The 3-Ingredient Combo That Will Give Your Pot Roast A Korean Twist

A pot roast is a classic American dish that's often seasoned with household spices like garlic and onion powders or black pepper. A peek into your family's recipes or a Google search will obviously lead you to an array of other ways to season and cook the comfort meal. But we're here to tell you that out of the many tips you need to make a flavorful pot roast is to lean into Korean flavors for a fusion of cuisines. All it takes is three ingredients to give that Korean twist to your next pot roast: ginger, soy sauce, and gochujang.

These three ingredients are at the core of many traditional Korean dishes, which is why they work so well together to season a pot roast. Ginger and soy sauce are two ingredients that many home cooks are familiar with. The ginger will provide a pungent kick with a mild sweetness to temper the richness of the beef. Soy sauce goes in a variety of Asian recipes and will give layers of salty, umami flavor. It's the gochujang that you might not be familiar with, but it's essential to give that Korean kick to pot roast. It's a paste made of red chili peppers, fermented soybeans, glutinous rice, and salt, which passes on salty, sweet, and umami flavors to the beef.

To make a Korean pot roast, start with our German-style pot roast or Crock-Pot rump roast recipes, then adapt with the special ingredients. You'll still want some of the classic ingredients like onion and garlic, which you sweat down along with the ginger. The soy sauce (preferably low sodium so you have control over the salt levels) and gochujang will go in next, along with a sweetener like brown sugar to balance the flavors. The rest of the ingredients are on par with a traditional pot roast, like beef stock. Lean into your inspiration with other additions like Korean chili powder for heat, sesame oil, or a garnish of cilantro, scallions, or sesame seeds. 

Carrots and potatoes at the bottom of the pot are common to pair with a traditional pot roast, but we're talking about a Korean twist here. You can't go wrong with a side of steamed white rice. Other options to turn your Korean pot roast into a complete meal are sides of kimchi, cucumber salad for freshness, or sigeumchi-namul, a spinach dish made with soy sauce.