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The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
Yukgaejang (sometimes spelled yookaejang) is a hearty Korean soup that warms you from your head to your toes. Full of meat and vegetables, it's fiery red, bold, and spicy. Yukgaejang is a one-pot meal that requires very little hands-on time but tastes like you've spent all day making it.
Brisket serves as the protein for this soup as well as flavoring for the broth. For an extra kick of meaty flavor, use beef broth or bouillon. You'll find gochugaru and gochujang in some well-stocked grocery stores, Asian markets, or online. To make this a full meal, include the optional noodles.
Ingredients
- 1 pound brisket
- 4 quarts water
- 2 bundles scallions, cut into thirds
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 3/4 cup dried fernbrake (gosari, or bracken fiddleheads, presoaked)
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons red pepper powder (gochugaru)
- 2 tablespoons red pepper paste (gochujang)
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 eggs, beaten
- Optional: 1 cup cooked glass noodles
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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In a large pot, bring brisket and about 4 quarts of water to a boil.
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Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until meat is tender, skimming off fat and foam.
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Remove the meat from the broth but keep the broth in the pot.
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When it's cool enough to handle, hand-shred the beef with the grain.
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In a mixing bowl, combine shredded beef with scallions, bean sprouts, and fernbrake (gosari).
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Season beef and vegetables with garlic, sesame oil, red pepper powder, red pepper paste, soy sauce, and black pepper.
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Add seasoned ingredients to the broth and bring to a boil.
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Simmer for about 5 minutes and adjust soup to taste with soy sauce if necessary.
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Swirl the beaten eggs into the soup.
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Add noodles, if using, and turn off heat.
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Serve in bowls and enjoy.
The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
How to Store
- This soup tastes even better the next day. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- This soup can also be frozen. After cooling, add the soup to an airtight container, leaving an inch of headspace. Freeze for up to three months and defrost in the fridge before reheating.
Recipe Variations
- For meatier flavor, replace half or all of the water with beef broth or add a couple of beef bouillon cubes or granules.
- Red pepper powder and pepper paste add heat—adjust the amounts according to your level of heat tolerance.
- If your soup isn't salty enough, add more soy sauce to taste.
- Adding noodles to this soup turns it into a complete meal. You can also choose to serve it with freshly steamed rice.
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