Chef Jeong-sun
Andong-jjimdak (Andong Braised Chicken)
A generous Andong market braise of chicken, potatoes, chilies, and glass noodles in glossy soy sauce, cooked in the right order so the noodles soak up flavor without turning heavy.
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Satae-jjim (Braised Beef Shank)
Created by
The thrifty cook's galbi-jjim: beef shank braised slowly in soy, pear, garlic, and radish until the tough muscle softens and the collagen gives the sauce its gloss.
Main Dishes
Korean
Comfort Food
Budget Friendly
35 min
Active Time
2 hr 30 min cook•3 hr 5 min total
Yield4 to 6 servings
Beef shank is not poor galbi. It is its own cut, full of work and tendon, and it rewards the cook who doesn't hurry it. Notebook 31 says this plainly: shank forgives a thin wallet, not a short clock.
Satae-jjim sits in the same family as galbi-jjim, with soy, pear, garlic, radish, and a little sweetness, but it asks for a different kind of attention. Short ribs give you richness from fat. Shank gives you body from collagen. That means you blanch it clean, simmer it patiently, and reduce the sauce at the end until it coats the meat instead of pooling weakly in the pot.
Don't bury it under sugar. The pear softens the edge of the soy and helps tenderize; the radish sweetens the broth as it cooks; the chestnuts and jujubes, if you use them, belong as quiet festival touches, not decoration for a photograph. 손맛 is real. I still measure it, so it can be handed on.
Tonight this dish asks for two and a half hours, most of them unattended. Cut the vegetables large, taste before the final reduction, and serve it with rice and something sharp beside it, kimchi or a clean radish salad. A braise this deep needs a fresh voice at the table.
Jjim names a Korean method of moist cooking, originally meaning steaming but now covering many covered braises, from holiday galbi-jjim to everyday fish and vegetable dishes. Satae, beef shank from the working leg, has long been valued in Korean kitchens for soups, suyuk (boiled slices), jangjorim (soy-braised beef), and braises because its connective tissue turns soft and gelatinous with time. As beef became more available in the twentieth century but short ribs remained costly, home cooks used shank to carry the same soy-and-pear seasoning more economically.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
beef shank (satae)
Quantity
1.2kg
cut into 4 to 5cm chunks
cold water
Quantity
enough to cover
for soaking
water
Quantity
8 cups
for blanching and braising
Korean pear
Quantity
1/2
peeled and grated
onion
Quantity
1/2 medium
grated
soy sauce
Quantity
7 tablespoons
rice wine or mirin
Quantity
2 tablespoons
sugar
Quantity
1 tablespoon
honey or maesil-cheong (green plum syrup) (optional)
Quantity
1 tablespoon
garlic
Quantity
5 cloves
minced
fresh ginger
Quantity
1 teaspoon
grated
toasted sesame oil
Quantity
1 tablespoon
black pepper
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground
Korean radish (mu)
Quantity
300g
cut into large 4cm chunks
carrots
Quantity
2 medium
cut into large rolling chunks
dried shiitake mushrooms
Quantity
6
soaked, stems removed
peeled chestnuts (optional)
Quantity
8
dried jujubes (daechu) (optional)
Quantity
4
scallions
Quantity
2
cut into 5cm lengths
toasted sesame seeds
Quantity
1 tablespoon
egg garnish (jidan) (optional)
Quantity
1 thin sheet
cut into strips
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| beef shank (satae)cut into 4 to 5cm chunks | 1.2kg |
| cold waterfor soaking | enough to cover |
| waterfor blanching and braising | 8 cups |
| Korean pearpeeled and grated | 1/2 |
| oniongrated | 1/2 medium |
| soy sauce | 7 tablespoons |
| rice wine or mirin | 2 tablespoons |
| sugar | 1 tablespoon |
| honey or maesil-cheong (green plum syrup) (optional) | 1 tablespoon |
| garlicminced | 5 cloves |
| fresh gingergrated | 1 teaspoon |
| toasted sesame oil | 1 tablespoon |
| black pepperfreshly ground | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Korean radish (mu)cut into large 4cm chunks | 300g |
| carrotscut into large rolling chunks | 2 medium |
| dried shiitake mushroomssoaked, stems removed | 6 |
| peeled chestnuts (optional) | 8 |
| dried jujubes (daechu) (optional) | 4 |
| scallionscut into 5cm lengths | 2 |
| toasted sesame seeds | 1 tablespoon |
| egg garnish (jidan) (optional)cut into strips | 1 thin sheet |
Equipment Needed
- •Large heavy pot or Dutch oven, 5 to 6 quart
- •Fine skimmer or large spoon
- •Box grater
- •Tongs
Instructions
- 1
Soak the shank
Put the beef shank in a bowl, cover with cold water, and soak 30 minutes, changing the water once if it turns dark. This pulls out excess blood so the braising liquid stays clean. Don't soak it for hours; you are cleaning the meat, not washing away its flavor.
