Slow braised short ribs with red onion and delicata squash make the perfect for the Fall and Winter months with spice from gochujang and ginger. Can be made on the stove top or in the oven. Serves 8-10.

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The first time I made this recipe, it was for a wine pairing dinner party and it went perfectly with the bold and spicy cabernet. That dinner party changed my brain chemistry on how I host, so much so that it inspired me to write an entire blog post on hosting a wine pairing dinner party. One of the main things I learned was the value of spending less time on food, and more time on decorations to make the party really feel special. This short rib was the perfect food to have for the main because other than some measuring and chopping, it doesn’t take a lot of time to put together.

The original version of this recipe, from Molly Baz’s More is More cookbook, has hot sauce in it. Because I’m not a fan of hot sauce myself, I replaced it with the sweeter gochujang, a fermented Korean chili paste. If you’ve never had gochujang before it’s a sweet, savory, and spicy paste that you can add to all sorts of dishes. I add it on top of noodles or stir it into ramen to give it a little kick, or use it as apart of a marinade for chicken, beef or tofu. Because it’s fermented , gochujang also adds umami to a dish.

I loved this recipe so much after making it last year, I made it for my family again for Christmas dinner, and everyone loved it. Let me know in the comments what you think!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is it spicy? While gochujang does add spice in this dish, the ingredient that really adds the spice is the fresh ginger that is chopped into it, so if your guests are not a fan of spice, then I would reduce the amount of ginger used by half.

Can this be made in the oven or the stovetop? I have made it with either, and suspect you could also make it in a crockpot as well. See directions below for how to do it.

What do you serve with this? I love serving this alongside a crusty bread or focaccia. I made my Herbed Artisan Bread both times, and a Pumpkin Sage Focaccia recently, and they were all amazing. For an additional side I like to serve a kale or brussel sprout salad with goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. A full bodied, herby, and spicy strong red wine is a wonderful compliment along side this dish as well.

How difficult is this to make? This is definitely the easiest + most impressive main I’ve ever made, and a great recipe for beginners. I like to think I put in the hard work by buying a more expensive cut of meat, then braising it low and slow does the rest of the work for me.

Can I use bone in short ribs? I find that the bone in short ribs are almost twice as expensive and more bulky, so you may need a bigger pot to braise. You’ll also have a harder time making sure everything is submerged in the liquid. I would say it’s worth the extra grocery trip to find boneless. I have always been able to find it at my local Costco.

Ingredients

1 1/2 large red onions
3 Delicata squash
1 1/2 heads of garlic
5 lb short ribs (no bone), if you do have bone in your short ribs
1 5 inch (12.5 cm) head of ginger (half it if you want it less spicy)
3 cinnamon sticks
6 dried bay leaves

Sauce

3 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup gochujang (Korean chili paste)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups chicken or beef stock
1 tablespoon plus 2 tsp sea salt

Method

Turn on the oven to 450°F (unless you’re doing the stovetop method then you won’t need the oven).

Make the sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients in a large (9 1/2 qt) Dutch oven or large stockpot on medium high and bring to a simmer. Stir and continue to cook while the brown sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Prepare and add the rest of the ingredients except the delicata: While the sauce is simmering, prepare the vegetables by chopping the onions into 1” wedges, and thinly slice the ginger (no need to peel). Smash and peel the garlic. Once the sugar is dissolved, add the short rib, ginger, garlic, and red onions. Nestle everything in to be sure that the meat is covered as much as possible in the liquid.

For the oven braised method:

Place the lid on the Dutch oven, and put in the oven. Immediately reduce the temperature to 350. Let braise for three hours, until the meat is falling apart, checking to be sure the meat is covered and baste the top of it if needed every hour.

For the stovetop braised method:

Place the lid on the Dutch oven, and reduce the heat to medium or medium low so that the liquid is simmering. Let braise for three hours, until the meat is falling apart, checking to be sure the meat is covered and baste the top of it if needed every hour, and adjusting the heat if needed.

Prepare and add delicata: While the meat is braising, clean and cut Delicata squash into half moon shapes about 1/2” thick. Discard seeds. Once the meat is tender, add the Delicata, replace the lid, and bake for 45 minutes to one hour more. Check the progress of the delicate at 30 minutes to be sure not to over bake. Once the delicata is fork tender, carefully remove from the oven, and place on the stove top or other heat safe surface.

Taste and adjust salt if needed: Carefully taste the liquid and add more salt if needed.

Serve: Serve with herbed artisan bread, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Gochujang Short Ribs