Spicy & Sweet Braised Short Ribs with Store-Bought Sauce
Quick and Delicious Braised Short Ribs Using Ready-Made Seasoning
A must-have meat dish for festive holidays! Making it from scratch can seem daunting and time-consuming. However, using pre-made sauces makes it surprisingly easy and delicious. While soy-sauce-based galbijjim is great, this recipe features a spicy sauce that cuts through richness beautifully. It’s a ‘Spicy Braised Short Ribs’ recipe that you can cook right away without marinating the meat, making it even more convenient.
Main Ingredients- 3kg Beef short ribs
- 1 handful of chestnuts
- 1 Carrot
- 5 Shiitake mushrooms
- 2 Onions
- ½ Pear
- ½ Apple
- 2 Green onions (scallions)
- 3 Dried red chilies
- 6 Cheongyang (Korean spicy) chili peppers
Sauce Ingredients- ½ cup Soy sauce (approx. 100ml)
- ½ cup Store-bought soy sauce seasoning (approx. 100ml)
- ½ cup Store-bought gochujang seasoning (approx. 100ml)
- 1 cup Gochugaru (Korean chili powder, approx. 100g)
- ½ cup Maesilcheong (plum extract, approx. 100ml)
- ½ cup Jocheong (grain syrup, approx. 100ml)
- 1 cup Mirin or cooking wine (approx. 200ml)
- 2 Tbsp Minced garlic
- ½ Tbsp Grated ginger
- 2 Tbsp Sesame oil
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- ½ cup Soy sauce (approx. 100ml)
- ½ cup Store-bought soy sauce seasoning (approx. 100ml)
- ½ cup Store-bought gochujang seasoning (approx. 100ml)
- 1 cup Gochugaru (Korean chili powder, approx. 100g)
- ½ cup Maesilcheong (plum extract, approx. 100ml)
- ½ cup Jocheong (grain syrup, approx. 100ml)
- 1 cup Mirin or cooking wine (approx. 200ml)
- 2 Tbsp Minced garlic
- ½ Tbsp Grated ginger
- 2 Tbsp Sesame oil
- ½ tsp Black pepper
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the 3kg of beef short ribs. If there is excessive fat, trim it off neatly with scissors. Then, rinse the ribs thoroughly under cold running water.
Step 2
Place the rinsed short ribs in a large pot and add enough water to cover them completely. Bring to a boil over high heat with the lid off and simmer for about 10 minutes. Adding half a cup of sugar at this stage helps to remove more of the blood from the ribs.
Step 3
While the ribs are boiling for the first time, prepare the vegetables. Remove the core from the pear and apple and cut them into large chunks. Cut the onions into large pieces and the green onions into long segments. Prepare the dried red chilies. These ingredients will be added when the ribs are boiled the second time.
Step 4
Trim the edges of the carrots to make them round. Cut half of the shiitake mushrooms into cubes, and make cross-shaped cuts on the caps of the other half for a decorative touch. Slice the Cheongyang chilies diagonally.
Step 5
After the first boil to remove blood, discard the water from the pot. Rinse the short ribs again under cold running water to remove any remaining impurities.
Step 6
Add enough water to barely cover the cleaned short ribs again. Add the prepared pear, apple, onion, green onions, whole garlic (if using), and dried red chilies. Cover the pot and boil over high heat for about 1 hour. Then, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently.
Step 7
While the ribs are simmering, make the delicious sauce. In a bowl, combine: ½ cup soy sauce, ½ cup store-bought soy sauce seasoning, ½ cup store-bought gochujang seasoning, ½ cup maesilcheong, ½ cup jocheong, 1 cup gochugaru, 1 cup mirin, 2 tbsp minced garlic, ½ tbsp grated ginger, 2 tbsp sesame oil, and ½ tsp black pepper. Mix well to create the sauce.
Step 8
Remove the large solids like dried chilies and green onions from the ribs after boiling for 1 hour. If there seems to be too much liquid, discard some of it so that the liquid only comes up to about half the level of the ingredients. This will help the sauce thicken and flavors concentrate.
Step 9
Now it’s time to braise the ribs in the sauce. Place the ribs in a pot and add the harder vegetables, the carrots, first.
Step 10
Pour all the prepared sauce over the ribs and vegetables, mix well, and bring to a boil over high heat.
Step 11
Once the sauce begins to bubble, add the shiitake mushrooms. Continue to cook over high heat, allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken, like a glaze. Stir occasionally to ensure the ribs and vegetables are evenly coated with the sauce.
Step 12
When the sauce has reduced to your desired consistency, add the sliced Cheongyang chilies and green onions, and simmer for another short while. Just before turning off the heat, add a little more sesame oil and black pepper for extra aroma.
Step 13
Your spicy and sweet braised short ribs are complete! This dish is the perfect antidote to the richness of holiday meals. You can’t go wrong with store-bought seasonings, and the spicy sauce is truly delightful. Enjoy your delicious meal!
