Beef Gochujang Stew

With a spring onion and coriander garnish

by Justina Sullivan
Dinner table with beef gochujang stew, rice, coriander salsa and cold beer ready to be eaten

Table of Contents

A Fragrant Beef Gochujang Stew Slow-Cooked to Perfection

This Beef Gochujang Stew is a rich, comforting dish that slow-cooks tender beef in a deeply rich sauce infused with Korean gochujang chili paste. The fragrant aromatics and warming spices—Sichuan pepper, coriander, and ginger—come together to create a beautifully complex, multi-layered base. Each spoonful delivers a perfect balance of heat, sweetness, and umami, wrapping you in warmth from the inside out.

Slow cooked Beef Gochujang Stew with a serving spoon

Beef Shanks with Bone Marrow

Bone-in beef shanks are naturally tough, dry and sinewy and require hours of slow cooking to reduce the flesh to soft, juicy, moist meat, but it’s well worth the effort. The marrow in the bone, which holds the meat together, is a bonus. After a while, the marrow melts deliciously into the sauce, adding a rich, meaty, buttery, beef flavour to the stew.

Silver tray with two Beef Shanks and bone marrow ready to be cooked

Browning Meat Before Adding it to the Stew

Beef should always be salted and browned over a high heat before being added to a stew. Browning helps to develop depth of flavour through the Maillard reaction, where proteins and carbohydrates react to form more complex flavour compounds and release juices.

Browning should only take a few minutes. Fry in hot oil on each side, taking care not to overcook the meat. The purpose of browning is to caramelise the meat and add flavour. The inside should remain raw to soften during slow cooking.

An orange Le Creuset crock pot with a browned beef shank and bone marrow

Key Spices in Beef Gochujang Stew

  • Star Anise: This spice provides a warm, licorice-like aroma that serves as the flavor base for the stew. Paired with Sichuan peppercorns and coriander, it contributes to a well-rounded taste profile.
  • Gochujang: A Korean fermented chili paste that is spicy, savory, slightly sweet, and salty. It adds a robust flavor that pairs perfectly with beef.
  • Sichuan Peppercorns: Known for their unique numbing quality and floral taste, Sichuan peppercorns add a subtle heat that complements the gochujang’s savory sweetness.
A ceramic plate with the ingredients to make a Chinese 5 spice blend
Chinese 5 Spice blend
A small bowl of Korean gochujang fermented chilli paste
Korean gochujang fermented chilli paste

Tender Meat and Bone Marrow-Infused Sauce

Once the beef is fully cooked, use two forks to gently shred it into smaller pieces. By now, the bone marrow has melted completely into the sauce, enriching it with a deep, velvety texture.

Cooked Beef Gochujang Stew with the remaining bones
Left over bones agter the marrow has dissolved into the sauce
Le Crueset crock pot filled with Beef Gochujang Stew
The bones are removed and discarded

How to Serve Beef Gochujang Stew

Serve this beef gochujang stew over rice or noodles and garnish with fresh lime slices, spring onions, and cilantro for a burst of color and brightness. This hearty stew is perfect for a cold evening or Sunday afternoon, especially when paired with a refreshing cold beer.

Dinner table with beef gochujang stew, rice, coriander salsa and cold beer ready to be eaten

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Recipe: Beef Gochujang Stew

Beef Gochujang Stew
Print Recipe

Beef Gochujang Stew

A fragrant beef gochujang stew, slow-cooked to perfection, resulting in a rich, juicy meat sauce with a spicy kick.
Total Time3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1.2 kilos beef shank
  • 1 onion chopped fine
  • 1 celery chopped fine
  • 1 carrot grated with a box grater
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 potato peeled and grated with a box grater
  • Large knob ginger
  • 1 tbsp apple vinegar
  • 4 star anise
  • 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns ground down
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp red chilli flakes
  • 2 tbsp gochujang paste
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp soy
  • 3 cups beef stock
  • Rice for serving
  • Sesame seeds for garnish optional

Garnish

  • 2 spring onions
  • Small bunch coriander
  • 1 tbsp lime juice

Instructions

  • Using a frying pan with no oil, quickly dry roast star anise, sichuan peppercorns, and coriander seeds until fragrant, approx 1 minute. Remove and grind down to a powder. Set aside.
  • Season beef with salt. Heat some vegetable oil in a large stewing pot. Add beef shanks to the hot pot and brown all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove browned shanks and set aside.
  • Using the same pot, fry onion, celery, carrot, and garlic until soft (season with a little salt during frying).
  • Add another splash of oil to the pan along with the spice mix and chilli flakes. Cook a few minutes until fragrant, stirring around so spices don't stick or burn.
  • Next, add gochujang paste. Cook for 1 minute.
  • Add stock, honey, soy, apple cider vinegar and grated potato to the pot, and combine well. Now place the beef shanks into the sauce, bring to a boil, place a lid on top, and simmer for 3 hours.
  • Cook rice or noodles, according to packet instructions.
  • Coriander garnish: Combine spring onions, coriander, lime in a small bowl.
  • The meat should have fallen off the bone by now. To divide into small pieces use two forks to shred. Make sure all the bone marrow has melted away from inside the bones and into the sauce. If not use a knife to remove it and stir through. Discard bones.
  • Serve the beef stew on top of rice or mix into noodles. Squeeze over lime and garnish with coriander and spring onion. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if you have them.