Galbijjim

We had dinner at Majordomo, a new restaurant and had Korean Style Short Ribs (Galbijjim). The meat was very tender and sweet. We decided to make it at home. Cathy found this recipe. It is interesting when the dish is finally completed and served, the sweet potatoes look like chunks of meat. Until you actually bite into the food you don't know if it is Beef Sweet Potato in your mouth. They look the same. At any rate this is our first Korean dish that have made. Cathy really liked it. 

Galbijjim

Author: Hyeon Jeong
Recipe type: Dinner Cuisine: Korean
Prep time: 40 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 1 hour 10 mins Serves: 4 

A super delicious non-spicy savory dinner. Always eaten at Chuseok, Seol, birthday parties, wedding parties and special events. Perfect for impressing your party guests

What You'll Need 

1 kg Pork Ribs Water 

11 Garlic, peeled(40g)
1 Small Piece of Ginger, peeled (5g) 1 Medium Size Onion
1 Pear, peeled 

4 tbsp Sugar
4 tbsp Rice Wine
2 tbsp Sesame Oil
1⁄2 tbsp Sea Salt
1⁄2 tbsp Pepper
8 tbsp Soy Sauce
1⁄2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
2 Spring Onions, finely chopped (40g) 

6 Chestnut Mushrooms
1 Red Pepper (optional)
1 Green Pepper (optional)
2 Carrots
2 Sweet Potatoes (can be replaced with potatoes) 

1 Red Chilli, finely chopped (optional) A Pinch of Roasted Sesame Seeds 

How to Make It

1.    Soak the pork ribs in water for half an hour. This removes the taste of blood from the meat. 

2.    While pork ribs are soaking, we can make the Galbijjim sauce. Peel and quarter the onion and pear. Put the garlic, ginger, onion and pear in a blender or food processor and whizz them until you have a paste. 

3.    In a big bowl, add the onion mixture, sugar, rice wine, sea salt, sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper, and two thirds of the chopped spring onions. Stir until well mixed. 

4.    Drain the pork ribs after 30 minutes and put them in the bowl and covering them with the sauce. Marinate them for a minimum of 1 hour. You can marinate them overnight in the fridge if you are preparing for a dinner party in advance. 

5.    Heat a wok over a high heat and pour in the ribs and sauce. Add enough water to cover the ribs. The amount of the water depends on the size of the pan. For your reference, I used 300ml of water in the wok on my video. 

6.    Lower the heat to the medium after the sauce has boiled for 10 or 15 minutes. Simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. It took me half an hour. Check the pan occasionally and add more water if needed so the ribs don't burn. You can slow cook the meat if you like to use your slow cooker or oven. You can also use a pressure cooker if you have one. If you use a slow cooker or pressure cooker, you don’t need to add extra water. The cooking time of the slow cooker, oven and pressure cooker depends on the equipment.

7.    While the galbijjim is on the stove, prepare the vegetables. Chop the stem off the chestnut mushrooms. 

8.    De-seed the red and green peppers and chop them into quarters lengthways. Cut those pieces into quarters again. 

9.    Chop the sweet potatoes in half lengthways and then quarter each side. Cut the carrots into 2 cm thick pieces. 

10.  Add the sweet potatoes, give them a mix and cook until they are soft, adding water if necessary. 

11.   When the sweet potatoes are soft, add the carrots and cook them for another 2 minutes. Add the peppers and mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes. Add water if needed. 

12.   The Galbijjim is ready. Add more salt or sugar to taste. Garnish with the chopped spring onions, chillies and roasted sesame seeds. You can eat it with a fresh bowl of rice and side dishes. The sauce is great to dip with fresh bread as well! Enjoy!