Yukgaejang (Spicy Meat and Vegetable Stew) 육개장

Yukgaejang, a nutritious stew made from various types of vegetables.  Usually beef is used to make this stew but I substitute with pork today as I do not eat beef... You can use chicken to make the stew too, it taste equally yumm! :)

 

It's actually require quite a lot of work and time in making yukgaejang from soaking the dried veggie, pulling the meat into strips and boiling the stew for hours....but, the delicious taste from the stew is really worth the effort.  I made a big pot of yukgaejang today and plan to freeze some for later since the hardwork of making this, why not make a lot and freeze for later, right? hehehe lazy me! ;)  Yukgaejang can be consumed for a few days if keep in the fridge or longer up to weeks if kept in freezer.  It's said that the Korean mum will cook this stew if they have plan to go away for a few days of short trip, yukgaejang will keep the husband and children's tummies full.. May be I shall plan a short vacation with my bff and prepare this stew and keep in the fridge for my husband *wink*

 

Some yukgaejang recipes is using one kind of dried vegetable which is gosari (fernbrake), But, my husband insist that To-ran (taro stem) is a must in making the soup =.=", and....I actually have to agree with him.  By adding taro stem, I feel that it helps to balance the smell of gosari which become less strong and the stew taste really balance with the meat, veggies and hint of spiciness.  It may be hard to find these dried vegetables in some area but if can, try to get both To-ran (taro stem) and Gosari (fernbrake) in making this stew.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

1kg of Pork

2 cup of Gosari (fernbrake) (After soaked, squeezed and cut)

1 cup of To-ran 토란 (Taro stem)  (After soaked, squeezed and cut)

1 cup of Shiregi 시레기 (Dried radish greens) [After soaked, squeezed and cut) *Optional

10 piece of Dried Shiitake Mushrooms

1.5 cup of Bean Sprouts

3 stalk of Leek

1 Onion (Large size)

4 liter of Water

 

Seasoning/Sauce:

5 tbsp Soy sauce

4 tbsp Gochugaru (korean hot pepper flakes)

5 tbsp Minced Garlic

2 tbsp Sesame Oil

2 tsp Salt (or more according to taste)

1 tsp of Black pepper

 

Step by step photos:

 



To-ran 토란 (Taro Stem)

 

 

 

1. Boil dried gosari, to-ran and shiregi for 2 to 3 hours separately in water over medium high heat until they are soft.  (Or you can skip this step by soaking them overnight until they turn soft).
2. Drain the boiling water.  Wash them with cold water and squeeze out excess water.  Cut into about 8cm length.  Set aside.
3. Prepare a big pot, add in water and boil over high heat.
4. Once the water is boiled, turn to medium high heat and add in meat and dried shiitake mushroom.  Boil for about 40 minutes.
5. While waiting, slice the leek and onion.  Prepare the seasoning sauce by mixing soy sauce, gochugaru, minced garlic, sesame oil and back pepper.
6. Prepare a big bowl, put in the sliced leek, onion, bean sprout, gosari, to-ran and shiregi.  Add the seasoning sauce and mix with hand until well combined. Set aside.
7. After 40 minutes, scoop out the meat and mushroom, put aside to cool down.
8. Add the seasoned vegetables in step 6 to the boiling meat stock and boil for 20 minutes.
9. Once the meat and mushroom are cool down, slice the mushroom and tear the meat into strips by hand.
10. Add the sliced mushroom and meat strips back into the boiling stock and cook over medium low heat for another 1 hour with lid closed.
11. Serve with warm rice~

 

Tip:

- This stew usually use beef, but pork and chicken taste good too.

- If time allows, prepare the stew in the morning/afternoon and serve for dinner.  Let the stew cool down and re-boil again for another 30 minutes before serve.  This step makes the stew taste so much richer.