Take Pot Roast Inspiration From This Traditional Korean Dish For 50% More Flavor

Thinking of making a more flavorful slow-cooker pot roast recipe this week? Let the flavors of Korean barbecue inspire you, specifically galbi (갈비) short ribs. Korean barbecue short ribs taste so good thanks to galbi marinade, which can work wonders in seasoning brisket or chuck roast in pot roasts too. The key is to first season your meat, sear all sides in a hot pan until a deep crust forms, then slow-cook the roast in galbi marinade mixed with beef broth for four to six hours

Galbi marinade usually consists of sweet, salty, and acidic ingredients. These ingredients include soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, honey, grated apple or pear, sugar, and rice vinegar. They work together to add depth to your pot roast. First, soy sauce amps up the brisket or chuck roast's umami and savory notes. Then, the sweetness of the sugar or honey tempers the saltiness. You also have acidity from rice vinegar that helps slice through the richness and meat fats. 

Additionally, the acidity of rice vinegar and the enzymes in fruits help tenderize the meat in the pot. The toughest cut will be soft and melt-in-your-mouth after just a few hours in the slow cooker. For this reason, we often use fruit juices in homemade marinades.

Understandably, making galbi marinade from scratch the first time can require a bit of prepping. You'll need to grate apples or pears, chop garlic, and mix many ingredients together. We recommend checking out the video below for more in-depth steps and techniques. And for those who don't wish to make the galbi marinade from scratch, consider visiting an Asian supermarket like H-Mart and grab a jar or bottle of it.

Once your Korean-inspired pot roast is done cooking, spoon the meat over a bed of rice or mashed potatoes, or pile it into a split baked potato and let the juices and sauce soak into the fluffy center. The result is an easy beef jacket potato recipe that you can make on repeat. To finish, add toppings and garnishes. Consider chopped scallions for a pop of green and a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds for crunch and nuttiness. 

With the remaining galbi braising liquid in your pot, consider refrigerating it and turning it into gravy another day. If the liquid is thin as it cooks down, there are simple ways to thicken runny gravy, like stirring in a cornstarch slurry.