Korean Short Rib Tacos

I recently made Korean short rib tacos with gochujang sauce, a recipe from Jet Tila’s cookbook, 101 Asian Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die*. I love tacos any way they come, and this seemed like a great opportunity to mix things up and try something new.

The process was simple, but the ribs do take several hours to cook in the oven, so I’d recommend this dish for a weekend when you have some free time.

You will need a dutch oven for this recipe.

*This recipe has been modified slightly by me.

Meat

• Short ribs on the bone

• ½ cup flour

• 1 teaspoon salt and pepper

• 4 tablespoons butter

• 2 shallots

• 4 bulbs minced garlic

• 2 stalks celery, diced

• 2 carrots, diced

• ½ large onion, diced

• 3/4 bottle of red wine

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tablespoon dried parsley

• 4 cups beef broth

Taco Sauce

• ¼ cup gochujang

• ¼ cup white sugar

• ⅓ cup soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

You will also need:

• Taco shells- we used crispy corn shells, but soft shells would work too

• Cilantro to garnish

• Lime wedges to garnish

• Onion to garnish- I fine diced some white onion to add crunch to the finished product

• Quick pickled carrots to garnish- simply dice fresh carrots and soak them in apple cider vinegar (enough to coat the carrots), fresh dill, and 1 clove of diced garlic for at least 1 hour in the fridge (the longer you soak them, the more flavor they will have)

To make the meat:

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.

2. Dredge the ribs in the flour, salt, and pepper, knocking off any excess. Set aside.

3. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the ribs on all sides. Set aside.

4. In same dutch oven, melt the remaining butter. Add onion, carrots, celery. Cook until softened, approximately 10-12 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half.

5. Once wine is reduced, stir in herbs and beef broth. Place ribs into liquid and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat. Cover the dutch oven with a tight fitting lid or aluminum foil. Place in preheated oven.

6. Bake until ribs are cooked through and falling from bone- approximately 3-3.5 hours. When cooked, remove meat and shred with forks.

7. To make the taco sauce:

8. Whisk all ingredients together until sugar is fully dissolved. Adjust sugar and gochujang to taste. This can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge (be sure to stir it before serving) or made right before serving.

9. Serve the meat in taco shells with various toppings available to customize each taco. I like serving fruit with tacos- it’s a light and refreshing foil to all the fat and tang of the meat. Enjoy!