A show-stopping, holiday-worthy Korean dish that everyone loves: Galbi Jjim. Also known as Korean Braised Short Ribs, it features tender, fall-off-the-bone beef short ribs braised with daikon, onion, soy sauce, garlic, and jujubes. Make in one pot and wow your guests with this mouthwatering dish.
What is Galbi Jjim or Korean Braised Beef Ribs?
Galbi Jjim, also known as Korean Braised Beef Ribs, is a very special Korean dish. It stars tender, fall-off-the-bone, beef short ribs cooked in a rich, savory sauce flavored with soy sauce, garlic, Korean pear, daikon, and jujubes.
What makes Galbi Jjim so special? The hefty price tag of the short ribs, the long cooking time, as well as special ingredients make this an indulgent dish. Rich and stewy with melt-in-your-mouth, tender beef — it’s such a delicious way to celebrate the holidays.
I grew up with Galbi Jjim on the table for all the most important holidays and life events. A classic dish, it’s a real treat when this Korean braised beef dish is served.
Spoon the rich sauce over rice. Bite into tender chunks of decadent short ribs. And don’t forget the braised daikon swimming in a sea of thick, flavorful gravy!
Ingredients:
- Beef Short Ribs. Look for thick, well-marbled, bone-in beef short ribs 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. Add beef short ribs to the stock pot and cover with cold water. Soak for about 30-60 minutes, and up to overnight, to remove the blood from the meat. Drain and rinse well.
- Make puree. In a food processor, add the onion, Korean pear, garlic, and ginger. Pulse until pureed. It should look like baby food.
- Cook. In a clean stockpot, add beef short rib. Add the pureed onion, garlic, ginger, and apple/pear mixture to the beef. Add soy sauce, sugar, dates, mirin, and water. Give everything a good mix. Cover and cook until the beef short ribs are almost tender and about 80% cooked, about 45 minutes.
- Add vegetables. Add daikon and carrot. Cover and simmer until tender, about 30-45 more minutes.
- Reduce the sauce. UNCOVER and simmer vigorously for 15-30 more minutes. The sauce should be thick, rich and clinging to the ribs in a thick gravy.
- Serve. Drizzle with sesame oil. Serve hot with 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 serves to puree the onion, pear, garlic, and ginger.
- If the sauce reduces too quickly, add more water. The consistency of the sauce should be thick and gravy-like. If it reduces too much, feel free to add more water – about 1/2 – 1 cup. Cook until you’ve reached the desired consistency.
Serve with:
Make sure to serve with rice. You’ll need something to mop up that delicious, mouth-watering sauce!
Also, serve with kimchi. Napa cabbage kimchi or Cubed Radish Kimchi are both good additions. The bright, acidic, spicy bite will balance the heavy, rich sauce and beefy flavor.
Other suggestions include:
FAQ:
What’s the difference between Galbi Jjim and LA Galbi?
What’s the difference between Galbi Jjim and Galbitang?
Galbi Jjim is a stewed beef dish with a thick, rich sauce. In contrast, Galbitang is a Korean soup with clear broth, sweet potato noodles, and daikon. They are both made with the same cut of meat — thick short ribs — but seasoned and cooked very differently.
Where can I find thick-cut Beef Short Ribs?
Several places sell beef short ribs:
- Korean markets (Galleria, H Mart, Paldo World). They are trimmed of fat, beautifully marbled, and very meaty.
- Asian/Chinese markets (T & T, Food World, Ranch Market). They are a bit fatty here but the price point is very good. They are commonly found in large, 3-rib sections; ask the butcher to cut across the bone into 3-inch sections for stewing.
- Regular grocery stores. 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.
- Boutique Butcher Shops. Look for a local, boutique-style butcher shop. The short ribs from these shops are very expensive but also very meaty, trimmed of fat, and well-marbled.
Other Korean braised dishes:
- 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
Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs (Galbi Jjim)
A show-stopping, holiday-worthy Korean dish that everyone loves: Galbi Jjim. Also known as Korean Braised Short Ribs, it features tender, fall-off-the-bone beef short ribs braised with daikon, onion, soy sauce, garlic, and jujubes. Make in one pot and wow your guests with this mouthwatering dish.
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. Add the beef ribs to a large stock pot. Cover with cold water and soak for at least 30-60 minutes or up to overnight. Refrigerate if not cooking on the same day. Right before cooking, drain water and rinse short beef ribs with cold water. This is an important step in Korean cooking to remove the excess blood from the meat.
- Make Puree. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and Korean pear to a food processor.Pulse until pureed. It should look like baby food(Or, use a box grater to grate onion, garlic, ginger, and Korean pear.)
- Cook. In a clean stockpot, add beef short ribs. Add the pureed onion, garlic, ginger, and apple/pear mixture to the beef. Add soy sauce, sugar, red dates or jujubes, mirin, and water. Give everything a good mix. Cover and cook until the beef short ribs are almost tender and about 80% cooked, about 45 minutes. The meat should look shrunken but not completely tender yet.
- Add vegetables. Add daikon and carrot, making sure they are 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 and a drizzle of sesame seed oil. Serve hot with rice and kimchi. Enjoy!
Notes
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 serves to puree the onion, pear, garlic, and ginger.
- If the sauce reduces too quickly, add more water. The consistency of the sauce should be thick and gravy-like. If it reduces too much, feel free to add more water – about 1/2 – 1 cup. Cook until you’ve reached the desired consistency.
Nutrition
Calories: 496kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 45gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 130mgSodium: 1335mgPotassium: 1157mgFiber: 3gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 3405IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 6mg
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