This Korean beef stew (galbijjim)-inspired recipe uses short ribs with the classic adobo for a more tender meat and beefy flavor.
Adobo refers to the Filipino dish and cooking technique where ingredients are braised in vinegar with salt (usually soy sauce), garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Almost anything can be adobo: meat, fish, seafood, vegetables. You’ll find endless variations on adobo across the Philippines, each with their own unique flavors, ingredients, spices, and textures.
Inspired by Korean beef stew (galbijjim), this recipe uses short ribs for a succulent adobo with tender, fall-off-the-bone meat.
Short ribs, while expensive, work wonderfully in braises. Its balanced fat-to-meat ratio packs it with tons of beefy flavor. Low and slow cooking transforms the collagen in the bones into gelatin, which imparts a rich, silky texture in the final sauce.
Local beef tends to be tougher than its imported equivalent, and needs more time to reach fork-tenderness. If your short ribs are still tough after the suggested cooking time, add an extra 1–2 hours.
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Pat short ribs dry with a paper towel.
Heat oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add short ribs and sear until browned on all sides, working in batches if necessary. Remove ribs from pan and set aside.
Add chopped onions and cook until slightly translucent.
Add garlic cloves, bay leaf, and black peppercorns to the pan. Pour rice vinegar and cook the acid off, 2 minutes.
Stir in water, pineapple juice, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Adjust according to taste.
Return the seared short ribs to the pan. Reduce heat to low and maintain a simmer. Cover and cook for 3 hours or until meat is fork-tender.
If you want a soupy adobo, add water and a bit of pineapple juice. Season with soy sauce to taste, if needed. Garnish with fried garlic chips and serve with hot rice.
Substitute short ribs with short plate, brisket, or blade steak.
Using a different cut may change cooking times. If your meat is still tough after the prescribed cooking time, add 1–2 hours, checking occasionally for fork-tenderness.
You can substitute white vinegar by adding more sugar to balance the acidity. Rice vinegar is made from fermented glutinous rice and has a sweeter, milder, and less acidic flavor compared to white distilled vinegar.
Yes you can! Reduce cooking time from 3 hours to 1 hour. If using an Instant Pot, use the Pressure Cook Function.
