For The Most Flavorful Pot Roast, Make It Korean-Style

A comforting Sunday beef pot roast is a low-effort dish to make on the weekends because it's pretty much hands-off; the long simmer is the secret to its cozy character and aroma. However, if you want to further elevate your pot roast and maximize all that lip-smacking flavor, consider making it Korean-style with a dollop of gochujang.

Gochujang is a deep-red-colored paste that's made of glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and dried red chili flakes, known as gochugaru. Packed with umami flavor, gochujang has a punchy character and funky aroma as well as a wallop of heat. However, the fermentation process also lends it a mild note of sweetness.

When making a slow-cooker pot roast, the first stage is to brown the sides of the beef to lend it some caramelized color before removing it and adding any aromatics, such as onions and garlic, to the same pan. This move allows the veggies to absorb all the meaty residue at the base of the pot and bind with the fond. This also happens to be the perfect moment to add a dollop of gochujang into the mix. As the aromatic veggies soften, the aroma of the gochujang is enlivened in the heat and also develops a darker hue. Then you can simply deglaze the pot as normal, with either broth or water, dump the beef back in and simmer it gently until the meat is unctuously tender and deliciously spiced with the gochujang.

As gochujang also contains fermented soybeans, it has an umami quality that underscores the savoriness of the beef and gives the finished dish a satisfying taste. It somehow rounds off the combination of flavors in the pot, making it taste complete. This is due to the long fermentation process, which infuses the paste with a nuanced and concentrated personality. The Korean condiment also introduces some warming heat into the delicious gravy at the bottom of the pan while the dried chili flakes lend the pot roast an invitingly rich color and depth.

When it comes to serving ideas for a Korean-style pot roast the choice is yours. You can go the traditional route and serve your protein with mashed taters and more veggies, making sure to smother the beef with plenty of that spicy gravy. Alternatively, top your pot roast with Asian-inspired toppings, like finely sliced scallions, fresh coriander, and sesame seeds before ladling chunks of meat and brothy sauce onto a steaming bowl of rice. You could even serve it over noodles with an Asian slaw dressed in soy and honey. Finally, if you have any leftovers, pair it with a fried egg, sticky rice, and fresh veggies to create a quick bibimbap bowl.