Yukgaejang (Spicy Korean Beef and Vegetable Soup)

• 600 g beef brisket (yangji), cut into large chunks
• 200 g Korean radish (mu), sliced
• ½ onion, sliced
• 3 stalks daepa (Korean large green onion): 2 halved and cut into 4–5 cm lengths, the green tops of 1 for the broth (lifted out)
• 10 g dried kombu (dasima), lifted out after 10 minutes
• 250 g gosari (soaked and boiled bracken fern)
• 170 g oyster mushrooms (neutari), torn
• 200 g mung bean sprouts (sukju)
• 1.5 litres water
• 2 tbsp (3 rice-spoons) minced garlic
• 50 ml (1 soju glass) cheongju (Korean rice wine)
• 2 tbsp (3 rice-spoons) guk-ganjang (Korean soup soy sauce)
• 2 tbsp (3 rice-spoons) chamchi-aek (tuna fish sauce)
• 2 tbsp (3 rice-spoons) gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes)
• 1½ tbsp (2 rice-spoons) sesame oil
• ground black pepper (about 5 shakes)
• salt to taste

Method

The cook speaks Korean; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. For subtitles, tap CC in the video, then Settings › Subtitles › Auto-translate › English.

1. Cut the brisket into large chunks and soak in lukewarm water for 6–7 minutes to draw out the blood. Meanwhile slice the radish and onion, and halve the daepa lengthways and cut it into 4–5 cm lengths. 0:05
2. Drain and rinse the beef. Put 1.5 litres of water in a pot with the beef, the green tops of one daepa and the kombu. Cover and boil hard for 10 minutes. 1:21
3. Lift out the kombu (leave the onion tops), add the radish, lower to medium and simmer 20–25 minutes with the lid ajar so it doesn't boil over, until the beef is tender enough to shred. 2:09
4. Lift out the beef and the onion tops. Add the onion, gosari and oyster mushrooms to the broth and let them simmer while you prepare the beef. 2:51
5. When the beef is cool enough, shred it along the grain (or slice thinly across it). Mix it with the garlic, cheongju, soup soy sauce, tuna sauce, gochugaru and sesame oil. 3:26
6. Add the seasoned beef straight into the boiling soup; the chilli flavours the broth without making chilli oil first. 4:54
7. Add the bean sprouts and plenty of daepa, top up with a little water if needed, season with salt and boil once more. Finish with a few shakes of black pepper and serve hot. 5:09

Tip. Serves 5 (our estimate: about 550 g a bowl with 90 g beef). Koreans eat it with rice; on its own it stays low in carbs. Keeps 3 days in the fridge and tastes even better reheated.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.