Braised Gochujang short ribs and spice roasted vegetables

Make this on a cold Sunday when you´re not leaving the house. One spoonful of this smoky/spicy gochujang paste used as a braising liquid and you'll understand how complex chillies can be. This unusual chilli paste creates a base so flavoursome you dont need stock, although I admit I did add some stock just to cover the meat. Keeping the casserole slightly uncovered  as the ribs cook allows the sauce to reduce and concentrate.The flavours meld together really well to make a really tasty and 
satifying dish for a cold day. 

Gochujang is the quintessential Korean red pepper paste. Its spicy, savoury and slightly sweet with a lot of complexity. Traditionally the sauce is made and fermented to develop the flavours but there are ways to make it more simply and quickly. Mine is one of those ( not authentic ) but who cares when it tastes as good as this. This recipe requires just 5 ingredients, 5 minutes and 1 food processor. I used miso paste as a base which provides a quicker route to the required fermented flavour. If you can source Korean chilli powder or flakes they are not as spicy as cayenne and more complex than your regular chilli flakes. Next I added  fresh garlic, maple syrup for the sweetness, and tamari.

Gochujang paste

1/3 cup miso paste
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup Korean chilli flakes
4 cloves garlic minced

1/4 cup tamari

In the food processor blend the miso,maple syrup,chilli flakes tamnari and garlic.

Taste and adjust the flavour as needed.Add more chilli flakes for spice,tamari for depth,maple syrup for sweetness and garlic for "zing." Store in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or freezer for 1 month.Perfect for dishes like this ,sauces soups, and marinades.

For the ribs

1.5kg short ribs 

6 juicy cloves garlic,crushed

1 tbsp grated ginger

80 ml light soya sauce

125ml chicken stock

65g light brown sugar

2 bay leaves

1 stick cinnamon

1 star anise, optional

30g gochujang paste(see above)

1 tsp sesame seeds

Season the ribs with salt.Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour, or chill, uncovered for up to 12 hours.If chilling let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium heavy casserole over medium-high heat.

Working in 2 batches,cook the ribs,turning occasionally  and reducing heat if needed until nicely browned all over,10-12 minutes per batch.Transfer to plate.

When cool,Carefully pour off the oil and and wipe out the casserole:pour 1 tablespoon sesame oil into the casserole and place back over a medium heat.

Place all the ingredients except the ribs and sesame seeds in a casserole and bring to a  simmer. Return the ribs the casserola and make sure there is enough liqid just to cover the ribs, Partially cover leaving the lid ajar, and cook over a low heat turning the ribs occasionally until the meat is tender 3  to 31/2 hours.

Gochujang Roasted Veggie
I am a little obsessed with gochujang, this slightly sweet and spicy fermented Korean chili paste—so I decided to toss the usual roasted veggie suspects with it, and it was a hit.The choice of vegetables is an open book, carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, turnip,brussels sprouts....so anyway so this is what I did.

Preheat the oven to 200c.

Prepare your vegetables in a large bowl. Toss a spoonful of of the gochujang with the root veggies. Spread them out evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake them for 35 to 40 minutes, tossing them and rotating the tray halfway through the cooking time.