Weekend Eats: Korean Beef Stew

The Korean culture is quite unique in its approach to food. Food seems to imbue every aspect of life. If you have watched a Korean drama or movie you will undoubtedly have noticed that in at least one scene someone is eating. There are even entire films and dramas based around Korean cuisine. For Koreans, food is much more than something to fill the belly; it provides taste, medicine, and a connection to the country. 


Hubby and I were avid fans of a fastfood restaurant called "Kimchi", we love their spicy and sweet Korean Beef Stew as well as the sesame flavored mongo sprouts that goes with it. Thanks to Yummy for the recipe, now we can eat our favorite Korean Beef Stew whenever we want. This is my take on  Carina Guevara's (Yummy.ph) recipe of Korean Beef Stew...............

Korean Beef Stew

1 kilo beef short ribs

4 cups broth

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons ginger, sliced

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

1/2 cup onion

2 tablespoons brown sugar

6 tablespoons good quality soy sauce

 1 teaspoon chili powder

extra water

1 beef cube

1 whole carrot, sliced diagonally

6 reconstituted dried shiitake mushrooms

2 tablespoons mirin

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

1 stalk leeks, sliced (for garnish)

1  Boil beef in water until tender. Strain and set aside broth.

2  Heat oil on medium heat. Sauté ginger, garlic, and onion. Add sugar, beef and chili powder, then cook until brown.

3  Measure strained broth from boiled beef. Add water to get 3 1/2 cups of liquid.

4  Add soy sauce to the beef. Pour in stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Add in the rest of the ingredients and simmer until vegetables are tender. Serve hot, garnished with sesame seeds and leeks.

This dish is best served with Kimchi on the side. As we all know, Kimchi is Korea's best known food. Koreans eat so much of this super-spicy condiment that natives say “kimchi” instead of “cheese” when getting their pictures taken. The reddish fermented cabbage (and sometimes radish) dish—made with a mix of garlic, salt, vinegar, chile peppers, and other spices—is served at every meal, either alone or mixed with rice or noodles. And it’s part of a high-fiber, low-fat diet that has kept obesity at bay in Korea.   If you want to make your own kimchi, take a look at this video: 

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