Tender Korean Slow-Cooked Beef (Printable Version)

Savory Korean-style beef slow-cooked to tender perfection with garlic, ginger, and sesame.

# What You Need:

→ Beef

01 - 2 lbs beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into large chunks

→ Sauce

02 - ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
03 - ⅓ cup brown sugar
04 - ¼ cup water
05 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
06 - 2 tablespoons sesame oil
07 - 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
08 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chili paste) or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
10 - 1 pear, grated (Asian pear, Bosc pear, or apple)
11 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch

→ To Serve

12 - 4 cups cooked jasmine or short grain rice
13 - 2 green onions, sliced
14 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

# How to Make It:

01 - Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, gochujang, and grated pear in a medium bowl until fully combined.
02 - Place beef chunks in the bottom of the crock pot. Pour the prepared sauce over the beef, ensuring all pieces are evenly coated.
03 - Cover and cook on low heat for 6-7 hours, or until beef becomes incredibly tender and shreds easily with a fork.
04 - Remove beef from the crock pot and shred using two forks. Set aside while preparing the sauce.
05 - Skim excess fat from the remaining sauce in the crock pot. Mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water to form a slurry, then stir into the sauce.
06 - Return shredded beef to the crock pot and stir to coat in the thickened sauce. Cook on high for 15 minutes until sauce reaches desired consistency.
07 - Serve hot over cooked rice, garnished generously with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce does all the heavy lifting, turning a tough chuck roast into something that melts in your mouth
  • Everything goes into one pot, which means almost zero cleanup and maximum flavor payoff
02 -
  • The grated pear might seem strange but it is absolutely essential for authentic Korean flavor and tenderness
  • Cornstarch needs cold liquid to dissolve properly or you will end up with lumpy sauce
03 -
  • Marinating the beef overnight in the sauce before cooking amplifies the flavor even more
  • Let the cornstarch slurry cook for the full 15 minutes to lose any raw starch taste

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