Korean Braised Beef with Soy Pickled Cucumbers & Sticky Rice

3 lbs beef chuck or short ribs

¼ cup low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons gochujang

1 tablespoon sriracha

3 tablespoons brown sugar

5 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons ginger

1 bunch of green onion

2 cups beef broth or water

Corn starch

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2 English cucumbers, cut into 2 inch strips

3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

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2 cups short grain rice

2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

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Toasted sesame seeds for garnish*

Start by making your beef. Add the ingredients into the crock pot, mix, then cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.
Meanwhile, slice your cucumbers into strips and add soy sauce, vinegar, honey and combine. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes - the longer the better!
In the last hour of your beef’s cooking time, make your sticky rice. Rinse the rice thoroughly for 3-4 minutes. Let it soak in cold water for 30 minutes. If you don’t have the time to soak, you can skip this step. Add the rinsed rice to a pot and add in 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid then reduce the heat to a simmer and let it cook for 20-25 minutes or until the water is completely absorbed. Once it’s cooked, turn off the heat and let it sit in the pot for an additional 5 minutes with the lid on. Finish with a splash of vinegar and a pinch of salt. Adjust seasoning to your liking.
Once the beef is fork tender, remove from the crock pot. Add the sauce to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and water to a small bowl and whisk together. Add this mixture to the saucepan and whisk. This will thicken your sauce. Once the sauce is thickened, turn off the heat.
Now it’s time to assemble! Take out a bowl and add a generous portion of your sticky rice. Add your beef and spoon some of your sauce on top. Finish with cucumbers and toasted sesame seeds, enjoy!