- 1.2 kg or 2.5lb of bone-in Beef Short Ribs
- 500 g Korean Radish
- 1 Large Yellow Onion (halved and skin-on)
- 8-10 cloves garlic (lightly smashed)
- 2-3 thin slices of ginger
- 2-3 large scallions (cut into large pcs, white part only)
- 3-4 L of cold water (enough to cover ribs + aromatics)
- 2-3 dried shiitake musrooms
- 1 pc of dried kelp
- 2 Tbsp Korean soup soy sauce (국간장 guk-ganjang)
- Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional, for finishing)
1. Prepare the ribs
- Rinse short ribs and soak in cold water for 30-60 minutes to draw out blood/bone residue. Some more elaborate kitchens even soak overnight or change water repeatedly for extra clarity
- Blanch the ribs: Bring a pot of water to boil, add ribs, cook ~2–3 minutes, then drain, rinse ribs and rinse pot. This helps yield a clearer broth.
- Trim excess fat from ribs (but leave some for flavour) so you don’t end up with overly fatty broth.
2. Initial high heat extraction
- Place cleaned ribs in a large clean pot, add radish chunks, onion halves, garlic, ginger, scallion pieces, and add cold water just to cover.
- Bring to a vigorous boil uncovered for ~30 minutes. This extracts flavour from the bones and meats.
- As you boil, skim off any foam/impurities that rise to surface to keep the broth clear.
3. Simmer and refine
- After the initial boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover partially, and simmer gently for 1 to 1½ hours (or until the meat is very tender and beginning to fall off the bone). Some premium kitchens may simmer even longer for more depth.
- At this point, you can add the dried shiitake & kelp (but kelp only last ~5 minutes to avoid sliminess).
- Remove the large aromatics (onion, ginger, scallion pieces) so they don’t overcook/impair clarity.
4. Chill & remove fat (for extraordinary clarity)
- For a restaurant-level clear broth, once the meat is tender, remove pot from heat, let it cool slightly, then refrigerate until fat solidifies on surface. Skim off solidified fat before reheating. This yields a beautifully clear, polished broth.
- If you’re serving right away, keep skimming constantly as you simmer for final aquaplane.
5. Season and finish
- Return broth & meat to pot, add radish chunks (cut into large bite-sized pieces if you removed them).
- Reheat gently. Add 2 Tbsp soup soy sauce, taste, then adjust with sea salt & pepper.
- Optional: At this point add the soaked glass noodles for ~2-3 minutes.
- Right before serving, drizzle the toasted sesame oil and garnish with scallion greens + optional egg strips.
