Sunday Family Dinners: Korean Beef Stew

My mom doesn't like eating at fast food places because most of them are poorly maintained. So I was surprised to find out that she was okay with eating at the fast food at the Landmark supermarket in Trinoma. She apparently likes the takoyaki from Karate Kid and the Korean beef stew from Kimchi. So, I decided that I'd try to make Korean beef stew for one of the Sunday dinners.

I stumbled upon this recipe and it looked simple enough so I tried it out. Unfortunately, no photos because I always forget to take them. =(

Korean Beef Stew

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 2-3 hours
Servings: approx 6 persons

Beef (half lean, half beef shanks or short rib)	1 kg
White sugar	1/2 cup
Sesame oil	2 tablespoons
Rice wine (I used Mirin)	2 tablespoons
Soy sauce (I always use the low sodium kind)	3/4 cup
Garlic, crushed	1 head
Onion, thinly sliced	1 head
Ginger, crushed	1 tablespoon
Oil (I used canola)	4 tablespoons
Freshly ground pepper	To taste
Water	As needed
For serving:
Green onions, chopped
Sesame seeds, toasted
Bean sprouts, blanched
Udon noodles	Optional

* I prepared the beef and marinade the night before I cooked the beef stew.

1. Wash beef.
2. Combine the sugar, sesame oil, rice wine, soy sauce, garlic, onion, and ginger.
3. Add beef to the marinade and keep in the fridge overnight. I placed mine in large zip lock bags and flipped it every few hours or so to make sure that the beef gets thoroughly marinated.
4. When ready to start cooking heat oil over high heat.
5. Once oil is hot enough sear the beef.
6. When all beef pieces have been seared pour the marinade over the beef and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes.
7. Afterwards, add enough water just to submerge the beef.
8. Turn the heat up until the water boils and then turn the heat to low and simmer until the beef is tender (around  2-3 hours depending on the quality of the beef)
9. Check the stew every now and then and skim off any scum that floats to the top.
10. Season to taste with sugar, salt, and pepper.

You can also season the stew with chili flakes along with the sugar, salt, and pepper. I just left it as a garnish instead because my mom is sensitive to spicy food. I also prepared chopped green onions, toasted sesame seeds, and bean sprouts so that people could garnish their own plates as they wanted it.

I also cooked some buckwheat udon noodles to go with the Korean beef stew. I saw it as a serving alternative somewhere online. They were great with the stew and I think I had too many servings because I liked it so much.

Overall, this dish was a hit with my family that my mom kept leftovers in the freezer. One of the recipes I'd definitely make again.