Korean inspired Galbi-jjim 갈비찜 – Braised Beef Short Ribs

I’ve been having korean food cravings lately. To satisfy my brain and tummy, here is my inspired take on Galbi-jjim- korean braised beef ribs. It is so delicious and tender. When I was pregnant with Elsie, I would constantly crave for Korean food, especially ramen and spicy food. At some point, I had to control myself. It was an extremely wonderful time – while it lasted. Making this dish with 3 pounds of rib meat, I added many more (optional) ingredients as shown in the picture below. After this, I came up with a more manageable amount using just 1 pound of meat, and it was a lot easier to cook and prep. Anywho, here’s to Korean food!

Time – 1 Day (marinating) // 4 hours

Ingredients

1 pound beef short ribs (about 5-6 pieces)

3 small potatoes (any kind of potatoes you like)

1/2 onion

3 medium sized mushrooms (1 pack of enoki mushrooms works too)

1/3 korean radish (daikon can be used)

4 baby carrots (optional, I used it for my first batch, but I ran out of carrots the second time around so I didn’t use it)

5 garlic cloves (minced)

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tbp mirin (optional)

1 tbp honey

1 tsp sesame oil

3 cups broth (chicken or beef bone broth works well)

1 piece of ginger (about 1/2 tbp minced)

1 stalk green oinon

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 dried dates (optional)

1/2 tbp goji berries (optional)

Before cooking, let’s prep the meat. Fill a large pot halfway with water, and bring to a boil. Place the ribs inside and blanche/boil for about 1-2 minute. Then pour out the water, wash and clean the ribs to remove any residue with cold water. Wash and rinse 3 times. Then place the ribs back into the pot with cold water to soak for 30 minutes. When the time is up, pour out the water and rinse 3 more times with cold water.

Get ready to marinate the meat overnight or for about 12 hours. This will help flavor and tenderize it more. I would highly recommend it if you have the time to wait. First, place the ribs into a large bowl for marinating. The meat packet came with 3 pounds, which I separated into different containers of about 1 pound each or 5-6 pieces. You can save the other 2 pounds for later, or feel free to make it all together, just triple the measurements.

Pour 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 2 tbp mirin, 1 tsp sesame oil into the meat pot. I used the same pot to marinate to save time transferring the meat.

Add in 1/2 onion (chopped), 1 tbp honey, 2 dates and 1/2 tbp goji berries (washed), 5 cloves of garlic (minced), 1/2 tbp of ginger (minced), and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Give it a good mix and cover the pot. Place it in the fridge.

The next day, take the ribs out, give it a good mix, and pour 3 cups of broth into the pot. Cook at high heat until boiling, then reduce to low heat.

While the ribs are cooking, cut up 3 potatoes into quarters, 1/3 of a korean radish chopped into cubes, 3 medium sized mushrooms cut into quarters. If you are using enoki mushrooms, cut the dirt ends off, wash, and cut in half. If you add carrots, slice them into small pieces. Wash 1 stalk of green onion and cut into 4 sections and add them in. Place all these ingredients into the same pot as the ribs.

Place the lid on the pot and let it simmer on low heat for 3 hours. Gentle stir every 30 minutes. You will need to stir more towards the end as the liquid evaporates.

It’s done! Get ready to have a great feast! I enjoyed eating this with rice, homemade kimchi, and topped with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. I hope you guys enjoy this! =D