Name: Galbi-jjim
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 1.5kg bone-in beef short ribs, cut into 6–7cm pieces; 1 Asian pear or Korean pear, peeled and grated (or 1 green apple + 2 tbsp pear juice); 1 onion (half grated for marinade, half cut in wedges for braising); 8 cloves garlic, minced; 2-inch ginger, grated; 150ml soy sauce; 3 tbsp sugar; 2 tbsp honey; 2 tbsp sesame oil; 1 tbsp sesame seeds; 200ml water or beef stock; Vegetables:; 200g Korean radish (mu) or daikon, cut into large chunks; 2 medium carrots, cut into large chunks; 8 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated in warm water; 2 spring onions, sliced; Sesame seeds and spring onions for garnish

Korean beef short ribs braised slowly in a deep soy, pear, and sesame sauce until the meat falls from the bone and the sauce reduces to a glossy, sweet-savory glaze. The showstopper of Korean holiday tables — a dish that demands patience and rewards it completely.

The Cultural Story

Galbi-jjim appears at every important table in Korean life: Chuseok (harvest festival), Seollal (Lunar New Year), birthdays celebrated with the full formal spread, weddings. It is the dish that signals the occasion is significant. The preparation — hours of marinating, slow braising, patient reduction — reflects this. You do not make galbi-jjim on a Tuesday for no reason. You make it because something is being marked. The cut is galbi: bone-in beef short ribs, thick, fatty, with the bone running along one side. In Korea, they are cut flanken-style (across the bone) rather than the Western English cut (between the bones), creating thin slabs with several short sections of bone visible, which makes for better marination and more surface area for the sauce to caramelize against. The marinade is built on soy sauce, Asian pear (or Korean pear), which contains natural enzymes that tenderize the meat and add a floral sweetness distinct from regular sugar, garlic, ginger, and sesame. The cooking is slow and deliberate. The ribs are parboiled first to remove impurities and excess fat — a step that cannot be skipped without producing a greasy, slightly bitter dish. Then they are braised in the sauce with vegetables — radish, carrot, shiitake mushrooms — until everything is fully tender and the sauce has reduced to a thick glaze that coats every surface. The finished dish is dark, fragrant, and deeply savory, with the sweetness of pear and the nuttiness of sesame running through it. It is the kind of dish that justifies the effort not because the effort is hidden but because it is entirely, obviously present in the result.

Ingredients

1.5kg bone-in beef short ribs, cut into 6–7cm pieces
1 Asian pear or Korean pear, peeled and grated (or 1 green apple + 2 tbsp pear juice)
1 onion (half grated for marinade, half cut in wedges for braising)
8 cloves garlic, minced
2-inch ginger, grated
150ml soy sauce
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds
200ml water or beef stock
Vegetables:
200g Korean radish (mu) or daikon, cut into large chunks
2 medium carrots, cut into large chunks
8 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated in warm water
2 spring onions, sliced
Sesame seeds and spring onions for garnish

Instructions

1Parboil the ribs: Place ribs in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Boil vigorously for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse the ribs under cold water, and scrub the pot. This removes impurities and excess fat — do not skip this.
2Score the ribs: Make 2–3 shallow cuts into the meat side of each rib piece to allow the marinade to penetrate.
3Make the marinade: Combine grated pear, grated onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sugar, honey, and sesame oil. Mix well.
4Marinate: Toss the parboiled ribs in the marinade. Marinate at least 1 hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
5Braise: Place marinated ribs and all marinade in a heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add water or stock, radish, carrot, shiitake mushrooms, and onion wedges.
6Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and braise 60–70 minutes until the meat is very tender when pierced with a chopstick.
7Uncover and increase heat to medium. Cook another 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces significantly and becomes thick and glossy. The sauce should coat the ribs and vegetables like a glaze.
8Taste and adjust: The sauce should be deeply sweet and savory, glossy, and fragrant with sesame. Add more soy for salt, honey for sweetness, or a splash of water if too thick.
9Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced spring onions. Serve with steamed white rice and kimchi — the rice is for absorbing the sauce, which is the best part of the dish.

Galbi-jjim

The Cultural Story

Ingredients

Instructions

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