Spicy Beef Yukgaejang (Korean Spicy Shredded Beef Soup)
Hearty and Spicy Stew: Spicy Beef Yukgaejang (or Red Korean Beef and Radish Soup)
Hello everyone, this is Henri’s Sister! This weekend, I decided to clear out my fridge and make a delicious hearty soup using only the ingredients I had on hand. It’s a warming, spicy soup that’s a bit of a hybrid – with beef brisket and radish, it could be a red Korean beef and radish soup, but with the addition of bracken, it leans towards Yukgaejang! I’m using some leftover beef brisket from making bone broth, two king oyster mushrooms, radish, and dried bracken that I gathered and dried last spring. Even without bean sprouts or soybean sprouts, which would be great additions, this soup is wonderfully flavorful!
Main Ingredients- 200g Beef brisket
- 1 handful Dried bracken, rehydrated
- 1/3 Radish
- 2 King oyster mushrooms
- 2 Stalks Green onions
- 1 Onion
- 1 pack Beef bone broth (approx. 1L)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First and foremost, soak the dried bracken in cold water until thoroughly rehydrated. (The total cooking time does not include the soaking and boiling time for the bracken. This recipe assumes you are starting with rehydrated bracken.)
Step 2
After soaking for about 2 hours, the bracken will have softened considerably. If you have more time, soaking it longer will yield even better results.
Step 3
Boil the rehydrated bracken in water. If you’re using pre-boiled bracken purchased from the store, you can skip this step. For bracken you’ve dried yourself, soaking and then boiling it makes it taste much better.
Step 4
Prepare all the ingredients for the soup in advance. Slice the beef brisket into bite-sized pieces. Slice the king oyster mushrooms lengthwise.
Step 5
Slice the green onions diagonally and julienne the onion. Having all your ingredients prepped beforehand makes the cooking process much smoother.
Step 6
In the pot you’ll be cooking in, add the sliced beef brisket and boiled bracken. Then, add the soy sauce for soup, minced garlic, and gochugaru.
Step 7
Gently massage the ingredients with your hands to help the seasonings penetrate the beef and bracken. This step adds a deep flavor to the ingredients.
Step 8
Once the beef and bracken have absorbed some of the seasoning, add the sliced radish and king oyster mushrooms, and mix them in gently. The moisture from the vegetables and the seasonings will meld together, enhancing the flavor.
Step 9
Now, pour in the broth. Using beef bone broth will make the soup richer and more flavorful.
Step 10
Add one pack of beef bone broth, and top up with water to reach the desired amount. (You can use just water, but bone broth adds significant depth.) Use about 6 bowls of water (approximately 1.2 liters).
Step 11
Cover the pot and let it simmer for about 1 hour. For the first 10 minutes, boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer gently. This slow cooking process allows all the ingredients’ flavors to meld beautifully into the broth.
Step 12
After simmering for an hour, add the julienned onion and diagonally sliced green onions. Bring it to a rolling boil one more time, and your delicious Yukgaejang is ready!
Step 13
Finally, taste the soup and adjust the seasoning. If it’s not salty enough, add a little salt (preferably sea salt for a cleaner taste) and a dash of black pepper. Now you can enjoy your hot and spicy Yukgaejang!
