Galbi Jjim

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Braise beef short ribs in a spiced soy sauce mixture until they are tender, then serve them with plenty of broth over rice.

Bill Kim

Updated on February 7, 2024

Tested by

Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Bowl of Galbi Jjim — Photo:
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

Active Time:

1 hr

Total Time:

1 hr 30 mins

Yield:

4 servings

Chicago chef Bill Kim prefers his Galbi Jjim served with lots of the braising liquid, so it’s more like a stew and perfect for serving over cooked rice.

Frequently asked questions

How do you cook galbi jjim?

Braising is key to cooking the short ribs until they are nice and tender. The braising liquid, seasoned with soy sauce, rice wine, Asian pear, ginger, and garlic, imbues a lot of flavor into the ribs as they cook. The ribs don’t need to be falling-apart soft; you want them to hold their shape.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

You can ask your butcher to trim and chop the short ribs for you to make cooking this hearty stew faster and easier.

Make ahead

Galbi Jjim can be made up to five days in advance; store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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Ingredients

5 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup soy sauce
2 cups cold water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Korean matsul (rice wine) or mirin
1 medium (8-ounce) Asian pear, rough chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
5 garlic cloves
1 piece ginger
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 pound Korean radishes or daikon, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
10 whole fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon Korean chili threads
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1 cup thinly sliced scallions (about 4 large scallions)
Steamed rice for serving

Directions

Rinse the short ribs in cold water and soak them in cold water for 20 minutes to draw out the excess blood. Drain. Place the short ribs in a large pot and add just enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes, skimming off the foam as needed.
Meanwhile, combine the soy sauce, water, sugar, honey, matsul, Asian pear, onion, garlic, ginger, black pepper, and sesame oil in a blender and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour the soy sauce mixture into the pot with the simmering beef short ribs. Add the radishes, mushrooms, carrots, and bell pepper. Simmer until the short ribs are tender, about 1 hour.
Divide the short ribs and vegetables between 4 bowls, and top each with a ladle of broth. Garnish with Korean chili threads, scallions, and toasted pine nuts and serve with steamed rice.