Please enter the email you’re using for this account.
This recipe breaks all the rules and is completely delicious. I learned this technique from a Korean friend’s mom, but I wasn’t sure how to pull it off with kosher meat. At last, 20 years later, it has been mastered and is now often repeated in my home. The incredible juxtaposition of sweet and savory in this recipe is perfectly balanced, and the coconut water adds a richness that can’t be duplicated with stock or water.
1 cup Haddar Dark Brown Sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Tonnelli Worcestershire Sauce, non-fish variety
4 pounds beef stew meat, cut into chunks of 2–3 inches
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 shallots, sliced thinly (about 1 cup)
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, chopped coarsely
4 cloves garlic, minced or 4 cubes Gefen Frozen Garlic
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped (see note below)
1/2 cup brandy or red wine
2 cups coconut water or chicken stock
In a medium-sized heavy-bottomed pot, cook sugar over medium-low heat about eight to 10 minutes, stirring often so it doesn’t burn. When sugar is melted and smooth, remove from heat and add soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well. The sugar will likely seize; return pot to the heat until mixture is smooth and slightly thickened.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Heat a Dutch oven over high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper.
Add oil to the pot. When oil is hot, brown meat on all sides, about eight minutes total. This can be done in batches to avoid crowding the pot. Remove the beef and set aside.
Add shallots to the pot and cook until softened. Add ginger, garlic, and jalapeños and cook for one minute.
Add brandy/wine and stir, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Cook until liquid is reduced by half, about two minutes. Return beef and any accumulated juices to the pot.
Add coconut water. The liquid in the pot should almost cover the meat, but not completely. Cover and place in the oven.
Cook for one hour and 20 minutes, until the meat is tender but not shredding. Uncover and cook for an additional 30 minutes to lightly caramelize and brown the exposed pieces of meat. Serve warm with pan sauces.
Photography by Chay Berger
How Would You
Rate this recipe?
Recipe is not clear to me. When do you use the melted sugar sauce?