Soups & Stews

Yukgaejang (Spicy Beef Soup)

Name: Yukgaejang (Spicy Beef Soup)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: beef brisket or shank 250 g; soaked bracken fern (gosari) 100 g; mung bean sprouts 150 g; Korean leek (daepa) or scallions 1 Korean leek; gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) 2 Tbsp; guk-ganjang (soup soy sauce) 1 Tbsp; minced garlic 1 Tbsp; toasted sesame oil 1 tsp; salt to taste; water 1,000 ml

Simmer the beef first to build the broth, then add bracken fern, Korean leek, and mung bean sprouts then season it all with gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) and simmer. Shredding the meat along the grain lets the broth soak in evenly.

Prep 15 min · Cook 40 min · Total 55 min · 2 servings · Medium

한국어로 보기 (Korean version)

Steps

1
Soak the beef, in one piece, in cold water for 10 minutes to draw out the blood. Cut the bracken fern into bite-size lengths, slice the leek on the diagonal, and rinse the bean sprouts and shake off the water.
2
Put the water and beef in a pot and simmer over medium heat for 25 minutes. Lift out the beef and shred it along the grain.
3
Stir the gochugaru, soup soy sauce, minced garlic, and sesame oil into the broth, add the bracken fern and shredded beef, and boil for 10 minutes.
4
Add the bean sprouts and leek and boil 5 minutes more, until the sprouts turn translucent and are fully cooked, then season with salt.

Substitutions

Instead of	Use	How
beef brisket	200 g thinly sliced beef (bulgogi cut)	Thin beef only needs 10 minutes of simmering, and you don't need to shred it.
mung bean sprouts	150 g soybean sprouts	Soybean sprouts are firmer than mung bean sprouts, so boil them at least 5 minutes until fully cooked.

Storing leftovers

After a day, the bracken and sprouts soak up the seasoning, the broth gets richer, and the sprouts go limp. Cool, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and eat within 2 days; reheat until the broth comes to a full rolling boil. Bean sprouts turn tough when frozen, so if freezing, portion out only the meat and broth per meal and use within 2 weeks.

Serve with

Rice, kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), and a fried egg. The broth is spicy, so mild side dishes go well.

Making more or less

For 4 servings, increase the beef to 500 g and the water in proportion, and add a generous amount of sprouts at the end.

Before you cook

Don't eat mung bean or soybean sprouts raw; cook them thoroughly in the broth.

Questions

My yukgaejang beef is tough and won't shred.

Brisket and shank need to simmer long enough to become tender and pull apart along the grain. If it still doesn't shred easily after 25 minutes, simmer 10–15 minutes more, then tear it thinly along the grain.