This week, we’re bringing you the recipe for Leftie Lee’s Korean braised beef. Leftie Lee’s owner, Viv Lee, said this recipe is based on galbi-jim, a Korean short rib dish served on special occasions.
“It’s a huge part of our culture,” Lee said. “I love the flavors, and I thought one day, why can’t this be a sandwich?”
Leftie Lee’s utilizes the Korean braised beef in multiple dishes on the menu. It’s available in tacos, which come with kimchi, griddled cheese, in-house perilla ranch dressing, and crispy potatoes, and as a sandwich, which comes topped with perilla ranch, scallions, and the option of provolone on a milk bread bun. Lee uses perilla instead of chives to make the ranch dressing. Perilla, an herb in the mint family, commonly appears in Korean barbecue. Lee said the herb is often served in the basket of greens and has a flavor reminiscent of mint, basil, and anise.
The Korean braised beef has been in Lee’s culinary repertoire since the early stages of Leftie Lee’s, a pop-up she started before the pandemic.
“It’s a protein, but it seems like it can almost be a condiment or a topping,” she said.
And while it may seem like a lunch or dinner option, it’s also been used in breakfast dishes. Lee recalls serving a Korean braised beef scramble over crispy potatoes, topped with scrambled eggs, black pepper gravy, micro cilantro, and pickled onions.
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The beauty of Lee’s take on galbi is its versatility and simplicity. Think of it like a Korean take on Sunday sauce or a meal-prep staple.
“If you throw it in the oven Sunday morning, it’ll be ready for dinner,” Lee said. “It’s well worth the wait, and it makes enough where you can utilize it for several meals.”
Lee’s recipe is more casual and cost-effective, instead calling for ground chuck. All of the ingredients are easily found at the supermarket; however, Lee recommends checking an international market for perilla.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs beef chuck, cut into palm-sized pieces
- 3 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp canola oil
- 2 medium sized onions, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 2 inch sized piece of ginger, peeled and sliced diagonally
- 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup dried shiitake mushrooms (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Toss beef with kosher salt and black pepper and set aside. Heat canola oil over medium-high heat in an oven-proof pot or dutch oven.
- Sear beef for about 2 minutes on all sides and remove from the Dutch oven.
- Add the chopped onions, carrots, and garlic cloves to the Dutch oven. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes. Add ginger, soy sauce, beef broth, brown sugar, and dried shiitake mushrooms, if using.
- Place beef back in the Dutch oven, making sure to get the pieces into one layer, if possible. Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and place in the preheated oven. Cook for 3 to 4 hours, or until easily shredded with a fork.
- Remove beef from the Dutch oven and reduce the liquid on the stovetop over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate and use up throughout the week.
