Apple and orange juice bring sweetness to these galbijjim-inspired beef short ribs, which are braised to fork-tenderness in a soy-based sauce.
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.
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.
If you don't have dry shiitake mushrooms to make dashi (or just don't like mushrooms in your stew), substitute with equal parts water or beef broth.
You can use pork short ribs in place of beef.
If you want to make a flavorful stew, searing your meat is an essential step.
When you sear meat, its proteins and sugars are transformed by high heat into a roasty, beautifully browned crust with amplified flavor and aroma. It's also more visually appealing than boiled meat.
Post-searing, you'll notice some of those flavorful browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Once the liquids for your braise come in, they'll scrape up those browned bits and pieces and pick up all that delicious flavor, too.
Pretty much any vegetable will be an excellent add-on to your stew, as long as they're cooked right. Hard vegetables need a headstart over tender vegetables, which you should add near the end of the braise. You can try:
