Korea · 2 h · Meat · Main course · For confident cooks
Galbijjim
In German: Geschmorte Rinderrippchen · In English: Braised Beef Short Ribs
For 4 servings · US units
Soy-braised beef short ribs with radish, carrot and shiitake
Galbijjim is the Korean braise built around beef short ribs — galbi is the Korean word for the ribs themselves. Grated pear, onion, garlic and ginger tenderize the meat and give the soy braising liquid its gentle sweetness, while big chunks of radish, carrot and shiitake soak up everything around them. One pot, a long stretch of hands-off time, and at the end meat that slides off the bone, with rice alongside.
Ingredients
- 3½ lbEnglish cut (galbi), excess fat trimmed, soakedMeaty bone-in pieces of beef rib, well marbled and rich in connective tissue.Substitute: For braising, beef cheek or oxtail work well and turn similarly succulent and gelatinous. For grilling, thinly sliced rib-eye or sirloin can be used, but without the bone and with less fat.Read more
- 7¾ ozcut into large chunks, braised alongKorean radish, shorter and stouter than Japanese daikon, with a greenish shoulder — firm, juicy, mildly peppery and slightly sweet.Substitute: Daikon or ordinary white radish work well; they are more watery and softer, cook faster and release more liquid in kimchi, so shorten cooking times and drain more thoroughly after salting.Read more
- 1Carrotcut into large chunks
- 4dried, briefly soaked and quarteredCaution: Eaten raw or only briefly heated, shiitake can cause an itchy, streak-like skin rash in some people, so they should always be cooked through.East Asian mushrooms with a brown cap, used fresh or dried, with a strong, savoury flavour.Substitute: Fresh shiitake can be replaced with chestnut mushrooms or king oyster mushrooms, which taste milder. Dried shiitake have no true equivalent; dried porcini also add depth but taste noticeably different, nuttier and less smoky-savoury.Read more
- 1grated or blended, sweetens and tenderizes; apple as substituteA round, very juicy pear with crisp, slightly grainy flesh like an apple, mildly sweet.Substitute: A firm, juicy pear or a sweet, crisp apple. Raw, both are softer or more tart and less watery-fresh; in meat marinades they tenderise less than an Asian pear does.Read more
- 1Oniongrated or blended for the braising liquid
- 7 clovesGarlicblended or finely minced
- ⅓ ozGingerthumb-sized piece, blended or sliced
- ½ cupSoy saucebase of the braising liquid
- ⅓ cupmirin or dry white wine as substituteA clear, mild wine made from fermented rice, used in Korean cooking mainly for marinades and to tame fishy smells.Substitute: Dry sherry or a dry white wine come closest, though they taste a little fruitier. If you use Japanese mirin the dish turns sweeter, so cut back slightly on the sugar in the recipe.Read more
- 2 tbspSugarfor sweetness in the braising liquid
- 3 tbsphoneypartly replacing the sugar
- 1 tbspstirred in at the endDark oil pressed from toasted sesame seeds, with a strong, nutty, roasted aroma; usually added at the end in small amounts as a seasoning.Substitute: There is no real substitute, as no other oil carries the roasted aroma; at a pinch, a neutral oil with freshly pan-toasted, crushed sesame seeds helps, though the flavour stays clearly weaker.Read more
- Black pepperto taste
- 2Scallionsroughly chopped, stirred in and as garnish
- Sesame seedsfor sprinkling (optional)
- 3 tbspfor the spicy version (optional)Korean chili flakes made from sun-dried red chilies, ground coarse or fine. Bright red, fruity, mild to medium hot and slightly smoky.Substitute: The closest match is Aleppo pepper (pul biber) from a Turkish grocery, which is similarly fruity and mild but oilier, often salted and slightly tangier. In a pinch, mix sweet paprika with a little cayenne; this roughly matches colour and heat but not the fruitiness or texture. Ordinary crushed red pepper flakes are too hot to use in the usual quantities.Read more
- 2 tbspfor the spicy version (optional)Korean chili paste made from glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, chili powder and salt, thick, hot, salty and faintly sweet.Substitute: There is no real substitute, because the fermented depth and the sticky sweetness together carry the dish. As a stopgap, light miso paste stirred with Korean chili powder or other mild chili flakes and a little honey or sugar roughly matches the salt, heat and sweetness, but tastes flatter and less rounded. Chili sauces such as sriracha are too thin and too sour and change the dish noticeably.Read more
- 6Chestnutspeeled, added towards the end (optional)
Method
- Prepare the ribsTrim the thick layer of fat from the English-cut short ribs. Soak the ribs in cold water for about 30 minutes to draw out the blood, then rinse and drain. Alternatively, bring the ribs briefly to a boil in water or pressure-cook them for 2 minutes, discard the cooking water and rinse both the ribs and the pot.
- Blend the braising liquidBlend or grate the Asian pear, onion, garlic and ginger. Stir the purée together with the soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, honey and black pepper to make the braising liquid.
- Add mushrooms and vegetablesSoak the dried shiitake briefly and quarter them. Cut the Korean radish and carrot into large chunks and add them to the pot with the mushrooms and the ribs.
- Pour in the liquidPour in the braising liquid and mix everything well so the ribs are coated all over.
- Braise the ribsCook covered: about 35–40 minutes under pressure, then let the pressure release naturally for 10–15 minutes. Alternatively, in a slow cooker, cook 6–7 hours on high or 9–10 hours on low, turning the ribs in between.
- Strain and skim the sauceLift out the meat and vegetables, strain the braising liquid and skim off the fat.
- Finish the saucePour the strained sauce back into the pot and bring it back up to a simmer. Stir in half of the scallions and the sesame oil, then spoon the hot sauce over the ribs.
- Garnish and serveScatter with the rest of the scallions and, if you like, sesame seeds, and serve with rice.
Tips and variations
For the spicy version, stir gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) and gochujang into the braising liquid along with the soy sauce — that turns the mild braise into a fiery one. Towards the end you can cook chestnuts, potatoes or rice cakes (tteok) along with everything else. If you can't get hold of radish or shiitake, simply leave them out. Instead of plain cold water, the ribs can also be soaked in sugar water. Without a pressure cooker or slow cooker, sear the ribs, sweat the vegetables, deglaze and braise in the oven at 160 °C for 1.5 hours covered plus 30 minutes uncovered. A pork version swaps the beef short ribs for pork ribs and seasons them with apple, apple juice, chili flakes, rosemary and sage. Handy if you cook ahead: chill the sauce until the fat sets, lift it off and reheat — then serve with a bowl of rice.
Allergens
Contains: Cereals containing gluten, Sesame, Soybeans, Sulphur dioxide and sulphites
These notes follow from this recipe's ingredient list. Ready-made products and brands may contain further allergens — please check the packaging yourself.
Something not right?
This recipe was put together from independent sources and checked before publishing. Even so, a mistake can slip through — an amount that does not add up, a step that does not work as written. If you spot something, write to us: we will look into it and put it right.
