This Korean Beef Stew (Galbi-Jjim) is the ultimate comfort food, packed with tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef short ribs, earthy vegetables, and a flavourful, sweet-savory sauce that’s simply irresistible. The combination of juicy beef, hearty root vegetables, and a rich, aromatic broth makes this dish a warming, satisfying meal for any occasion. It’s perfect for a Sunday dinner or a special gathering, and with the deep, complex flavours developing over 3 hours, it’s sure to impress anyone at the table. The best part? It’s a one-pot wonder, making clean-up a breeze!
Brought to you by
2 kg beef short ribs (bone-in, cut into roughly 4 cm pieces)
1 carrot, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
150 g daikon, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
150 g Japanese sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
3 dried red chillies
2 whole star anise
½ tsp ground black pepper
6 whole dried jujubes
6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, whole
2 spring onions, cut into batons
1 tbsp pine nuts
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
¼ cup dried red chilli threads (optional)
Steamed rice, to serve
Sauce:
2 small nashi pears, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
½ onion, roughly chopped
8 garlic cloves, peeled
4 cm piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 green chilli, roughly chopped
2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
4 tbsp Korean corn syrup
½ cup Korean ‘soup’ soy sauce (or ½ cup regular soy sauce and 1 tbsp ketchup manis)
- Soak the beef short ribs in room temperature water for 1 hour to remove excess blood and any unpleasant odour.
- Place all the sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside for later use
- Fill a large, heavy-based pot with water and bring it to the boil. Add the beef short ribs and bring it back to a boil over high heat. Cook for 3 minutes or until the ribs turn a light grey. Strain the meat, discard the water, and rinse the pot.
- Return the ribs to the clean pot. Pour the blended sauce over the beef, add 1 litre of water, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 2 hours, or until the beef is tender.
- Add the carrot, daikon, Japanese sweet potato, dried red chillies, star anise, black pepper, dried jujubes, and shiitake mushrooms. Cover and simmer for another 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
- Sprinkle the spring onions over the stew and transfer to a serving platter . Sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds, pine nuts, and dried red chilli threads (if using). Serve with steamed rice.
- Notes: – Korean corn syrup is thicker and less sweet than Western corn syrup. It’s available from Asian or Korean grocery stores. – Korean ‘soup’ soy sauce and dried jujubes are also available from Asian or Korean grocery stores. – For a milder version, omit the dried red chillies and reduce the amount of green chilli.
