Rich, savory, fall-off-the-bone tenderness. Galbi Jjim aka Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs is a decadent, holiday-worthy recipe that’s all kinds of comfort!
I grew up eating Galbi Jjim, Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs.
Galbi Jjim was holiday food. Not for everyday. But for birthdays, Christmas, and Thanksgiving. And when special friends came over for dinner.
Decadent, luscious sauce. Melt-in-your-mouth, tender beef. Yes, this recipe was reserved for the most special of occasions.
And now, you can make it at home!
What is Galbi Jjim?
Galbi Jjim is Korean braised beef short ribs. Out of all the dishes in the Korean family of braised, stewed dishes — Galbi Jjim stands out as special, holiday food.
Thick and meaty beef short ribs are braised in pureed onion, pear, garlic, and soy sauce. The result: tender chunks of beef that fall off the bone! Luscious sauce with stewed daikon and red dates make this dish truly special!
All that braised deliciousness is perfect for cold weather. Cozy, luscious, rich decadence!
And this one-pot recipe couldn’t be easier.
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 the difference lies in the way they’re butchered and cooked.
Galbi Jjim is braised over a long time. 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. A Korean American innovation, beef short ribs are cut thinly across the grain. LA GAlbi is easy and quick to BBQ.
Ingredients:
- Beef Short Ribs. Look for thick, well-marbled, bone-in beef short ribs that are trimmed of fat.
- Pear. Adds sweetness and 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.
- Soy Sauce. For this recipe, do not use low sodium soy sauce. I find it makes for a flat-tasting sauce with a strange metallic aftertaste.
- Sugar. The flavor profile of Galbi Jjim is salty-sweet. You’ll need sugar to balance out the soy sauce.
- Mirin. Korean sweet cooking wine. When reduced, the flavor concentrates.
Where can I find Beef Short Ribs?
If you’ve ever made French Short Ribs with Red Wine, these are the same ribs needed for Korean Braised Beef Ribs. Look for thick, meaty ribs with even marbling.
There are 4 places where you can purchase beef short ribs for this Galbi Jjim recipe:
- Korean Grocery Store (Galleria, H Mart, Paldo World)
- Asian/Chinese Grocery Store (T & T, Food World, Ranch Market)
- Local Grocery Store (No Frills, President’s Choice, Albertson’s, Safeway, Whole Foods)
- Boutique Butcher Shop (the fancy one that’s not a chain)
- Costco
Look for bone-in, well-marbled, thick cuts of beef short rib that are trimmed of fat.
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
How to Make Galbi Jjim (aka Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs):
First, soak the beef short ribs in cold water for 30-60 minutes. This is an important step in Korean cooking to remove the the excess blood from the meat.
Drain and rinse well. Add pureed onion, garlic, ginger, apple or pear. Add soy sauce, sugar, dates, mirin and water. Give it a good stir.
Bring to a boil then lower heat. Cover and simmer vigorously until the meat looks shrunken but is still bouncy. Not done yet, but almost there.
Add daikon and carrot. Simmer vigorously (covered) 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 hot with rice and kimchi. Enjoy!
Galbi Jjim aka Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs
Equipment
- Dutch oven or Large Stockpot
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 4 lbs beef short ribs
In Food Processor:
- 1 large onion (peeled + cut into chunks)
- 1 pear or apple (large) (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
- First, soak the beef ribs in cold water for 30 minutes. This is an important step in Korean cooking to remove the the excess blood from the meat.
- Meanwhile, puree the onion, garlic, ginger, pear or apple in a food processor. (Alternately, you can mince the garlic and ginger and grate the onion and pear/apple on a box grater.)
- Drain water and rinse short beef ribs well. 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 direclty on top. Give it a good stir.
- Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat 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. Simmer vigorously (covered) for another 30-45 minutes, until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone. The daikon and carrot should also be soft.
- UNCOVER and simmer vigorously 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 with green onion. Serve hot with rice and kimchi.
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