Rich, savory, fall-off-the-bone tenderness. Galbi Jjim (Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs) is all kinds of holiday-worthy deliciousness!
Every holiday table needs this Korean classic: Galbi Jjim or Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs.
Decadent, luscious sauce. Melt-in-your-mouth, tender beef. The ultimate in cozy, rich, extravagant dishes!
A delicious, one pot meal that can easily be made in your home. Wow your guests with this show stopping dish!
What is Galbi Jjim?
Galbi Jjim is a braised Korean dish that stars tender, fall-off-the-bone, thick and meaty beef short ribs. A rich sauce is made from a combination of soy sauce + garlic + onion + pear + red dates. Everything cooks down into stewy, rich deliciousness.
A classic holiday dish, Galbi Jjim is also a staple for birthdays, Christmas, and Thanksgiving.
A decadent and delicious one pot meal — Korean braised short ribs can’t help but be the star of the meal!
Ingredients:
- Beef Short Ribs. Look for thick, well-marbled, bone-in beef short ribs that are trimmed of fat.
- Korean Pear. Adds sweetness and is necessary to the overall texture.
- Onion, Garlic, Ginger. The essential aromatics.
- Daikon + Carrots. Adds flavorful heft and body to the sauce. Not the same without it!
- Dried Red Dates (Jujubes). A classic addition that adds sweetness and that special Korean flavor. Look for seedless ones.
- Soy Sauce. Do not use low sodium soy sauce! I find it makes for a flat-tasting sauce with a strange aftertaste.
- Sugar. The flavor profile of Galbi Jjim is salty-sweet. You’ll need sugar to balance out the soy sauce.
- Mirin. Korean/Japanese sweet cooking wine. When reduced, the flavor concentrates.
Instructions:
- Soak beef short ribs. Cover with cold water for at least 30-60 minutes, and up to overnight. An important step in Korean cooking to remove the excess blood from the meat. Drain and rinse well.
- Puree aromatics. In a food processor, pulse onion, Korean pear, garlic, and ginger until well pureed.
- Mix everything together. In a stockpot, add beef short ribs, pureed onion, garlic, ginger, apple/pear, soy sauce, sugar, dates, mirin, and water. Give everything a good mix.
- Cook ribs. Cover and cook until the beef short ribs are shrunken but not completely tender yet.
- Add daikon and carrot. Simmer for 30-45 more minutes.
- Reduce the sauce. UNCOVER and simmer vigorously for 15-30 more minutes. Look for thick, rich sauce that clings to the ribs.
- Serve Galbi Jjim. Great with rice and kimchi. Enjoy!
PRO Tips:
- Simmer VIGOROUSLY. To make the beef short ribs fall-apart tender, cook vigorously. It should be boiling with lots of bubbles breaking the surface but not too hard that it burns on the bottom of the pot.
- Make in advance. Korean braised beef can easily be made 1-2 days before serving. Keeps well in the fridge and reheats easily.
- Use a box grater. If you don’t have a food processor, a box grater also works well to puree/grate the onion, pear, garlic, and ginger.
- Serve with rice. You’ll need something to mop up that delicious, mouth-watering sauce!
FAQ:
What’s the difference between Galbi Jjim and LA Galbi?
Galbi Jjim and LA Galbi are both special Korean dishes made from beef ribs but they are not the same.
Galbi Jjim is a long-cooked, braised dish. Thick, chunky beef short ribs are stewed until soft and tender. The marrow in the bones also release, creating a rich, stewy, decadent sauce.
LA Galbi is quick-grilled BBQ dish. A classic at Korean BBQ — short ribs are cut thinly across the grain, marinated, then grilled.
Where can I find thick-cut Beef Short Ribs?
Look for Beef Short Ribs at Korean grocery stores (Galleria, H Mart, Paldo World). They are trimmed of fat, beautifully marbled, and very meaty.
They can also be found at Asian/Chinese Grocery stores (T & T, Food World, Ranch Market). They are a bit fatty here but the price point is very good.
From time to time, thick-cut beef ribs can also be found at typical grocery stores. No Frills, President’s Choice, Albertson’s, Safeway, Whole Foods, and even Costco. Or look for them at Boutique Butcher Shops.
Other Korean braised dishes you may love:
- Spicy Galbi Jjim (Spicy Pork Ribs)
- Dak Dori Tang (Spicy Braised Chicken)
- Instant Pot Bossam
- Kimchi Jjim (Braised Kimchi)
- My North Korean Grandmother’s Braised Pork Belly
Galbi Jjim (Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs)
Equipment
- Dutch oven or Large Stockpot
- Food Processor (or box grater)
Ingredients
- 4 lbs beef short ribs
In Food Processor:
- 1 large onion (peeled + cut into chunks)
- 1 Korean pear (peeled, cored, cut into chunks – Korean pear, Bosc pear, Bartlett pear, Fuji apple all work well)
- 8 cloves garlic (peeled)
- 2 inch ginger (peeled + cut into chunks)
In Dutch Oven:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup Mirin (Korean sweet cooking wine)
- 2 cups water
- 5 dried red dates or jujubes (I used deseeded ones), optional
- 1 lb Daikon (peeled + cut into 1-inch half moons)
- 2 Carrots (peeled + cut into large chunks)
Instructions
- Soak the beef ribs. Cover with cold water and soak for at least 30-60 minutes or up to overnight. Refrigerate if not cooking on the same day. This is an important step in Korean cooking to remove the excess blood from the meat.
- Puree aromatics. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and Korean pear to a food processor. (Or, use a box grater to grate onion, garlic, ginger, and Korean pear.)
- Mix together. Drain water and rinse short beef ribs with cold water. Add the short beef ribs back to the pot and add the pureed onion, garlic, ginger, pear/apple. Add soy sauce, sugar, dates, mirin, and water. Give everything a good stir.
- Cook. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer vigorously (covered) until the meat looks shrunken but is still bouncy, about 1 hour. The meat should not be tender yet but almost there. The braising liquid should look like it's soaked into the meat but there should be a lot of liquid in the pot.
- Add daikon and carrot. Add daikon and carrot, making sure it's submerged under the liquid. Simmer vigorously (covered) for another 30 minutes, until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone. The daikon and carrot should also be soft.
- Reduce sauce. UNCOVER and cook for 15-30 more minutes to reduce the sauce. The sauce should be thick and clinging to the ribs. Some people prefer more liquid in their sauce so feel free to reduce to your preference.
- Garnish and enjoy! Garnish with green onion. Serve with rice and kimchi.
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