Introducing Kimchi Mom. New name, new logo, and new site. Do you like? It’s been in the works for a while and towards the end, I was starting to nitpick teeny details prolonging the delay of the “big” debut. During the whole process, I also questioned why I blog in the first place and why I was spending so much time with this redesign. I felt pressure to create features to attract more readers, but I was spinning my wheels trying to come up with something catchy and new.
So…
While mama got a makeover and a new pair of shoes, the content will remain the same. Kimchi Mom better reflects who I am and what the blog is about. Oh, and I also have a Facebook Page.
And with that, I have a revised kalbi jjim recipe that I’ve been meaning to share. It’s actually one that I have written about before using the slow cooker, but I’ve harkened back to the more traditional cooking method which I think produces a much more flavorful dish. Spring is just around the corner, but I’m sure there are a few more cooler days to enjoy this dish. I doubled this recipe for a holiday dinner party with 10-12 lbs of short ribs and it worked out well.
Kalbi Jjim (Braised short ribs)
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. of English cut short ribs
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/8 cup sesame oil
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- About 12 garlic cloves or half a bulb roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 cup roasted chestnuts
- 1 egg beaten
- 2-3 stalks green onions cut in 1-inch lengths on a diagnonal (optional)
Instructions
- Soak the ribs in cold water for about 1 hour, changing the water several times.
- Place ribs in a large pot and submerge in water until just covered. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Drain.
- Repeat step 2: in the same pot, submerge the ribs in water until just covered. Bring to a boil and simmer again for about 30 minutes. This time, let everything cool - about 6 hours - or until the layer of waxy fat forms at the top. Refrigerate once the pot is cooled.
- In the meantime, prepare the marinade by mixing together the soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic cloves, black pepper, and pine nuts in a bowl.
- Once the contents of the pot as completely cooled, you will see a layer of solidified fat at the top. Remove and discard as much of it as possible. Drain and save the remaining liquid.
- Pour the marinade over the ribs and add enough reserved liquid to just cover the ribs. You don't want to completely submerge the ribs.
- Bring to a boil. Lower heat and let simmer for about 3 hours or until the beef is fork tender. Add chestnuts during the last 30 minutes of cooking time.
- While the ribs are cooking, the egg garnish can be prepared. Heat a couple of teaspoons of vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the egg and tilt the pan to form a thin layer of egg. Cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the top is firm. If the egg is thicker, you may want to flip it and cook for a few second. Let cool. What I like to do is to is to fold the egg over a couple of times and thinly slice the eggs, almost a chiffonade. (The Korean-style egg garnish is typically prepared by cooking the egg white and yolk separately so that you have white and yellow strips.)
- Once the ribs are done, garnish with green onions and egg slices and serve family-style.
