Slow cooked and reduced to perfection. A hearty stew that will make you look forward to winter all year long.
Ya’ll this is kind of the first recipe I’ve ever really ‘developed’. Meaning it’s not just something I made based off an already well known dish (i.e. brownies, curry udon, wtv). Be proud cuz I sure am!
I’ve been on a huge eggplant kick lately. Wasn’t a fan before but I try to revisit things i hate once in awhile to see if I’ve gotten over myself and tbh eggplants are fkn GOOD.
It was an accident but sadly the end result of this dish ended up looking a lot more like rendang than my actual rendang recipe did lmao. The short rib I used had a lot of marbling so I was able to get a lot of fat after reducing. & I used the reduced liquid to cook the eggplants so they absorbed all the flavor and ooooomygoditssodamngooddude.
The ingredient list might seem a little intimidating but you can omit stuff. I just added whatever I wanted in terms of seasoning. Most of the sauces are things you can keep in your pantry/fridge for awhile and reuse in other dishes though, so highly recommend getting them.
Also shout out to my oval dutch oven that i got on a Black Friday sale, one of the best investments I’ve made this year <3 The one I have is Lagostina but if you’re looking for a good one I’ve heard pretty good things about the Amazon Basics ones. Click here for an affiliate link (I make a small commission at no cost to you if you choose to buy so support ya girl).
Short Rib & Eggplant Stew
Ingredients
- 1 kg bone-in short rib sliced into long strips along the length of the bone
- 1/2 an Asian pear grated (can sub with an Anjou pear)
- 1/2 medium onion grated
- 1 thumb ginger grated, optional
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1 large eggplant chopped into large chunks
- 1 tbsp gochujang adjust to taste
- 2 tbsp soy sauce adjust to taste
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce adjust to taste
- 1 tbsp mirin adjust to taste
- 2 tsp brown sugar adjust to taste
- 10~15 peeled gingko nuts* optional, can be found at your local Asian grocery store
- 1 large eggplant chopped
- 1 medium carrot peeled and julienned
- 50 g mini king oyster mushrooms sliced (can sub for any other meaty mushroom)
- 2 stalks green onion bias cut (cut diagonally)
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large wide Dutch oven (or just a heavy pot) on medium high.
- Salt the short rib on all sides. Add the slices to the pot and sear until a golden brown crust forms all over.
- Add the grated pear, ginger, and onion. Add enough water to just barely cover the short rib. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to reduce to a simmer. Deglaze (i.e scrape up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pot), cover the pot and simmer for three hours.
- Remove the beef once tender and take the bones out (& the connective tissues). Set the meat aside.
- Strain the grated ingredients out of the soup with a mesh strainer and a ladle (or just…skim? I guess? If you don't have a strainer…get one).
- Add gochujang, soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, and brown sugar to the liquid. Then turn up the heat and begin to reduce the liquid. Add the gingko nuts before you begin. Stir frequently as you reduce the liquid to avoid burning, and add the eggplants halfway through. The whole process should take about 10~20 minutes depending on the surface area of your pot. Have patience and don't turn the heat up too high (70~80% of the max) unless you want some burnt eggplants.
- When the liquid is reduced (thick enough to coat the back of a spoon), add the meat back in along with the carrots and mushroom. Reduce the heat back to medium and mix well. Break up the meat into smaller chunks, it should be tender enough to fall apart easily.
- Add the green onions and serve. Enjoy!
