Hey everyone! It’s Kevin here today, with a mouthwatering recipe for galbijjim (Korean braised beef short ribs).

I was introduced to this dish by Sierra because this is one of her favorite dishes. She promised me that after trying it, galbijjim would definitely become my favorite Korean dish as well. I am happy to report that her prediction came true! The tender, falling-off-the-bone meat explodes with flavor in your mouth, and it’s just an amazing experience. Because it is braised, galbijjim does need to cook for a pretty long time, but I promise, it is well worth the wait!

What is Galbijjim?

Galbijjim is a popular Korean dish made by braising beef short ribs until the meat is so tender that it is falling off of the bones. “Galbi” means ribs and “jjim” is a way of cooking meat by steaming or boiling it (almost like a stew).

I love eating braised meats because they are always so tender and just melt in your mouth. It’s exactly the same with galbijjim, with each bite of meat being so soft and tender and filled with amazing flavor.

Speaking of the flavor, the sauce is hard to describe. It’s both sweet and savory, but it’s also so much more than that. The sweetness is complex, coming from many different sources like apple, onions, sugar, and mirin. After simmering for 2 hours, the flavors meld together, creating a new incomparable experience.

Galbijjim is usually cooked with a variety of vegetables. In addition to the potatoes, carrots, and Korean radish which I used, it is also common to add shiitake mushrooms. You can also add chestnuts, ginkgo nuts, and dried dates (jujube) to galbijjim. I decided to forgo these in favor of simplicity, but feel free to try them out!

Tips For Making The Perfect Galbijjim

It all starts with the quality of the ribs. Try to get ribs that are well-marbled and have small muscle fibers. The more individual small muscles you can see, the more tender the end result will be. I tried this recipe with short ribs that were leaner, and while it still tasted great, it was a bit tough (although cooking it for even longer could probably have helped that).

Galbijjim (Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs) Recipe — Marbled short ribs

Make sure to let the ribs sit in cold water for 30 minutes before you start in order to draw out any excess blood from the meat and bones. While this step is technically optional, it will definitely improve the final taste of the galbijjim. Even better, swap the water every 10 minutes once the water is looking red.

If you don’t have time to make the recipe from start to finish, you can take a break after making the broth and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. Not only does this help break the recipe into two parts, it also makes it really easy to remove the fat from the broth because it will rise to the top and solidify in the fridge. You’ll be able to easily scrape off the fat in the morning with a spoon.

You can play around with how long you braise the ribs for. Simmering for longer on lower heat will yield more tender meat, while as you can reduce the braising time by cooking on higher heat. Be aware though that the tenderness of the meat will be proportional to how long you cook for, so it is definitely worth waiting if you have the time!

My mouth is watering again just writing this recipe, so let’s get started on this authentic melt-in-your-mouth galbijjim!

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Galbijjim (Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs)

5 from 2 votes

Recipe by Kevin Lee Course: Main CourseCuisine: KoreanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

hour

Cooking time

hour

minutes

This galbijjim (Korean braised beef short ribs) is so tender that it melts in your mouth and explodes with flavor. If you’ve never had this popular Korean dish, you have to try it!

Ingredients

Broth
3 pounds short ribs (bone in, cut into approx. 2-3 inch long pieces)
1/2 white onion
3 slices ginger
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
6 cups water
Braising Sauce
3/4 apple (grated; or 1/2 Korean pear)
1/2 white onion (grated)
1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
3 tablespoons sugar
2 cloves garlic (minced)
Freshly ground black pepper
Vegetables
1 potato
1 small Korean radish (or Daikon radish)
1 large carrot
2 scallions (for garnish)
Equipment
Large bowls
Large pot with lid (preferably dutch oven)
Grater

Directions

Trim excess fat off of the meat. In a large bowl, place the short ribs and fill with cold water to draw out excess blood from the meat. Let sit for about 30 minutes, switching the water every 10 minutes
In a large pot, add onion, garlic, ginger, and water, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the short ribs and boil for 10 minutes, skimming off any foam that forms on the surface
Remove ribs from broth and set aside. Pour the broth through a strainer into a bowl to remove the solids. Place the broth into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to let the fat rise to the surface
In the meantime, prepare the braising sauce. Start by grating the apple, onion, and ginger into a bowl, then add the remaining sauce ingredients and mix well until the sugar fully dissolves
After the broth has been in the fridge for 30 minutes, you should see a layer of fat starting to form on the surface. Do your best and use a spoon to skim off this layer of fat. (Alternatively, you can pause at this step and leave the broth overnight in the fridge. This will ensure that the fat solidifies in a layer at the top of the broth, making it extremely easy to remove)
Place the ribs and braising liquid back into the large pot and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, flipping the ribs a few times
Pour the broth in and cover the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes
In the meantime, prepare the vegetables. Cut the potato, radish, and carrots into 1 inch pieces
After 45 minutes, add the prepared radish and carrots to the pot. Make sure that they are mostly submerged in the liquid. After cooking for another 10 minutes, add the potatoes. Cook covered for another 20 minutes
At this point, the rib meat should be extremely tender. You’ll know it’s ready when you can easily pierce the meat with a chopstick. If you want the meat to be more tender, keep cooking covered until it reaches the desired tenderness
Remove the lid and raise the heat back to medium. Cook for about 20 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and thickened to your liking. Remove from pot and serve immediately. Enjoy!