Hearty Beef and Rice Cake Soup (Tteokguk) for the New Year
How to Make Beef Tteokguk with Anchovy Broth
As the New Year arrives, a warm bowl of tteokguk often comes to mind. Today, we’ve prepared a simple way to make it at home using anchovy broth. This recipe yields a deeply flavorful and comforting soup perfect for ringing in the new year.
For the Tteokguk
- 400g rice cake for soup (tteokguk tteok)
- 100g minced beef
- 800ml anchovy broth
- 1/3 stalk large green onion
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp soup soy sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil (for garnish)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- Salt (to taste)
- A pinch of shredded seaweed (garnish)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the flavorful anchovy broth for the tteokguk. In a pot, add plenty of water and a broth sachet (or anchovies, kelp, etc.). Simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes to extract a rich broth, then remove the sachet.
Step 2
Rinse the rice cakes for soup lightly in cold water and drain them to prevent sticking. If the rice cakes are hard, soaking them in water for a bit after rinsing will make them softer.
Step 3
Gently press the minced beef with paper towels to remove excess blood. Removing blood prevents any gamey smell and results in a cleaner broth.
Step 4
Crack two eggs into a bowl, remove the chalazae (the white stringy bits), and whisk them thoroughly with a fork or whisk until smooth. You can simply stir with chopsticks.
Step 5
To make a thin egg garnish, lightly oil a pan and cook the beaten egg mixture over low heat until set. Once cooked, roll the egg crepe tightly and slice it thinly into strips for garnish.
Step 6
Now, let’s start cooking the tteokguk! Heat 1 Tbsp of sesame oil in a pot. Add the drained minced beef and 1 tsp of minced garlic. Stir and break up the beef as it cooks over medium-low heat until it turns white. Sauté until the beef is no longer pink.
Step 7
Once the beef is sufficiently cooked, add 1 Tbsp of soup soy sauce for umami and stir-fry briefly to let the flavor meld with the beef.
Step 8
Pour in the prepared 800ml of anchovy broth. Having enough broth is important, as it will reduce slightly as the rice cakes cook.
Step 9
Bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Once the broth is vigorously boiling, add the prepared rice cakes for soup. Stir in 1/2 Tbsp of fish sauce (or slightly more soup soy sauce if fish sauce is unavailable) to enhance the umami and flavor.
Step 10
When the rice cakes float to the surface and are cooked, add the thinly sliced large green onion and simmer for about 1 more minute to allow its fresh flavor to infuse the soup. Taste and add salt if needed to reach your desired seasoning.
Step 11
Ladle the hot tteokguk generously into bowls, topping with the egg garnish strips and shredded seaweed. Your delicious anchovy broth beef tteokguk is complete! Happy New Year 🙂
