Have you ever used fruits to sweeten a stew? Galbijjim, or Korean braised short ribs, uses puréed Asian pears. Once it melts into the braise, the fruit—sometimes accompanied by apples for extra flavor—brings a natural sweetness to the umami-rich sauce.
These soy-braised short ribs have the flavor DNA of galbijjim, except it doesn't have blended Asian pears. Instead, we add a cup of boxed apple and orange juice.
Similar to how home cooks use Sprite or Coke in their adobo, the apple-orange juice duo gives these short ribs a sweet, complex edge you wouldn't get with plain sugar. Look for high-quality brands made with 100% fruit juice. They'll have more of that fruity acidity that will brighten your short ribs.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 6 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 900g beef short ribs, seasoned with salt
- 1 head garlic, halved
- 2–3 inch knob ginger, peeled and sliced in half
- ½ cup chopped green onions, cut into 2–3 inch batons
- 1 cup mirin
- 1 cup soy sauce
- ½ cup apple juice
- ½ cup orange juice
- 3 cups shiitake dashi or water
- 1 ½ cup sliced labanos (daikon radish), in 1” rounds
- 1 ½ cup sliced carrots, in 1” rounds
- ½ tbsp rice syrup or honey
For Serving
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
- ⅛ cup minced green onions
Make mushroom dashi: Add dried shiitake to a bowl and cover in 3 cups (plus a bit more) hot water. Let soak for 30 minutes, until the shiitake is soft and water has turned brown. Remove and gently squeeze mushrooms with your hands to remove excess water. Set softened shiitake aside. The soaking liquid is your mushroom dashi; set it aside.
Sear ribs: Season short ribs with salt. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear short ribs on all sides. Transfer seared short ribs to a plate.
Simmer ribs: In the same pot, add garlic head, ginger pieces, and chopped green onions. Reduce heat to medium and add mirin, soy sauce, apple juice, orange juice, and 2 cups mushroom dashi. Stir to combine.
Add short ribs back into the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low to maintain a simmer. Cover and cook for 2 hours, or until short ribs are fork-tender. If the liquid is reducing too fast, add ½ cup mushroom dashi at a time.
In the last 20–35 minutes of cooking, add carrots and radish to cook until fork-tender.
Finish and serve: Transfer short ribs to a serving platter, followed by the cooked vegetables and sauce. Finish with sesame oil, sesame seeds, and green onions. Serve hot with rice.
