Korean Braised Short Ribs (Galbi Jjim) Recipe | The Subversive Table (2024)

By Lis LamDifficulty Medium

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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.

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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!

Korean Braised Short Ribs (Galbi Jjim) Recipe | The Subversive Table (2)

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.
Korean Braised Short Ribs (Galbi Jjim) Recipe | The Subversive Table (3)

Instructions:

  1. 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.
  2. Make puree. In a food processor, add the onion, Korean pear, garlic, and ginger. Pulse until pureed. It should look like baby food.
  3. 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.
  4. Add vegetables. Add daikon and carrot. Cover and simmer until tender, about 30-45 more minutes.
  5. 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.
  6. Serve. Drizzle with sesame oil. Serve hot with with rice and kimchi. Enjoy!
Korean Braised Short Ribs (Galbi Jjim) Recipe | The Subversive Table (4)
Korean Braised Short Ribs (Galbi Jjim) Recipe | The Subversive Table (5)
Korean Braised Short Ribs (Galbi Jjim) Recipe | The Subversive Table (6)
Korean Braised Short Ribs (Galbi Jjim) Recipe | The Subversive Table (7)
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Korean Braised Short Ribs (Galbi Jjim) Recipe | The Subversive Table (9)

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:

  • Korean Romaine Lettuce Salad
  • Korean Cucumber Salad
  • Wakame Seaweed Salad
Korean Braised Short Ribs (Galbi Jjim) Recipe | The Subversive Table (10)

FAQ:

What’s the difference between Galbi Jjim and LA Galbi?

Both Galbi Jjim and LA Galbi are Korean dishes made from beef ribs. However, Galbi Jjim is made from thick-cut beef ribs cooked for a long time until rich, stewy, and tender. By contrast, LA Galbi is a quick-grilled BBQ dish made from thinly sliced short ribs, cut across the grain.

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.
Korean Braised Short Ribs (Galbi Jjim) Recipe | The Subversive Table (11)

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 Short Ribs (Galbi Jjim) Recipe | The Subversive Table (12)

Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs (Galbi Jjim)

The Subversive Table | Lis Lam

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.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Soaking in Cold Water 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Korean

Servings 6

Calories 496 kcal

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

Keyword Beef Short Ribs, Braised, Galbi Jjim

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All Recipes, Beef, Braised, Dinner with Friends, Holiday, Korean, Main, Potluck

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Korean Braised Short Ribs (Galbi Jjim) Recipe | The Subversive Table (2024)

FAQs

Korean Braised Short Ribs (Galbi Jjim) Recipe | The Subversive Table? ›

As galbijjim is usually made from only the center part of ribs from a calf while the rib ends used to make soup stock, galbi was more expensive than other cuts of beef in South Korea, and has been regarded as a high-class dish.

Why is Galbi so expensive? ›

As galbijjim is usually made from only the center part of ribs from a calf while the rib ends used to make soup stock, galbi was more expensive than other cuts of beef in South Korea, and has been regarded as a high-class dish.

How do you cook Trader Joe's Korean short ribs? ›

These nicely marinaded pieces of marbled short rib just need to be pulled out of the bag and placed is an air fryer at 425 for about 12 minutes, flipping mid way. Out comes some tender sweet savory crusty marbled tasty short ribs.

What is the difference between kalbi and Galbi? ›

The most well-known meat is the steak. If boneless, it is known as bulgogi. If it's on the bone, it's known as kalbi or galbi. The two transliterations - kalbi and galbi – can be used interchangeably.

What is the difference between galbijjim and Galbitang? ›

Both are savory stews. Galbitang is a little lighter, with more vegetables and the glass noodles, whereas galbijjim is all comfort and the focus is squarely on the short ribs.

What do Koreans eat with galbi? ›

Serve the kalbi with a bunch of butter lettuce leaves, Simple Cauliflower Rice, banchan (i.e., vegetable side dishes like Korean Cucumber Salad and Korean Spinach Side Dish), kimchi—and have everyone assemble their own lettuce wraps! Love these flavors?

What is the difference between bulgogi and galbi? ›

It's What's For Dinner., on behalf of the Beef Checkoff. This recipe showcases the difference between two popular Korean bbq methods. The difference between bulgogi and Kalbi is that one uses Short Rib, and one uses Ribeye, both using basically the same marinade and grilled over fire.

Can I overcook braised short ribs? ›

Don't Overcook the Beef.

Believe it or not, it is possible to braise short ribs for too long. While you want the short ribs to be fall-apart tender, cooking them too long will result in ribs that are mushy. There's a fine line, but it is there.

What is the difference between Korean Short Ribs and regular short ribs? ›

Unlike American and European-style short ribs, which include a thick slice of bone-in beef, Korean-style short ribs are cut lengthwise across the rib bones. The result is a thin strip of meat, about 8 to10 inches in length, lined on 1 side with 1/2-inch thick rib bones.

How do you know when braised short ribs are done? ›

Using a leave-in probe thermometer like ChefAlarm® will help us know when to take the meat from the oven. Ribs like these won't be done until they hit a temperature of about 203°F (95°C), so stick the probe into the thickest part of the largest rib and set the high-temp alarm.

What side dishes go with Korean short ribs? ›

Braised potatoes, pickled daikon, kimchi, spicy cucumbers, quail eggs, marinated bean sprouts. The list goes on and on because they really bring you out UNLIMITED bowls of banchan to go with your meal.

Is Galbi healthy? ›

Galbi is a relatively lean dish, meaning it is not fattening to anyone who tries it. Korean dishes are usually quite healthy, but there is some concern about Galbi containing 67% fat. In addition, it contains about 18% carbohydrates and 15% protein.

What is a Galbi in slang? ›

“albi" or “Qalbi" in arabic “قلبي" means “my heart", bc “alb, قلب" means “heart" and the “I" in the end is an Ownership, it's used when you wanna compliment someone you love, in this case you'll say “ya Qalbi" which means “hey! My heart", sometimes it's used in arguments .

Why is galbi expensive? ›

The main feat why it is so expensive is because of the excellent marbling it has.

What does galbi mean in English? ›

"Galbi" is the Korean word for "rib", and the dish is usually made with beef short ribs. When pork spare ribs or another meat is used instead, the dish is named accordingly.

What can I use instead of mirin for galbi? ›

If you do not have mirin, you can substitute it with any sweet cooking wine. Sake. Sake is a Japanese alcoholic beverage. While it is a common drink you pair with sushi and lightly fried dishes, it also goes well as an ingredient in any soy-based dishes.

How much does galbi cost in Korea? ›

Galbi dinner costs anywhere from 25,000 to 60,000 won. Street food items vary from snack items that are 2,000 to 3,000 won for ddokbokki and 500 won a piece for fried squid.

What cut of ribs are most expensive? ›

Baby back ribs are what's left leading to the spine after the spare ribs have been cut. These ribs are the most expensive and tend to be the most tender and least fatty. Country style ribs are meaty ribs and often come from the sirloin or butt of the pig.

What is the difference between regular galbi and LA galbi? ›

Traditionally, galbi is cut to expose one smooth bone along the short edge with the meat uniformly filleted in flat layers. An alternative cut, "LA galbi", also known as a flanken cut, features cut bones peeking out along the long edge.

How many pounds of galbi per person? ›

How much Kalbi (Galbi) should you make per person? You should plan on ½ – ¾ pound per person, more if you have some BBQ lovers because much of the portion is going to be discarded as bone or connective tissue. When planning for larger eaters you can actually do 1 pound per person.

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