This dish called Galbi-Jjim is one of the most popular Korean dishes ordered at restaurants. Its flavours are a mix of sweet and savoury and the meat is so tender and falling off the bones. The cut used for this is the beef short ribs.

Ingredients

Serves 4

For the seasoning sauce and vegetables:

• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, washed and soaked in 2½ cups cold water for 3 to 4 hours, until soft
• ⅓ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup mirin, or water
• ¼ cup sugar (white or brown)
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced peeled ginger
• 1 medium size Korean radish (8 ounces to 12 ounces) or daikon, peeled
• 2 large, thick carrots, peeled

• 2 pounds beef short ribs (8 pieces), rinsed and soaked in cold water for 30 minutes to 1 hour, changing water a couple of times
• 12 peeled frozen chestnuts or fresh chestnuts (see how to skin fresh chestnuts below; frozen are sold pre-skinned)
• 2 tablespoons rice syrup

METHOD

Make the seasoning sauce and vegetables:

1. After soaking the mushrooms, place a strainer over a bowl and drain.
2. Measure out 2 cups of the soaking water. If it can’t make 2 cups, fill it with cold water. Transfer to a medium bowl; discard the remainder if you have.
3. Add the soy sauce, mirin, sugar (or swerve), ground black pepper, garlic, and ginger and mix well with a spoon. Set the seasoning sauce aside.
4. Remove the stem from each mushroom and reserve for future use, like stir-fried rice. Cut each mushroom cap into quarters and transfer to a plate.

Cook the beef short ribs:

1. Fill a large, heavy pot halfway with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. After rinsing the beef short ribs, add to the boiling water. Take out the floating residue from the meat and keep half of the meat stock.
2. Add the seasoning sauce. Cover and cook over medium-high heat for 20 minutes.
3. Stir in the mushrooms, chestnuts, radishes, and carrots. Cover, turn down the heat to low, and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rice syrup.
4. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the meat is just about falling off the bone. Thicker short ribs will take longer. Poke the meat with a wooden skewer. If the beef short ribs is tender enough to serve, the skewer should go through easily. If it does not, add some water (about 1 cup) and cook a little longer, anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the beef short ribs.
5. Increase the heat to high and spoon any remaining broth from the bottom of the pot over the meat and vegetables for a few minutes, until most of the sauce has reduced and the meat and vegetables are nicely glazed.

You can also choose to use a slow cooker. 

Recipe from Maangchi