Korean Gochujang Short Rib Sandwich

Gochujang. I’ve eaten it. I’ve fallen in love with it. But I had never worked with it before.

Gochujang is a fermented red chili paste and a popular Korean condiment. I think it’s delicious all by itself – as in, when I first got it, I slathered it on toast and enjoyed immediately – however, it IS really spicy. Combining the gochujang with sweetness, acid, or a fat (like avocado, egg yolk, etc) can really help balance it out.

For this sandwich, I braised a short ribs from my local butcher the day before, pulled all the meat and piled it high on a toasted baguette. The sauce is a perfect combination of gochujang, lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, & brown sugar. Finger licking good, quite literally.

To garnish, pickled red onions & garlic, a couple over easy eggs, cilantro & sesame seeds. Heaven.

Never made pickled red onions before? It’s really simple and I’ve laid it all out in the recipe below. They’ll keep in your fridge forever and add an awesome tangy crunch to many future meals!

Not yet a meat braising pro? Follow my guide here.

Korean Gochujang Short Rib Sandwich

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• Author: Trish Santoro
• Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
• Yield: 2 sandwiches 1x

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Description

Braised meat is served in a toasted baguette with a spicy Korean gochujang sauce, a fried egg, and tangy pickled onions.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the Braised Short Ribs:

• 2 bone-in beef short ribs (about 1 1/2 - 2 lbs (680-900 g) total)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 cup (240 ml) beef broth
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) water

For the Spicy Sauce:

• 3 tbsp (45 ml) gochujang
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) sesame oil
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

For the Pickled Red Onions & Garlic:

• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 orange, juiced
• Pinch of sugar
• Pinch of salt

To Assemble:

• 1 small baguette (whole grain or plain), split lengthwise and toasted
• 2 eggs, fried over easy
• Fresh cilantro, as garnish
• Sesame seeds, as garnish

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Instructions

1. Season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the ribs on all sides until deeply browned, about 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add the onion and garlic to the pot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Return the ribs to the pot and pour in the beef broth and water — the liquid should come about halfway up the ribs. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and braise until the meat is completely tender and falling off the bone, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
3. Remove the ribs from the pot and let cool slightly. Discard the bones and any large pieces of fat, then shred the meat with two forks. Set aside.
4. Blanch the sliced red onion and garlic in boiling water for 15 seconds, then drain. Transfer to a container with the lime juice, orange juice, sugar, and salt. Let pickle for at least 1 hour. Drain before using.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients until the sugar is dissolved.
6. Assemble the sandwich: pile the shredded rib meat onto the toasted baguette. Top with the sauce, pickled onion and garlic, fried eggs, cilantro, and sesame seeds.

Notes

• Braise the ribs the day before — the meat is easier to shred when cold and the flavor only improves overnight.
• Remove all the fat while shredding; it’s much easier to spot once the meat has cooled.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 hours
• Category: Sandwich
• Cuisine: Korean

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 sandwich
• Calories: 760

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