Galbi jjim is a classic Korean dish that is often served at family gatherings and important events. It is made by braising short ribs in a sweet, salty, sometimes spicy sauce with vegetables until they are soaked in sauce and are juicy and tender. Today I’ll be sharing my recipe for spicy galbi jjim recipe that is finished off with melty cheese! This cheesy rendition is very popular these days, so I hope you give it a try. The cheese is optional, but it is perfect for balancing out the spiciness of the dish.
The type of ribs used for galbi jjim are beef short ribs that are cut into about 4 inch wide pieces. You can find this type of rib at most Korean markets, or you can ask the butcher to cut them for you. If you don’t like spicy, feel free to omit the gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes.)
Restaurants that serve this cheesy rendition of galbi jjim usually use a blow torch to melt the cheese, but you can also use the broiler. These ribs are so so tender and delicious, they are sure to be a party pleaser. Give my spicy galbi jjim recipe a try and let me know what you think in the comments down below! If you love this recipe, you should also check out my Spicy Korean Chicken (Dakgalbi) recipe!
Korean Spicy Galbi Jjim (Korean Spicy Braised Short Ribs)
Ingredients
- 1/2 Carrot Sliced
- 3 Shiitake mushrooms
- 2 Small yukon gold potatoes Cut into halves or quarters
- 8 Rice cakes
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese
Boiling Ribs
- 2.5 lb Beef short ribs Cut into 4 inch pieces, can be found at Korean market
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 stalk Large green onion Cut into 4 inch pieces
- 1/2 Onion Cut into chunks
- 1 tbsp Whole black peppercorn
- 1 inch knob Ginger
- 1/4 Radish
- 4-5 cups Water Until ribs are submerged
Galbi Jjim Sauce
- 1/2 cup Soy sauce
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 15 cloves Garlic
- 3 tbsp Korean red chilli flakes Gochugaru
- 1/2 Korean Pear 1/4 apple can be substituted instead
- 1/2 Onion
Instructions
- Blend together all sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- Soak short ribs in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes. Dump out water, rinse ribs to get rid of bone fragments.
- Add ribs to an oven safe, deep sauté pan (or pot) and add enough water to cover them. Add in whites of green onion, half onion, peeled radish, garlic and black peppercorns. Turn on heat to medium high. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 10 minutes, skimming foam off the surface.
- After 10 minutes, remove broth from heat and take out ribs. Strain broth and set aside.
- Add ribs back into clean pot and pour blended sauce over them. Mix to coat the ribs, then add about 3 cups of water (just so they are barely visible on the surface.) Bring to a boil and cook for about 30 minutes. Reserve leftover broth.
- Add potatoes and carrots to pot, mix so they are coated in sauce and submerged in the sauce. If your sauce starts to get too dry, add more broth 1/4 cup at a time. Allow to boil for 20 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender.
- Add rice cakes and cook until they are soft, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Top ribs with mozzarella cheese and torch with blowtorch, or place in over to broil for 2 minutes until cheese melts. Serve with a hot bowl of rice.