- 2
Blanch it clean
Drain the beef and put it in a large heavy pot with enough fresh water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook hard for 5 minutes, until gray foam rises. Drain, rinse each piece under warm running water, and wash the pot. This step looks severe, but it is why the finished sauce tastes clear instead of muddy.
Keep the pieces large. Small cubes dry out before the tendon has time to soften. - 3
Start the braise
Return the rinsed beef to the clean pot. Add 5 cups water, bring to a gentle boil, then lower to a steady simmer. Cover and cook 1 hour before adding the seasoning. Shank needs this plain head start so the collagen begins to loosen before salt tightens the meat.
- 4
Mix the sauce
While the beef simmers, stir together the grated pear, grated onion, soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, honey or maesil-cheong if using, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and black pepper. Seven tablespoons soy sauce is enough for this amount of beef because the sauce will reduce later. If you season it like soup now, it will be too salty at the end.
- 5
Season slowly
After the beef has simmered 1 hour, skim the surface, then add the sauce. Cover again and simmer 45 to 60 minutes more, turning the pieces once or twice. The meat is ready for vegetables when a chopstick can enter with pressure but the pieces still hold together.
- 6
Add vegetables
Add the radish, carrots, soaked shiitake mushrooms, chestnuts, and jujubes. Tuck the vegetables down into the liquid without breaking the beef. Simmer covered for 30 to 40 minutes, until the radish is translucent at the edges and the beef yields easily. The vegetables go in late because they should drink the sauce and keep their shape.
- 7
Reduce the glaze
Uncover the pot and raise the heat to medium. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes, spooning the sauce over the beef, until the liquid thickens slightly and shines on the meat. Stop when about 1 1/2 cups sauce remain. This is the difference between satae-jjim and boiled beef in soy broth.
- 8
Finish and serve
Taste the sauce now. If it needs salt, add 1 teaspoon soy sauce at a time; if it tastes too strong, loosen it with 2 tablespoons hot water. Scatter scallions over the pot for the last 2 minutes so they soften but stay green. Serve in a deep dish with sesame seeds and jidan if using, with hot rice and kimchi beside it.
Chef Tips
- •Ask the butcher for beef shank with visible seams of tendon running through it. Lean, tidy-looking pieces are not better here; the connective tissue is what makes the sauce silky.
- •A pressure cooker is a safe modern vessel. After blanching, cook the beef with 3 cups water for 35 minutes at high pressure, release naturally for 15 minutes, then add the sauce and vegetables and simmer uncovered until tender and glossy. The shortcut is the vessel, not the final reduction.
- •Cut the radish and carrots larger than feels normal. They spend nearly an hour in the pot, and small pieces collapse into sweetness before the meat is done.
- •If Korean pear is out of reach, use 1/2 firm Asian pear or 1/3 sweet apple. Do not replace it with more sugar. Sugar sweetens; pear softens and rounds the soy.
- •Leftovers keep 3 days refrigerated. Chill the pot, lift off any firm fat from the surface, and reheat gently with a splash of water so the glaze loosens without scorching.
Advance Preparation
- •The beef can be soaked, blanched, rinsed, and refrigerated up to 1 day ahead. Cover it well so it does not dry out.
- •The sauce can be mixed up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Stir it before using because the pear and onion settle.
- •Satae-jjim reheats well, and many home cooks make it the day before serving. Reheat slowly, then reduce the sauce again for a few minutes so it regains its gloss.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 400g)
Calories
560 calories
Total Fat
20 g
Saturated Fat
7 g
Trans Fat
1 g
Unsaturated Fat
12 g
Cholesterol
180 mg
Sodium
1440 mg
Total Carbohydrates
37 g
Dietary Fiber
5 g
Sugars
19 g
Protein
58 g
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