Galbi Jim 갈비찜
Korean Braised Beef Short Rib Stew
with Shiitake, Chestnut, Dried Jujube, Ginkgo Nut, Daikon, and Asian Pear
Inspired by the Chefs and traditional ingredients at last week’s Top Chef Korean Food Challenge in San Diego, Galbi Jim was the first of many Korean dishes I’ve prepared since arriving back home. It was my pleasure and honor to be invited to the event as one of six food blogger judges. There, I discovered a new love, Hansik (Korean food)!
Shiitake, chestnut, dried jujube (red date), ginkgo nut, and daikon are just some of the exotic ingredients that flavor this intoxicating stew. Beef short ribs are marinated in a mixture of grated Asian pear, with soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, and sesame. The meat is braised over low heat with the vegetables and fruit and the sweet/savory broth is reduced into a rich complex sauce…
Galbi Jim Recipe
The Asian pear helps to tenderize the beef and add another layer of delicate sweetness to the sauce.
Marinade
- 1/2 grated Asian pear
- 4 T. low-sodium soy sauce
- 4 t. sugar
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 T. grated ginger
- 1 T. sesame seeds
- 4 t. sesame oil
- ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients.
Marinate about 2 1/2 lbs. thinly sliced short ribs of beef for about an hour.
Vegetable & Fruit for the Stew:
- 6 shiitake mushrooms (stems removed and quartered)
- 1/2 onion (rough chopped)
- 1/3 daikon radish (peeled and sliced into discs)
- 8 chestnuts (whole peeled and cooked)
- 8 dried jujubes
Combine marinated short ribs plus all the marinade with the vegetables and fruit. Add enough beef stock to come half-way up on the ingredients in the pan. Bring to a boil, add 1/4 c. mirin. Cover and simmer about 1+ hour.
After cooking for about one hour, add cubed potato and sliced carrot. Cook for another half hour until the meat is tender and the potatoes and carrots are cooked through.
Meanwhile, shell ginkgo nuts.
Cook nutmeat in a small pan with vegetable oil for about 4 minutes. Place the nuts on a paper towel. Gently rub the nuts in the paper towel to remove the skins.
Season ginkgo nuts with sea salt.
When the stew is ready, remove the beef and vegetables from the pan, keep warm. Strain the liquid, then skim the fat. (I use a fat separator). Place the defatted liquid in a clean sauce pan and reduce by half, adjust seasoning. Place meat and vegetables in shallow warm bowls, pour sauce over the top. Garnish with ginkgo nuts and sliced scallions.
Galbi Jim is a popular feast dish, often enjoyed on New Year’s Day. We loved the combination of the red dates, shiitakes, daikon and chestnuts in the stew. The ginkgo nuts added a curious bitter counterpart, semi-crunchy texture and unique yellow-green color. The sauce was simultaneously earthy, sweet and savory. It was an extraordinary dish!
Extending a special thank you to my new friends at the Korea Tourism Organization and www.buzz-KOREA.com for the immersion into this wonderful cuisine…
Kamsahamnida 감사합니다
Please stop by next week for my complete review of the exciting Top Chef Korean Food Challenge and to see how the Chefs prepared these Korean dishes:
- bibimbap – beef & mixed vegetable rice with fried egg
- tuk bokki – spicy rice cake with vegetables
- galbi jim – braised short rib stew
- dak galbi – spicy stir-fried chicken
- gu jeol pan – royal nine section pan with meat, vegetables, and thin wheat pancakes
- kimchi – fermented cabbage
UPDATE: Top Chef Korean Food Challenge now posted here.
Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Gorgeous.
Oh my Lori…. That looks soooooooooooooo yummy. I got to make GalbiJim with your recipe. And how do you type Korean words on your posting? You are amazing….
Hi Jin! It’s because of you and the others at Top Chef that I am so excited about Hansik!
I copied and pasted the Korean words from other websites. Since I would have no idea if the words were incorrect, I compared the words on several different sites…I googled the Korean words for Galbi Jim and looked up the images, and yep, those were definitely photos of that delicious Korean Braised Short Rib Stew 갈비찜!
감사합니다
LL
Before I turned vegetarian, I frequented Korean BBQ restaurants. This is just the sort of amazing meal I miss sometimes. Their cuisine certainly has a way with beef, and so do you, LL.
Where did you get the ginkgo? I want it for Japanese steamed egg custard, but haven’t been able to find it in our local Mitsuwa. I suspect I will have to go to Plan B: the mega-Korean supermarket a few miles from there.
Hi Susan – I got the ginkgo at a Korean supermarket. They had a huge supply. I have a Korean vegetarian post coming up next week. I think you’ll like it.
LL
try this recipe as soon as possible,very nice
This looks great! I love the photos. Good luck in the Top Chef challenge!
This dish is something else! Yummy, yummy, yummy!!!!!!!!!!
Ok ok I have to calm down. My heart is rCing seeing ginko nuts. I love Korean food more than any other food in the world. It is my comfort food. I told my mother that I wished she had been korean so she could have taught me to cook. luckily I cook it for myself. I would do anything to find ginko nuts. Easy in California but never see them here in MA. Beautiful post!
Lucky you judging a Korean Top Chef Challenge. It’s definitely the hot cuisine of the day.
This recipe looks so interesting. I love the nutty, sweet + savory combination and your photos are great, especially the dry ingredients for the fruit and vegetable stew.
How fun for you to be a judge Lori Lynn, they sure pick the right person to do that, you!
I want to run out and get some short ribs right now. I never even heard of ginko nuts, but I want to eat them , stat!
I need to have a word with my Korean friends because they have never introduced me to this amazing dish! That looks fantastic! Thank you for sharing, Lori Lynn. Enjoy your time at Korean Top Chef!
Hmmmm I love korean short ribs.
My favorite cuisine is Korean. The first time I ate Korean BBQ I really got hooked! Kalbi is my favorite dish of them all. Bulgoki is my other weakness… I went as far as taking some Korean cooking lessons to learn how to marinate and prepare some of these delightful dishes. I hope one day to have my own restaurant.
Short ribs have great flavor and are meltingly tender when slow cooked like this. With all those Asian flavors going on, this must be incredible!
All I can say is – WOW! This looks and sounds absolutely amazing!
This dish sounds great! I would love the mix of flavors but can see why it is considered a feast meal! 😀
Challenging and exotic at first glance but looks like it’s worth it? Saving this for a time when we feel creative! Best from Santa Barbara.
Oh MY Lori! That looks absolutely scrumptious!!!
Oh honey, this looks utterly amazing! I love the pear in the marinade–brilliant!
I don’t know if I can find the nuts – is there a substitution? But my spirit is craving this. I love the pear in the marinade – perfect. And it translates form L.A. to snowy MN. This feast just enchants.
Hi Claudia – you can substitute pine nuts. Please let me know how you like it!
LL
The marinade looks like something I want to put on everything. I smell it over here. And, luck you for being invited to be a guest judge. Plating is lovely, as usual.
xo.
Hi Lori! This dish looks wonderful! I’m such a big fan of Korean food and I plan to make more of it to share with others. Can’t wait to read your review of the Korean Top Chef taping!
This dish looks delicious. I like all the ingredients and the colours are wonderful!!!!!!