Korean Braised Short Ribs (Makgalbi-jjim)

It’s time for this month’s Cook the Books Club pick, Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner.  First off, I learned that an H Mart in a Korean grocery store.  The book follows Ms. Zauner as she grapples with the death of her mother and their rocky relationship.  At times it felt almost intrusive to be reading - almost like I poked my nose into someone’s private diary.

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This memoir reads like a very personal cathartic reexamining of the author’s childhood and relationship with her mom as she grapples with her mom’s death.

She doesn’t hold back and still there were a few gaps where I was hoping for more explanation.

Lots of great foodie moments and I think many who lose loved ones, especially at a young age can find this memoir relatable.

View all my reviews

As she writes, the author mentions tons of Korean foods her (sometimes overbearing) mother made for her in childhood and beyond, so there was lots of inspiration.

Following her mother’s death, the author realizes that she’s ignored much of her Korean-American heritage and has no idea how to recreate those nostalgic foods that remind her of her mother.  She then happens upon a blog and teaches herself to cook her childhood favorites.

I was thrilled to discover that the blog, Maangchi, is still in existence and decided to use that as my recipe source.  After reading, the mention of a dish made with beef short ribs stuck in my mind.  But wouldn’t you know it?  I read the book on vacation, failed to write anything down, and the ebook went back to the library by the time I was home.

So I just decided to poke around the inspiration blog and see what I could find, which were these fantastic short ribs!

Flavorful and delicious, this recipe will satisfy the whole family!

Korean Braised Short Ribs (Makgalbi-jjim)

Recipe from Maangchi

2 pounds Short Ribs (mine were boneless)

1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped

6 cloves garlic, peeled

2 ripe pears, peeled and cored

1-inch knob ginger, peeled

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

½ teaspoon black pepper

1-4 cups water, divided

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add the beef and blanch for 5 minutes.

Drain and return to pot.

Meanwhile, add the onion, garlic, pears, ginger, spy sauce, brown sugar, black pepper, and 1 cup water to a food processor and blend until smooth.

Pour the sauce over the ribs.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes stir and add an additional cup of water if the sauce is getting too thick.  Simmer for another 30-45 minutes.

Once the sauce is dark and caramelized, remove the cover and simmer until most of the liquid evaporates off.  Drizzle with sesame oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.