Korean-Inspired Braised Beef Bowls
Tender braised beef with soy, garlic, ginger, gochujang and sesame served over rice with fresh cucumber, carrots and scallions.
🍽 6 servings
⏱ Prep: 20 min
🔥 Cook: 120 min
⏰ Total: 140 min
📊 Medium
Ingredients
- 2 lb Beef stew meat
- 1 tbsp Neutral oil
- 1 medium Yellow onion, sliced
- 5 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp Fresh ginger, freshly grated
- 0.75 cup Beef broth
- 0.5 cup Low-sodium soy sauce
- 0.25 cup Brown sugar
- 2 tbsp Rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp Toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp Gochujang
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 0.5 Asian pear or apple, finely grated
- 0.5 tsp Black pepper
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 2 tbsp Cold water
- Steamed white rice, for serving
- Cucumber, sliced, for serving
- Carrots, shredded, for serving
- Scallions, sliced, for serving
- Sesame seeds, for serving
- Kimchi, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Heat neutral oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef stew meat in batches and remove to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the sliced onion and cook for about 4 minutes until softened.
- Add the minced garlic and grated ginger. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in the beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, gochujang, honey, grated Asian pear, and black pepper.
- Return the beef to the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cover and simmer gently for 1.5-2 hours until the beef is fork-tender.
- Remove the lid during the final 15 minutes to let the sauce reduce slightly.
- In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and cold water until smooth.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry into the simmering sauce and cook until glossy and lightly thickened.
- Serve the beef over steamed white rice. Top with sliced cucumber, shredded carrots, scallions, sesame seeds, and optional kimchi.
Chef's Notes
Stew meat is usually cut from tougher beef muscles and benefits from low, moist cooking until connective tissue softens. The most important doneness cue is fork-tender beef. Allergens: Contains soy and sesame. May contain wheat depending on the soy sauce and gochujang brands used. Storage: Refrigerate the beef mixture in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Store rice separately from fresh toppings. Reheating: Reheat the beef mixture gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. Build bowls fresh with new rice and toppings.