Yukgaejang (spicy beef soup with vegetables)

Yukgaejang (spicy beef soup with vegetables) (Korean Bapsang)

Yukgaejang is a hearty, spicy beef soup that’s highly popular in Korea. Made with shredded beef, lots of scallions and other vegetables such as gosari (fernbrake or fiddleheads), bean sprouts and mushrooms, it is a substantial soup that has great depth of flavor. You won’t need anything other than a bowl of rice for a completely satisfying meal on a cold winter day. 

Beef brisket is the best cut for this soup. It’s a flavorful, tough cut of meat that is great for making broth, and it delivers pull-apart tender meat which is ideal for yukgaejang. 

There are other similar beef soups in Korea, but gosari is unique in this soup. Besides adding soft, chewy texture to the dish, gosari imparts a deep, earthy flavor. Look for the ones with short, thin stems. 

Ingredients:

● 30 grams dried gosari (fernbrakes) ― yields about 1 cup rehydrated

● 450 grams yangjimeori (beef brisket) (or satae ― shank meat) 

● 1/2 onion (do not cut the stem)

● 200 grams mu (Korean radish), cut into big chunks ― optional

● 14 cups water

● 200 grams sukju (bean sprouts)

● 3 dry shiitake mushrooms, soaked (or fresh shiitake or oyster mushrooms)

● 2-3 bunches scallions

● 2 tablespoons sesame oil

● 2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes) ― more for spicier soup

● 1 tablespoon minced garlic

● 2 tablespoons guk ganjang (soup soy sauce)

● 1 teaspoon doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste)

● 1 teaspoon gochujang (Korean chili pepper paste)

● salt and pepper

● 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Add the gosari and 4 cups of water to a small pot. Boil over medium heat, covered, until tender. The time can vary significantly depending on the gosari. Turn the heat off and let it cool in the cooking water. When ready to use, rinse in cold water and drain. Cut into 8- to 10-centimeter lengths, removing tough ends of the stems, if any.

In a large pot, bring the meat, onion, optional radish and garlic to a boil in 14 cups of water. Reduce the heat to medium, and skim off the scum. Boil, covered, until the meat is tender enough for shredding, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Pull a string of meat off and check the tenderness. Remove the meat and cool. Discard the vegetables, reserving the stock in the pot. Spoon off any visible fat.

When the meat is cool enough to handle, shred into strips.

Blanch the bean sprouts in boiling water for a minute. Wash with cold water and drain. Cut the scallions into 8- to 10-centimeter lengths. Thinly slice the soaked mushrooms.

In a pan, heat the sesame oil until hot over low heat and stir in the chili pepper flakes. Turn the heat off as soon as the oil starts to turn red and the chili pepper flakes become a bit pasty. This only takes a few seconds. Do not burn the flakes.

Add the meat, gosari, mushrooms, 1 tablespoon soup soy sauce and garlic. Combine well.

Add the meat and gosari mixture along with 1 tablespoon of soup soy sauce. Stir the gochujang and doenjang into the broth and boil over medium heat, covered, for 20 minutes.

Throw in the bean sprouts and scallions, and boil for another 10 minutes. Add salt (1 teaspoon or more) and pepper to taste. Slowly drizzle the eggs over the boiling soup and turn the heat off. Serve with rice.

Note: You can also soak the gosari for several hours to soften and then boil over medium heat until tender.

Daegu jiri (mild codfish stew)

Daegu jiri (mild cod fish stew) (Korean Bapsang)

Daegu jiri is a delicate stew made with codfish, or “daegu.” Cod is mild-flavored and has white flaky flesh. It’s a popular choice for Korean fish stews. There are two types of stew made with cod ― spicy (daegu maeuntang) and mild (daegu jiri or malgeuntang). Daegu jiri is enjoyed for its subtle yet deep flavor! I usually use anchovy broth to add depth to the stew. The broth should be light to let the natural taste of the fresh cod stand out. Throw in a couple of clams or shrimp. They can add a nice layer to the flavor of the broth. 

2 servings

Ingredients:

● 450 grams codfish 

● 2 shrimp or little neck clams 

● 1 or 2 leaves baechu, napa cabbage

● 50 grams mu (Korean radish)

● 160 grams tofu

● 1 thin ginger slice

● 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

● a handful of watercress or ssukgat (crown daisy leaves)

● 20 grams paengi (enoki) mushrooms (optional)

● 1 or 2 scallions

● A slice of lemon (optional)

● Salt and pepper 

● 3 cups anchovy broth or water

Cut the fish into several big chunks. De-grit the clams, if using, by placing them in salt water for 20 minutes. 

Cut the cabbage into small sizes. Thinly slice the radish into small squares. Roughly chop the scallions. Cut the tofu into thick slices. 

Add the broth to a medium size pot along with the cabbage, radish, ginger and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the vegetables turn soft, about 3 minutes.

Drop in the fish, shrimp (or clams) and tofu. When it comes to a boil again, reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the fish is cooked through and the clams are open, if using, about 5 minutes. Do not overcook. The fish will continue to cook in the boiling hot broth while being served and eaten.

Add the watercress or crown daisy leaves, enoki mushrooms and scallions. Turn the heat off. Serve piping hot with the optional lemon slice on top.

Korea’s latest well-being movement

For Lee Kyung-ja, a 63-year-old housewife who has lived in Latin America for more than 40 years, the biggest concern ahead of her planned return to Korea was food.

Having lived in Bolivia, the home of a slew of so-called superfoods like quinoa and lentils, she had no idea how to maintain her decade-old eating habits. But her concerns vanished during a recent visit to Seoul.

“I was pleasantly surprised that almost all food items from Latin America are available at local supermarkets. There were even some I was unfamiliar with,” she said. “From this experience, I could gauge the healthy-food fever in Korea.”

Superfoods have become a permanent fixture in the shopping bags of health-conscious Koreans, who are known for catching on fast to new global trends.

The term “superfood” first appeared in the 2007 book “SuperFoods Rx,” written by renowned American ophthalmologist Steven Pratt. The author outlined 14 functional foods including blueberries, tomatoes and wild salmon that should be eaten in combination with other foods for maximum health benefits.

Now “superfood” no longer refers to specific food items. The word is considered an effective marketing tool to lure consumers willing to spend big on healthy eating.

Mainstream retailers have dedicated their coveted floor space to superfoods or dietary supplements, while juice bars, equipped with fancy recipes, have cropped up on every corner in Seoul’s posh districts.

According to Emart, the nation’s No. 1 supermarket chain, sales of blueberries, which help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, surged 186.4 percent this month from a year ago. Other popular superfoods, including tomatoes, almonds, garlic and yogurt also enjoyed a sales boom.

“Grains from abroad such as lentils and quinoa are also popular as they taste good when cooked together with steamed rice or other Korean foods,” said Ryu Hae-ryung, an Emart merchandiser.

More novel items like acai berries ― which strengthen the immune system ― and chia seeds ― which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids ― are also becoming popular.

With the popularity of overseas foods, some local products such as homegrown oats, brown rice and mackerel, have also come under the spotlight.

Traditional Korean restaurants are going upscale with new menu items that feature Korean superfoods, while lavish Italian or French restaurants are putting superfoods into their signature items to attract high-end diners.

This week’s Weekender takes a closer look at the superfoods fad and explores the spread of the trend in the food and retail sectors.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)

• [Weekender] Health benefits of locally grown seasonal foods
• [Weekender] Korean foods gain recognition abroad
• [Weekender] Multigrains imports sharply increase
• [Weekender] Restaurants ride on superfoods boom