Yukgaejang (Spicy beef soup)

I don't know whether I was Korean or Italian in some other life -maybe both ? I just know that my two favourite things to eat are Italian traditional pasta, and Korean stews. Yukgaejang (Yuk meaning meat, Gaejang meaning spicy stew) resembles Kimchi Jigae somewhat ; both are spicy, meat-based soupy stews. The resemblance ends there, though. The Kimchi Jigae flavour profile is powerful and pungent, relying on a kick-ass base : rich pork, umami anchovy and kimchi broth. Yukgaejang, on the other hand, is more delicate and soupy. Do not be fooled by the bright red color ; the broth is spicy, yet not crazy spicy. The lean beef meat, combined with fernbrake and dried shiitakes, yields a mild earthy flavour. Unfamiliar with fernbrake (named Gosari in Korean) ? It is a young, curled-up shoot of the bracken fern plant, which grows wild in forests and mountainous areas. In Korean cuisine, gosari is a popular ingredient in dishes like yukgaejang and bibimbap due to its unique, earthy flavor and slightly chewy texture. It looks like this in its dried form : While I tend to prefer fermetend-based soups, which add a nice depth of flavour, I must say that simpler soups like Yukgaejang make for a nice change, with a more direct and cleaner taste. It could also be a good entry point for those who are not familiar with Korean soups and stews ! This soup is also perfect for those who watch their weight and care for their health ; fiber-rich, low in fats with the use of lean meat, Yukgaejang is absolutely perfect to feel like you're indulging when you're actually not.

Yukgaejang - Recipe

Ingredients - Advice & key points

• Gosari :
  • Fear not, if you cannot find some dried gosari at your favourite Korean grocery store, you'll be able to easily order it online !
  • Do account for the fact that you need to soak your gosari at least 6 hours (ideally overnight).
  • You can buy pre-soaked gosari, but careful : you don't want to buy sweet, seasoned gosari that's used for Bibimbaps or Gimbaps.
• The other Korean ingredients are common ; you'll have no trouble finding them at your usual Asian or Korean grocery store.
• Meat :
  • I use short ribs here, which are a tad more fatty, but a popular cut for Yukgaejang is brisket.
  • You want your meat to be quite tender, but it won't be pull-apart tender like pulled pork, for example.

• If you can take a bit of heat, but not much, just halve the gochugaru amount. I do not recommend skipping it altogether, as you might find the stew a bit lacking in taste. If you don't want a spicy stew, wait up, I'll soon post non-spicy stew recipes !

Cooking and eating Yukgaejang

• You don't need to use a Dolsot like I do. The cool part about Dolsots is that they retain the heat well, so your Kimchi Jigae will remain piping hot as you eat it. But simply use any pot you have ; I'm sure it won't turn real cold, because you will devour this dish in no time !
• It is nice to eat some side dishes (banchans) to go with your Yukgaejang. If you're brave enough, you could cook 1 or 2 vegetables banchans along with it, such as simple spinach, bean sprouts or cucumber ones. I simply tend to buy them from the Korean mart -because they are delicious !
• I often eat my Yukgaejang with rice and kimchi only, and it's absolutely pleasurable.

All set ? Let's cook a beautiful stew !