Beyond the romance, suspense, and action scenes; another eye-catching element in a K-drama— especially one set in Korea— includes their food. Subtle product placements aside, the indulgent stews, myriad of side dishes, veggies, and meats are enough to make us drool.

Just take the Galbi Jjim, for example. It’s a hearty beef stew made with short ribs, potatoes, and carrots— slow-cooked until tender, and swimming in a rich gravy. You can make this at home now, thanks to this recipe from Ish Caparras (IG: @ishmeetsworld). Her version may deviate from the classic technique since she browns her ribs for richer flavors instead of just boiling them, but the essence is still there. It’s one meaty dish you shouldn’t miss!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAZlOqzH9MM/

Galbi Jjim (Korean Beef Stew) Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of beef short ribs, cut in 2-3 inch pieces
• 3 cups of beef stock (you can also dissolve a beef cube in water)
• 8 tbsp of soy sauce
• 3 tbsp of brown sugar
• 1 tbsp of honey
• 2 tbsp of mirin (rice wine)
• 1 red delicious or any sweet apple, grated
• 1 large potato, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 large carrot, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 to 3 stalks of onion leeks
• 3 tbsp of Lee Kum Kee chili garlic sauce
• 1 tbsp of sesame oil
• 1 tbsp of sesame seeds

Procedure

1. Defrost your short ribs by soaking them in water for around 20 minutes. Drain and replace the water until the blood is drawn out from the meat. Drain completely, and season your ribs with salt and pepper on all sides.
2. Place a thin layer of cooking oil in a deep pot, something like a Dutch oven or crock pot. Sear your meat on all sides over high heat. Brown them in small batches, so that they all caramelize. Remove once done and set aside.
3. Lower your heat to medium, and saute your chopped onions in the same pot and oil. When fragrant, add your minced garlic.
4. Once your aromatics soften up, pour in your stock, and de-glaze the bottom of your pan. Add back the beef ribs from earlier.
5. Add the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, grated apple, and chili garlic sauce to your stew. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Cover the pot and let your stew simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.
6. Check how soft your meat is by shredding it with your fork. If it’s still tough, cover and let the stew cook for another 30 minutes. Make sure to move your meat around all throughout, so that the bottom doesn’t burn.
7. Add your potatoes and carrots, and mix them well into the stew. Once well incorporated, cover the pot and let the stew reduce for about 30 minutes over medium-high heat. In case your stock starts to dry out, add small amounts of water. Don’t be too late or your stew might burn.
8. When satisfied with the consistency of your stock (whether it’s a thick gravy or a watery stew) and the tenderness of your meat, add your sliced leeks.
9. Top with sesame seeds and serve with steaming white rice. Enjoy!

What other Korean recipes would you like to see? Let us know in the comments!

(Cover Photo from Ish Caparras of @ishmeetsworld)

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