Kalbitang /Short rib of beef soup/ 갈비탕

This soup is a very popular hearty soup in Korea, actually this is main meal rather than, another side dish.

It takes at least 2 hours to boil and meat can be fall off the bone. In Britain, this cut is difficult to get in main super market or even my local butcher , i have to order it in advance. Has to cook slowly long time, but meat is very sweet, It is a shame not readily available here, In America, they sell whole rib of beef call, Jacob's ladder. For soup you can get from Korean super market or butcher. Meaty part of rib (middle) is used in grilled short rib/ kalbigui. soup or stew( kalbi jjim) are with end of rib( less meaty). rib meat need slow cook, BBQ rib need at least 3-4 hours  marinate . We, Koreans love this rib meat, such sweet taste with deep flavour, like Oxtail. I love to  campaign to eat this cut, cheaper and tastier but longer and slow cooking, do Do try!!

400g short rib beef, 1/2 mooli( white radish). onion, 7 pepper corn, 1 bay leaf,ginger, 1tsp crushed garlic, chopped sprin onion

1. In a big pan or pressur cooker , put beef and 1 lt of water, small onion, ginger( your thumb size), pepper corn, bay leaf and boil for 5 minutes and rinse off scum on the top and put fresh water( 3lt) and boil for 10 mins, and reduce heat low , simmer for 1 hour. Skim off fat on the top time to time.
2. Get rid of ginger, pepper corns,and bay leaf and onion, add mooli and simmer another 45 mins until meats are tender and mooli is trasusent. Take out mooli and cut 1cm cube,and 0,3cm thin .put back to the soup pan boil for 3 mins. This time can add thinly sliced tube rice cake ( if you wish, 2tbsp) and boil until rice cake tender, add crushed garlic and simmer 10minutes.
3.Serve with good sea salt, chopped spring onion, kimchi and rice.
4. Kalbitang is not spicy and very soothing, same time hearty meal. Kabitang is very good during the winter .

  

Yukgaejang (육개장) / Spicy Beef and Leek Soup.

Yukgaejang is one of  most popular  Korean soup. It looks very spicy with bright red colour  but it is not too spicy as Korean chilliies are milder than most of any other chillies. I make yukgaejang often, specially the weather is gloomy and cold, rainy, miserable, we, our family emjoy this soup.

 Even I made vegetarian version of this soup for my cookery class, I am happy to say it was great.

   Put 300g of brisket beef  in a large pan with 1 onion, 2 stems of celery, 1/2 mooli, 5 pepper corns, 1 bay leaf, 3 garlic clovers , 2 lt of water and boil first, then reduced heat simmer for 40 minutes until meat is tender, take out the meat, leave it  to cool down . Take out all the vegetables, pepper corns and discard them , except mooli, skim the fat from the pan and leave beef stock to cool.

Shred cooked brisket beef like match sticks ,10cm long. Cut mooli, leek and spring onion (1bunch)  as same size as  meat, set aside.

 Soak dried fern shoot( Gosari) in the warm water for 1 hour, wash few times and boil until soft but has bite to it, 

Boiled the stock and put leek, fern shoots,, crushed garlic(2tsp) and boil  first simmer 30 minutes, add  beef , mooli, spring onion, boil for 3 minutes. Season with light soy sauce.

 Finally make chilli oil :   Put 1 tbsp, chilli flakes, 2 tsp sesame oil and boil for a minutes ( be careful not to burn) and pour into the soup, boil for a minute. Befor serve with rice add bean sprout to the hot soup.  Yumm!!.

If you are a vegetarian, use very good home made vegetable stock instead of beef stock and add more vegetables like shitake mushrooms, or any veggies you like.

It is equally delicious with toasted French bread or  brown bread, as a main meal ,

adding boiled barley in the soup that gives you more body. or add  cooked noodle.