BRAISED KOREAN SHORT RIBS WITH PICKLED ONION, CUCUMBER, AND JALAPENO TOPPER
I am honored to be one of 30 bloggers chosen to compete in the Lucky Foods Recipe Challenge. Lucky foods provided each blogger with 3 of their Korean sauces and the task is to create delicious ‘out-of-the-box’ appetizer and entree dishes. The sauces range from sweet to spicy and are derived from recipes that have been passed down for generations from the Lucky Foods founders, the Jo family. Each sauce has a delicious complex flavor profile and I couldn’t wait to start creating!
Short ribs are very traditional in Korean BBQ. In Korean, they are called Kalbi – hence the name of the delicious Lucky Foods BBQ sauce. I decided to put more of a traditional Eastern European spin on the preparation, braising rather than grilling, while still celebrating the delicious Korean flavors in the Kalbi sauce.
Sunday dinner, at my grandmother’s house often consisted of braised short ribs that had been cooking for most of the day with loads of root vegetables, served over creamy mashed potatoes. So, here’s my Korean spin on Sunday dinner at grandma’s house! The full recipe is also at the bottom of this post if you want to scroll down.
Start with 4-5 pounds of well marbled beef short ribs. Season them liberally with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat in a 8-10 quart Dutch oven. When the oil is very hot, sear the short ribs on all sides, working in 2 batches if necessary so the ribs are not ‘crowded’ in the pan which will cause them to steam rather than sear. Remove from pan and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium and add 1 large chopped onion, 8 chopped cloves of garlic, and 2 pounds of carrots, peeled and cut into 2-3″ pieces, to the pan drippings. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft and the mixture is fragrant, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the ribs back into the pan in one layer if possible, nestling them into the veggies. Pour 1, 13.2-ounce bottle of Lucky Foods Seoul Kalbi sauce into the pan and add enough water to bring the liquid ¾ of the way up the ribs, so they are not quite covered. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cover the pot and place it in the oven and cook for 2 hours. 
After 2 hours, remove the pan from the oven and add 3 cups of chopped bok choy cabbage, pushing it into the sauce and around the ribs. Cover the pot and cook for another hour. Remove the pan and check the ribs. They should be falling off the bone. If they are not, return to the oven and cook for 30 minutes more.
Gingerly remove the ribs from the pot and set aside. Skim any excess fat off the top of the remaining liquid and then bring the sauce to a low boil.
Mix ¼ cup corn starch with ½ cup of water in a shallow bowl and add to the pan, stirring as the broth thickens and becomes silky. Add 2 cups of pea pods to the pan and stir to coat. Reduce heat to low and add the short ribs back to the pan.
While the ribs are cooking, make the pickled veggies. Combine the vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a pan and bring to a boil. Stir dissolve sugar. Pour this liquid into a large jar and add onions, cucumbers, and jalapeño slices. Shake so that everything is covered. Shake occasionally to ensure the onions are all coated in the liquid. Let sit at room temperature for 3 hours while the ribs are cooking.
Serves ribs and all of those yummy veggies in Kalbi gravy over sticky rice. Garnish with scallions and cilantro leaves. Drizzle the Lucky Foods Kimchi Mayo all of the top and DEVOUR!
BRAISED KOREAN SHORT RIBS WITH PICKLED ONION, CUCUMBER, AND JALAPENO TOPPER
4-5 pounds beef short ribs, bone in and nicely marbled
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
¼ cup olive oil
2 large onions, rough chopped
8 large cloves garlic, rough chopped
2 pounds carrots cut into 2-3” pieces
1, 13.2-ounce bottle Lucky Foods Seoul Kalbi Sauce
3 cups bok choy cabbage, chopped into 3-4” pieces
2 cups pea pods, stringed
½ cup scallions, chopped
½ cup cilantro leaves
½ cup Lucky Foods Seoul Kimchi Mayo
Pickled Onions, Cukes, and Jalapenos:
1 cup cider vinegar
¾ cup water
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 small red onion, thinly sliced and slices cut into half moons
1 small cucumber, very thinly sliced into rounds
1 jalapeño pepper, very thinly sliced into rounds
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Liberally season the short ribs all over with the salt and pepper.
Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a 8-10 quart Dutch oven. When the oil is very hot, sear the short ribs on all sides, working in 2 batches if necessary so the ribs are not ‘crowded’ in the pan which will cause them to steam rather than sear. Remove from pan and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium and add the onions, garlic, and carrots to the pan drippings. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft and the mixture is fragrant, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the ribs back into the pan in one layer if possible, nestling them into the veggies. Pour the bottle of Kalbi sauce into the pan and add enough water to bring the liquid ¾ of the way up the ribs, so they are not quite covered. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cover the pot and place it in the oven and cook for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, remove the pan from the oven and add the chopped bok choy, pushing it into the sauce and around the ribs. Cover the pot and cook for another hour. Remove the pan and check the ribs. They should be falling off the bone. If they are not, return to the oven and cook for 30 minutes more.
Gingerly remove the ribs from the pot and set aside. Skim any excess fat off the top of the remaining liquid and then bring the sauce to a low boil.
Mix ¼ cup corn starch with ½ cup of water in a shallow bowl and add to the pan, stirring as the broth thickens and becomes silky. Add the pea pods to the pan and stir to coat. Reduce heat to low and add the short ribs back to the pan.
While the ribs are cooking, make the pickled veggies. Combine the vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a pan and bring to a boil. Stir dissolve sugar. Pour this liquid into a large jar and add onions, cucumbers, and jalapeño slices. Shake so that everything is covered. Shake occasionally to ensure the onions are all coated in the liquid. Let sit at room temperature for 3 hours while the ribs are cooking.
Serves ribs and all of those yummy veggies in Kalbi gravy over sticky rice. Garnish with scallions and cilantro leaves. Drizzle the Kimchi mayo all of the top and DEVOUR!
Check out Lucky Foods website for these amazing sauces, their famous spring rolls, kimchi, and so much more! https://www.luckyfood.com Also follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/luckyfoods/ and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/eatluckyfoods/ !!
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