Braised short ribs (galbi jjim)

Known as galbi jjim, this popular Korean dish is made for special occasions, typically served for guests or eaten on holidays such as Chuseok, the autumn harvest festival, as short ribs were traditionally very expensive. Unlike Western stews, galbi jjim's ingredients are meant to stay intact during cooking, with ‘jjim’ loosely translating as ‘steamed’. The grated nashi pear lends an underlying sweetness and is believed to help tenderise the beef. In aristocratic households, the ribs were once dressed with the five imperial colours (blue, yellow, red, white and black) to indicate wealth and prosperity.

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  2:35 hours

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg beef short ribs, rinsed
• 55 g (¼ cup) caster sugar
• 125 ml (½ cup) soy sauce
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 spring onions, cut into 5 cm lengths
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 nashi pear, peeled, grated
• 2 small potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks
• 2 carrots, peeled, cut into chunks
• shredded spring onions, to serve

Drink match 2011 Nigl Gartling Grüner Veltliner, Kremstal, Austria, ($33)/

Instructions

Tie each rib individually with kitchen string, tying around the meat to secure it to the bone. Working in batches, blanch ribs in a pan of boiling water for 1 minute, then drain.

Place the sugar, soy sauce, garlic, spring onions, sesame seeds, ½ tsp pepper, sesame oil, pear and ribs in a large saucepan with enough cold water to just cover ribs and stir to combine. Bring to the boil over medium heat, then reduce to low heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours or until tender.

Add potatoes and carrots and cook for a further 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Scatter over shredded spring onions to serve.

Photography Brett Stevens

As seen in Feast magazine, October 2013, Issue 25. For more recipes and articles, pick up a copy of this month's Feast magazine or check out our great subscriptions offers here.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.