Korean Beef Stew – Galbi-Jjim

Start by soaking the beef short ribs in room temperature water for 1 hour. This step helps to remove excess blood and any odour from the meat. While the ribs are soaking, prepare the vegetables by peeling and cutting the daikon and carrot into bite-sized pieces. Peel the fresh chestnuts and set aside the shiitake mushrooms, spring onions, and other ingredients for later use.

Next, blend all the ingredients for the sauce together until smooth. The result should be a thick, flavourful paste-like sauce consistency.

Once the ribs have soaked, place them in a large heavy-based pot. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Let the ribs cook for about 2 minutes or until the ribs have turned a light grey colour. After 2 minutes, strain the meat and discard the water. Rinse the pot to remove any impurities.

Return the ribs to the clean pot. Add 1 litre (1 quart) of water, and bring to a boil once more. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot with a lid, and allow the stew to simmer gently for 1½ hours or until the beef is fork tender.

Now add the daikon, carrot, spring onions, dried red chillies, chestnuts, star anise, shiitake mushrooms and dried jujube to the pot. Continue to simmer the stew for an additional 30 minutes, allowing the vegetables and spices to infuse the broth with their flavours.

Sprinkle the finished stew with pine nuts, roasted sesame seeds and dried red chilli threads, if using.

Serve the Galbi-Jjim hot, allowing everyone to enjoy the tender beef and richly flavoured broth. This dish pairs beautifully with steamed rice or a simple side of pickled vegetables.