Rainy days to me always = comfort food and staying in watching Netflix. Which is why I DIED when I cooked this Korean inspired beef short rib stew. It’s a bit spicy because of the gochujang (spicy paste), but really, really delicious over rice which I find makes the spice more bearable. The slow cooked short rib meat itself is SO tender – you don’t even need a knife for this!!!

I wanted to make this recipe because I remembered eating something similar back when I lived in the Philippines. This was a bit different though, likely because I added the spicy Korean paste, but I would say it’s even better than I remembered!

Loved the flavors of this dish – salty soy with sticky sweet flavours, both from the carrots and the sugar. Definitely couldn’t eat it fast enough! Especially with rice and homemade japchae!? So GOOD! Make this ASAP!!

Korean Inspired Beef Short Ribs
Ingredients
1 and ½ kilos of stewing beef
1 whole garlic, peeled
4 whole shallots or 1 whole red onion (read the difference), unpeeled
carrots
3 thumb-sized pieces of ginger (wash and scrub, no need to peel)
2-4 TBSP of gochujang (korean chili paste)
1 tbsp. of whole black peppercorns
3/4 to 1 c. of soy sauce – Kikkoman
Water
½ c brown sugar
1-2 TBSP sesame oil
salt, to taste
12 to 15 stalks of scallions (see explanation)
1 to 2 tbsps. of sesame seeds

Heat two tablespoons of cooking oil in a wok or frying pan and bring to smoking point. Throw in the meat and bones in a single layer and leave undisturbed for several minutes until a brown crust forms on the side that touches the pan. Flip them over and brown the other side.
Transfer the beef and bones into a cooking pot. Pour in just enough water to cover the meat and bones. Add the whole garlic, onion, ginger, gochuang, bay leaves, sesame oil and carrots
Pour in the soy sauce and stir in the sugar.
If there are browned bits attached to the bottom of the frying pan, pour in half a cup of water and boil gently to loosen. Pour into the cooking pot with the beef and spices.
Simmer gently for two hours or until the meat is very tender.
Halfway through the cooking, taste the sauce and add salt. Do not be tempted to add more soy sauce instead of salt; otherwise, the broth will turn too dark. You do not want a dark brown sauce; you want a reddish brown sauce.
While the beef simmers, toast the sesame seeds. Place them in a small frying pan and set over medium-low heat. Shake the pan often for even toasting (see illustration).
Slice the scallions finely.
To assemble, place two to three pieces of beef in individual soup bowls. Ladle plenty of sauce over them. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and scallions. Serve hot.