup Water
Beef Short Ribs Marinade
- ½ a whole Korean Pear (Or use 4 Kiwis)
- ½ whole Onion
- 6 cloves of Garlic
- 10 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce
- 10 Tablespoons of Mirim (or Rice Wine) (Or use any white cooking wine)
- 1 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Honey (Or use Oligodang Syrup, Corn Syrup, Mulyeot)
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 1 teaspoon (!) Minced Ginger
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 6-8 cracks of Black Pepper
Instructions
Prep Meat
- Soak the short ribs in cold water for 3-4 hours. Once every hour, replace this water with fresh water.
Prep Fresh Ingredients & Make Marinade
- While you wait, let's prep the fresh ingredients: Cut a Korean Pear in half (we'll use only half of it) and peel it. Then cut and peel ½ a whole onion. Set aside 6 cloves of garlic.
- Take out a blender. Throw in the Korea Pear, Onion and Garlic. Then, add in the other ingredients: Soy Sauce (10 Tablespoons), Mirim (10 Tablespoons), Oyster Sauce (1 Tablespoon), Honey (2 Tablespoons), Sugar (2 Tablespoons), Minced Ginger (1 teaspoon!), Sesame Oil (1 Tablespoon) and Black Pepper (8 shakes). Give it a good mix with the blender.
Blanche & Marinade Meat
- After 3 hours of soaking, drain the water from the short ribs. Next, fill a pot with water. Bring it up to boil first. Then place each meat piece into the pot and set a timer for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, drain the water and give each short rib one final rinse under running water. Let it sit in a strainer and drip-off excess water.
- Take out a mixing bowl. Place-in the blanched short ribs and cover them with the marinade sauce. Next, cover the mixing bowl with aluminium foil. Place in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours (or overnight). For the best flavor... leave in the refrigerator to marinate for 24 hours.
Prep Ingredients & Cook short ribs
- The next day, take out a large pot (that has a matching lid!). Place-in the short ribs, along with all of the marinade. Then add-in 1 cup of water. Bring the pot up to boil. Once it starts to boil, use a soup ladle and skim the scum off the top. Now, place the lid-on and let it boil away on medium-high heat for 25-30 minutes.
- While you wait, prep fresh ingredients: Cut Korean Radish and carrots into large chunks. (Optional step: Round-out the edges of the veggies as shown in video). Cut Shiitake Mushrooms in half. Chop Spring Onion stalks at a slight slant.
- After 25-30 minutes, open the lid. Use a chopstick and poke the meat to see if it goes through. If it's very firm, please reduce for a bit longer (ok to add a bit of more water).
- Next, add-in the Korean Radish and Carrot chunks. Gently stir it into the broth. Place the lid back on and allow it to reduce on medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
- After 10-15 minutes, check to see if the carrots have turned soft. If so, add in the mushrooms. Give it another 5 minutes to reduce. (Note: If you're broth has reduced too much, simply add-in some more water).
- Give a final poke of the meat and ingredients. Check to see if they are all tender. If they aren't - simply put the lid back on and let it reduce for longer. (Note: If you're broth has reduced too much, simply add-in some more water).
- Turn off the heat and plate. Serve with a bowl of hot rice! Bon Appetit!
Lyn Santos says
Can I use american/bosc pear instead of Korean pear?
Madam Lee says
I am in love with this recipe ! This is my absolute go-to recipe when it comes to 갈비찜. The sweet and savory aroma that fills the house is intoxicating ! I can’t tell you how many times I cook this in a year.
Although it’s been years since I first stumbled across it, I just really wanted to express my gratitude.
Thank you for sharing !!
Note:
I sometimes don’t use mushrooms, but instead add a few dates and boiled eggs.
Al May says
This is my go to Galbi Jjim recipe. I've made it 3 times now. I made it recently for a family dinner and it was such a hit. I love how the meat is marinated overnight.
The only thing I do differently, is add roasted chestnuts in mine.
Aimee Ravelo says
Daniel and Katie, this recipe is so delicious! The sauce/stew was just so deep and delicious. It's my kind of special dish. <3
The only hitch I experienced was the kind of meat the grocery gave in place of short ribs (they ran out of stock). They gave me beef shank instead which made the dish a little oily. 🙁
Would you have any tips how to reduce the oil from the stew? Would love to know your thoughts!
Daniel Oh says
Oh yes, beef shank has much more fat content! Hmm, you can try skimming the surface of the fat - after bringing it up to boil? Alternatively, placing the pot in the refrigerator and the fat should clump up on the surface.
Juliette says
Love this recipe!!! Been looking for a recipe for galbi JJim that’s doable and not to intimidating. The best thing about this recipe is that the dish always turns out soo delicious. Thanks for sharing!
gia-ann says
hi! i recently had this same dish except that it was spicy from a korean restaurant in LA Ktown! i’m looking to make it for my family for thanksgiving, so my question is how would you make this dish spicy? would you use gochugaru or gochujang, or something else? i use your recipes literally all the time, so thank you 🙂
Heidi Guerra says
I think gochukaru will be fine. Start with 2-3 tbsp and add depending on your spice level preference.
Conor McDavid says
This recipe was absolutely fantastic! I used a little more meat, and swapped the radish out for sweet potato! My Korean friend told me it was as good as his grandma's back home! This is a must-make dish, I was extremely happy with it! I guess I am gonna have to make this next week. 😉
Dan-yul says
Oh Conor - happy that you found success with it! Your comment has brought me back to this recipe - I think I will make it for dinner this week as well!
Kate says
From the Chicagoland area...my family really loves this recipe. I’ve made a few variations including Maangchi’s and I have to say this is tastier. Really appreciate your YouTube channel and recipes...please keep them coming! You and your wife are so approachable and enjoyable to listen to. Thanks for speeding Korean love all around the world.
Dan-yul says
Greetings from Seoul! I used to go to school near Chicago. Making me miss the Summers in the city! Heh, glad that you're enjoying the recipes. Let us continue to cook together!
Lyndsey says
Amazing and easier to follow than I imagined! All the wait is worth it!! Thanks you thank you
Helen says
I’m super excited to try this out! Your video absolutely sold me on choosing your recipe. I had all this saliva gathered in my mouth by the end of it!
Galbi jjim was one of my go-tos when we used to visit our favorite Korean joint. And now that we’re confined, I miss it so!
Just one question, any reason why you throw out the liquid where you blanch the ribs rather than cleaning out the hunk & using it instead of water the next day?
Ashley says
I made this and WOW WOW so good. I think next time i'll make with oxtail!
Dan-yul says
Ah - im so happy that you like it! If you make it with oxtails... send some over to Korea! Sounds fantastic 🙂
BANDIT VON JAVA says
I tried this recipe 3 days ago, n M...Mm...Mmm...MMmm...MMmmm...it's finger-lickin' good. Absolutely to die for. Being under house quarantine is the perfect time to try an elaborate recipe like this. I saw other recipe online that uses red apple instead of korean pear, can I sub that for korean pear in this recipe? Gamsa hamnida