Korean Beef Short Rib Noodle Bowl

This is my third go at beef short ribs, and once again, they did not disappoint! Back in May, I made another Asian inspired beef short rib recipe that was pretty amazing. This recipe was quite a bit different from that recipe, using different flavors and cooking technique. This Korean Short Rib recipe requires less time, is easier to prepare, and best of all, braises in the crock pot. It certainly got this cook's seal of approval and my family was digging it too! It totally hit the spot and I'll definitely make it again. I came up with this recipe after finding this recipe on the TLC website, then tailored it to my kitchen.

I began with about 4 lbs. of beef short ribs. Short ribs are obviously a very fatty cut of meat, which is why I prepared the meat a day ahead of when I planned to serve it, so that I could refrigerate the braising juices and properly skim off the fat. Once all of the fat you see here cooks off, you are left with an incredibly tender, flavorful protein. Before this year, I had never prepared or even eaten short ribs. Then I found myself with an abundance, because no one else in my family really wanted them from the beef that came off of my grandparent's farm. Now that I've got the hang of cooking short ribs, I'm definitely a fan!



Because most beef prepared in the slow cooker has better flavor if browned first, I dredged the short ribs in some flour, salt, and pepper.



Then I browned them on all sides in a little oil, heated in a skillet.



Once the short ribs were browned, I moved them into my crock pot and then added some chopped onion to the skillet to saute until tender. When the onion was tender I tossed in a couple teaspoons of minced garlic and smashed ginger and stirred for another minute or two until fragrant.



Then I stirred together some soy sauce, water, and brown sugar and poured the liquid into the skillet to deglaze. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes.



I poured the braising liquid over the short ribs. At this point I realized that I didn't have enough liquid, so I added about another cup of water, so that the liquid came about halfway up the sides of the ribs. (I took this picture before I added the additional water).



Then I covered the crock pot and cooked on LOW for 8 hours, until the meat was fall-off-the-bone tender.



Transfer the short ribs to a casserole dish.



Most of the time needed to prepare this recipe goes into separating the flavorful, tender, short rib meat from the fat and bone. This step is a little time consuming. I set up my station at the kitchen table and turned on Dancing with the Stars while I went to work. Here you see the braising liquid in a bowl (top right), the meat (bottom), and the pile of fat and other undesirable stuff (top left). Save the braising liquid and meat, discard the fat (obviously).



I shredded the meat, covered the dish, and put it into the fridge overnight. I also covered the liquid and refrigerated it, so that the fat could rise to the top, until I was ready to make dinner the following day.



Day 2: Skim the fat off of the top of the braising liquid.



Heat the braising liquid and meat on the stovetop until simmering. Also (not shown) boil some water and cook 1/2 lb. of linguine or spaghetti noodles.



Stir a couple of teaspoons of sesame oil into the beef mixture. Cook and stir occasionally for a few more minutes.




Then toss the beef mixture with the pasta and some sliced green onion.



Sprinkle the dish with toasted sesame seeds and garnish with more green onion and serve. This was sooo good! The flavors and textures were wonderful in this hearty cool-weather meal. This totally satisfied my Asian take out fix!




Korean Beef Short Rib Noodle Bowl

3-4 lbs beef short ribs
1 cup flour
salt
pepper
oil
1/3 cup onion
2 t. minced garlic
2 t. smashed ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar
3/4 cup water + more to add to the crock pot
2 t. sesame oil
3 green onions, sliced
toasted sesame seeds
1/2 lb. linguine or spagetti noodles

Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a large, resealable bag. Shake the short ribs in the flour mixture to coat. Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet. Arrange ribs in the skillet and brown, turning to evenly color each side. Remove to slow cooker. Add onion to the skillet and saute until tender. Add in garlic and ginger, stir until fragrant. Combine, soy sauce, 3/4 cup water, and brown sugar. Add to skillet, deglazing. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes. Pour liquid over short ribs, then add enough water, 1 cup or more, until the liquid reaches halfway up the sides of the beef. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or until the meat is very tender. Remove meat to a casserole dish and separate from fat and bone. Shred beef. Cover and refrigerate. Save the braising liquid, cover and refrigerate overnight. Day 2: Boil water and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm. Skim the fat from the braising liquid. Discard. Combine braising liquid and beef in a pot. Heat until simmering. Stir in sesame oil. Toss the beef mixture with hot pasta and sliced green onions. Serve topped with sesame seeds and additional green onions.

*Note: You can make this all in one day, I just prefer to let the braising liquid sit in the fridge overnight so that it's easier to skim all of the fat off of the top.

For a printable copy of this recipe, please click here!