A little spicy, a little saucy, with some hidden sweetness. Just like me! This stew is great to throw together and let simmer in the oven all day, or scroll all down for the slow cooker version.

  • 3 to 4 pounds stew meat or chuck roast cut into 2 inch cubes, or 5 pounds bone-in short ribs
  • vegetable oil, kosher salt and black pepper
  • 2 Asian pears – or regular pears, or in a pinch (there is a pandemic right now) 2 cups unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 10 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped ginger
  • 3 cups beef stock
  • (1) 12 oz can Coca-Cola
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons gochuchan
  • 2 pounds assorted root veggies – cut into chunks – we like carrots and turnips in this one
  1. Preheat the oven to 350*
  2. Heat a large Dutch oven or braising pot over medium-high, add a slick of vegetable oil, and sear the beef in batches. As the meat is browning, sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Remember not to crowd the pan. When the meat is browned on all sides, transfer to a bowl and then repeat until all of the meat is browned.
  3. In the same pan, add a little more oil and then add in the pear, onion, garlic and ginger. Stir and cook about 5 minutes, until the onion is browned. Add the beef stock, turn off the heat, and use an immersion blender to puree the sauce until fairly smooth.
  4. Stir in the remaining ingredients (if you can’t find the gochuchang, add a few glugs of hot sauce), add the beef and any juices back to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover and slide the pot into the preheated oven.
  5. Bake until the beef is tender, about 3 hours.

For the slow cooker, brown the beef, put in the crock, and make the sauce as specified. Cook on Low for 8-10 hours.

We like to eat this with sauteed spinach topped with a little toasted sesame oil and a side of white rice.