Gamjatang (Pork Bone Soup) with Siraegi and Potatoes

Ingredients

• To remove gamey odors, soak the pork backbone in cold water for about 3 hours to draw out the blood. Change the water occasionally as the blood draws out.
• These are 3 large potatoes; if using small ones, prepare about 6.

Steps

1. Cut the ingredients

   

   

   

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   Cut the dried radish greens into bite-sized lengths. Since the potatoes are large, cut them in half.

   Slice the perilla leaves, large green onion, and chili peppers into suitable sizes.

2. Parboil the meat

   

   

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   To remove gamey odors, soak the pork backbone in cold water for about 3 hours to draw out the blood. Change the water occasionally as the blood draws out.

   Once drained, the pork backbone looks clean and pale.

   

   

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   Now proceed with the initial parboiling. Pour in enough water to submerge the backbone and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat, then pour in 1/2 cup of soju and add the pork backbone.

   Once the surface of the backbone turns white and plenty of frothy impurities rise to the top, rinse the backbone thoroughly under running water.

3. Make the broth

   

   

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   Now simmer the broth.

   Since the pork backbone is fresh, add only large green onion and ginger as aromatics, pour in an initial 20 cups of water, and once it starts boiling, simmer gently for about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours.

   Slice the ginger before adding it. You can also add whole black peppercorns, garlic, or onion.

   Simmer until the broth turns milky and the meat is tender, replenishing the water as it boils down.

   If cooking in a pressure cooker, water barely evaporates, so you can pour in under 10 cups of water to cook.

   

   

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   Once the large green onion is mushy, take it out, and keep simmering until the broth is milky and the meat easily falls off the bone.

   Since we are making Gamjatang, you will need at least 8 cups of broth.

4. Season the ingredients

   

   

   

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   Make the seasoning paste moist by mixing 5 tbsp gochugaru, 3 tbsp soup soy sauce, 1 tbsp doenjang, 2 tbsp minced garlic, 2 tbsp mirin, and 1 tsp minced ginger with 3 tbsp pork backbone broth.

   In a wide, deep pot, add the potatoes and dried radish greens...

   

   

   

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   Toss them evenly with half of the seasoning. Place the pork backbone on top and coat it evenly with the remaining seasoning.

   Let it sit briefly to absorb the flavors...

5. Simmer the Gamjatang

   

   

   

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   Pour in 8 cups of the pork backbone broth, boil until the potatoes are cooked through, taste, and adjust with salt if it is bland.

   Instead of salt, saeujeot (salted fermented shrimp) also goes wonderfully with Gamjatang broth.

   If there seems to be too little broth for the ingredients, adjust the amount by pouring in more pork backbone broth.

   

   

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   Add all of the perilla leaves, chili peppers, and large green onion, along with the perilla seed powder and ground black pepper, then simmer just briefly to finish.

   If you like perilla seed powder, you can add more when eating.

Ppunwife's tips

• If cooking in a pressure cooker, water barely evaporates, so you can pour in under 10 cups of water to cook.
• Instead of salt, saeujeot (salted fermented shrimp) also goes wonderfully with Gamjatang broth.
• If there seems to be too little broth for the ingredients, adjust the amount by pouring in more pork backbone broth.
• If you like perilla seed powder, you can add more when eating.
• Adding sujeobi (hand-torn noodle dough) while it simmers is also fun to fish out and eat.

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