More Korean recipe action for ya’ll. Here’s Jia’s version of Yukejang, or Yukkaejang if you prefer. Traditionally this soup includes fern bracken and beef intestine. Jia’s version does not include these sometimes hard to find ingredients so it’s easier to make here in America. This version is extra super spicy, the way I like it. Generous handfuls of kochu garu (Korean hot pepper powder) also turn the soup a nice red color. Eat with lots of rice!! BTW T= tablespoon.
YUKEJANG (Spicy Beef Soup) (Seoul style)
Simmer 1 ¼ lb Beef (a fist sized piece), in about six cups of water till done, about 1 hour, remove beef, let cool and shred by hand into 1 ½” strips. Reserve broth.
Mix shreds beef with ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup Korean Red pepper powder, ½ tsp black pepper, ¼ cup of garlic (chopped fine or crushed to a paste), 1 T (dark) sesame oil, 1 T crushed roasted sesame seeds. Mix well by hand and squeeze in the seasonings
Take 3 Bunches of spring onions and cut them in half lengthwise. Then cut into 1 ½” pieces crosswise. Blanch spring onions in boiling water till wilted (less than a minute). Shock immediately in cold water and then drain. Squeeze out all the water from the onion with your hands, be aggressive. Put the onions in a bowl and mix with 1 T Korean Red pepper powder, 2 T soy sauce, 1 ½” T crushed garlic, ¼ tsp black pepper, ½ T sesame oil, and 2 tsp crushed roasted sesame seeds. Set aside.
Blanch about 1/2 lb. mung bean sprouts in boiling water in a Covered pot (about 3 min). Do not uncover pot until sprouts are cooked. Drain and rinse in cold water. Squeeze dry with your hands. Mix with 2 ½ T soy sauce, 1 T crushed garlic, 1 T Korean Red pepper powder, ¼ tsp. black pepper, 2 tsp crushed roasted sesame seeds, 2 tsp sesame oil.
In a clean dry pot put the beef, green onion and bean spout mixtures. Stir and fry on medium heat for a few minutes. Add reserved beef broth. Simmer for one hour.
It’s a strange recipe in that everything ends up in the same pot, yet you season each ingredient separately. What can I tell you? Jia also though it was strange but said that it wouldn’t taste the same if you just threw all the seasonings in the pot. I’ll take her word for it. One thing it does allow for is for you to taste as you go. All the measurements are approximate so you should taste the seasoned beef , bean sprouts, and green onions to make sure each is well seasoned before you throw them together in the pot. If fact the bean sprouts and the green onions are each a dish unto themselves and could be served as namul (Korean vegetable side dish). The beef could also be served as a separate dish I suppose. I’m told the green onion namul goes well with pork. Yum!!