Sogalbijjim (Braised Beef Short Ribs), Tender and Sweet
Braised beef short ribs marinated with Korean pear and onion juice, gently simmered until sweet and tender.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This braised beef short ribs recipe uses strained Korean pear and onion juice to tenderize the meat and let the seasoning soak deep inside. Simmered gently with chestnuts and carrots until the sauce reduces, it makes a wonderful main dish for guests. The sweetness can be adjusted to your taste.
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Beef ribs1 kg
- Carrot1 (medium)
- Chestnuts8-9 (medium)
- Ginkgo nuts (or pine nuts, egg garnish (jidan))a little
Seasoning
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang)5 tbsp
- Cheongju (Korean rice wine) (or mirin (cooking rice wine))3 tbsp
- Minced green onion3 tbsp
- Minced garlic2 tbsp
- Green plum syrup (maesil-cheong) (or corn syrup (mulyeot), oligosaccharide syrup (oligodang))2 tbsp
- Ground black pepper0.5 tsp
- Toasted sesame oil1 tbsp
- Korean pear1 (1 1/2 cups, grated)
- Onion1/2 (1/2 cup, grated)
- Submerge the ribs in cold water to thoroughly draw out the blood. You should change the water occasionally over 2-3 hours.
- You can substitute Korean radish for the chestnuts, or use jujubes as well.
- Instead of ginkgo nuts, you can garnish with pine nuts or yellow and white egg jidan cut into diamond shapes.
- Use clear pear and onion juice squeezed through a cheesecloth pouch to keep the braise clean.
- Pear juice alone helps tenderize the meat, but if the ribs are very tough, adding kiwi juice with its strong tenderizing effect will help you enjoy tender meat.
Steps
1. Submerge the ribs in cold water to thoroughly draw out the blood. You should change the water occasionally over 2-3 hours.
2. Here are the secondary ingredients: chestnuts and carrots, plus ginkgo nuts for garnishing at the end. Cut the carrots to a size similar to the chestnuts and round off the sharp edges.
You can substitute Korean radish for the chestnuts, or use jujubes as well.
Instead of ginkgo nuts, you can garnish with pine nuts or yellow and white egg jidan cut into diamond shapes.
3. Remove from the water and drain in a colander.
4. Trim off the tendons and fat. Pound any thick portions with the back of a knife or make shallow cuts so the meat becomes tender and absorbs the seasoning well.
5. Mix all the marinade ingredients together according to the amounts, then add the meat and marinate. (at least half a day)
To remove excess fat and any off-odors, you may blanch the ribs once in boiling water before marinating.
If you plan to have the braised ribs for dinner, it is good to marinate them in the morning.
Use clear pear and onion juice squeezed through a cheesecloth pouch to keep the braise clean.
Pear juice alone helps tenderize the meat, but if the ribs are very tough, adding kiwi juice with its strong tenderizing effect will help you enjoy tender meat.
6. Place the meat into a pot along with the marinade.
If the meat is not submerged in liquid, pour in 1 cup of water or enough to submerge it.
Once it comes to a boil over high heat, cover with the lid and cook over low, gentle heat.
7. Rearrange the meat with a spatula while boiling. After simmering for more than 20 minutes, the liquid will reduce by about half (down to 1 cup).
8. Add the chestnuts and carrots, stirring occasionally as you braise.
When the chestnuts and carrots are nearly cooked through, braise over high heat until about half a cup of liquid remains.
If using a pressure cooker, cook with the steam function, then remove the lid and reduce until the liquid is shallow and gently bubbling.
Arrange the meat, chestnuts, and carrots nicely in a serving dish, and top with the ginkgo nuts at the end to serve.
Ppunwife's tips
- To remove excess fat and off-odors, you can blanch the meat once in boiling water before marinating.
- This recipe is made slightly sweet; if you prefer it less sweet, you can reduce or omit the 2 tbsp of green plum syrup (or corn syrup, oligosaccharide syrup).
- Mix the leftover sauce with rice.
FAQ
How can I tenderize the meat if it is very tough?
In addition to pear juice, adding kiwi juice—which has an excellent tenderizing effect—will help make the meat much more tender.
Are there substitutes if I do not have chestnuts or ginkgo nuts?
You can use Korean radish or jujubes in place of chestnuts, and garnish with pine nuts or yellow and white egg jidan instead of ginkgo nuts.
Is it okay to cook this in a pressure cooker?
You can cook the ribs first using the steam function on a pressure cooker, then open the lid and braise until the sauce reduces to a shallow simmer.
What should I do if I want to reduce the sweetness?
You can reduce the amount of green plum syrup, corn syrup, or oligosaccharide syrup in the marinade, or omit it altogether.
