Braised Korean Short Ribs Recipe

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Korean braised dishes are wonderfully flavoursome, heavy in umami notes, with silky mouthfeel and often a hint of sweetness. Braised short ribs are a firm favourite - and this recipe doesn't disappoint. The meltingly tender rich meat in a sweet soy broth is a reason to enjoy colder Autumnal days.

Beef short ribs are hugely popular in both Korea and the USA though relatively unknown in the UK. You'll struggle to find short ribs in supermarkets, but more and more butchers have them. Ask the butcher to use their saw to cut the ribs in half or even into thirds to make them easier to handle with chopsticks. You will need to slice through the meat between each rib before cooking - leaving plenty of short 2 inch sections with a piece of bone and a hearty chunk of meat attached.

The easy recipe is best made over the course of a day - start in the morning, for a hearty dinner. The marinade does use a lot of soy sauce, but it is worth it. Make sure you use a Japanese-style soy sauce (this is a great larger good-value bottle) instead of a Chinese light soy sauce - there is a huge difference in flavour.

The braised short ribs could also be made in a slow cooker - marinade the meat the night before as per step 2. Then in the morning before work, instead of heating your oven in step 3, place everything in a slow cooker, and leave to cook for 6 to 8 hours. It is still best to transfer everything from the slow cooker into a saucepan for the last 30 minutes of cooking (step 4), to make sure the vegetables aren't overcooked.

Serve with a fresh crunchy green salad, dressed with a sweet salad dressing.

Ingredients Serves: 6

1.5 kg beef short ribs, approximately six ribs separated and cut into thirds

For the marinade

250ml Japanese-style soy sauce
60g honey
60g sugar
30g sesame oil
60g sake
1 pear, grated (120g)
50g minced garlic (approx 6 large cloves)
10 spring onions, finely sliced
200ml water

To cook

1l beef stock
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced in half lengthways, cut into 1cm moons
150g daikon or potato, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
2 onions, peeled and quartered
6 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 tbsp black rice vinegar

To serve

Cooked white short grain rice or sushi rice (allow 70g uncooked rice per person)
Spring onion, green parts only, finely sliced
Black sesame seeds

Method

Soak the ribs in cold water for 30 minutes, changing the water every 5-10 minutes.
Mix together the marinade ingredients, add the drained ribs, cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
Pre-heat your oven to 140C / 285F. Place the ribs, marinade sauce, and 1l beef stock into a large oven-proof dish with a lid. Cut a piece of baking parchment to cover the rib mixture, and press it over the ribs - this is to help the sauce evaporating whilst it cooks. Cover with a heavy lid and cook in the oven for 3 hours.
Remove the dish to the hob, and add the carrot, daikon or potato, onions, shiitake mushrooms and vinegar. Simmer with the lid off for 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are cooked and some of the sauce has evaporated a little so it thickens.
Serve ladled over cooked white rice, and garnish with sliced spring onion and black sesame seeds.