Spicy Shredded Beef Soup - Yukgaejang (육개장)

Yukgaejang was a pretty staple soup in our household when we were growing up. It was a soup that was so satisfying and one that you can mess around with to make it your own. When my mom made this soup she would put in extra bean sprouts while my dad would put in twice the amount of green onions and finish it with a couple of beaten eggs. Something they both did that I haven’t really seen anywhere else is that they would add Korean sweet potato noodles that are also called Korean vermicelli noodles which many of you may know as the noodle used for the mega delicious Korean dish, japchae. I recently asked my mom why both she and my dad would add this noodle she said, “to make it more tasty.”

Korean vermicelli noodles are a clear noodle that are made from sweet potato starch and water. This makes them both gluten free and paleo. You’ll only be using a small portion of the package for this dish but I will include other recipes in the future using this very versatile noodle. My version of this dish does not include one of its staple ingredients of bracken fern, simply because I’m not a big fan. When I was little because it would look just like shredded beef I would take a bite and be deeply disappointed. I really like beef.

The secret behind this dish is to sautee the gochugaru (Korean dried chili flakes). Some of you may be familiar with this ingredient after using it in our Korean Spiced Chicken Thighs recipe. You can adjust the amount you use to control the spice level. This soup may look very spicy because of its bright red color, but you’d be surprised by the mild spice level. What you’re seeing is the oil released in the gochugaru to give it that vibrant color. Tips to control the level of spiciness can be found in the directions below.

Yukgaejang is a soup that can be enjoyed alone, with a scoop of white rice, or a side of rice and all the Korean sides (AKA banchan). If you’re getting over a pesky cold, suffering from nasal allergies, or need a good hangover cure, this dish is for you.

-Jenny

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Print Recipe

Spicy Shredded Beef Soup - Yukgaejang (육개장) Yum

Yukgaejang is a spicy Korean soup with slow cooked brisket. In this version we add Korean vermicelli noodles for a little extra comfort and deliciousness!

Course

Soup

Cuisine

Korean

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

1.5 hours

Passive Time

1 hour

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 1 lb beef brisket, fat trimmed
• 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
• 10 cloves 6 kept whole and peeled and 4 minced
• 3 quarts water the stock will reduce in the cooking process
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoon loosely packed gochugaru no substitute
• 1 tablespoon doenjang doenjang is a Korean soybean paste
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 green onions, cut into thin strips
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts
• 1 small zucchini, peeled and diced
• 5 oz Korean vermicelli noodles

Course Soup Cuisine Korean Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 1.5 hours Passive Time 1 hour Servings people Ingredients 1 lb beef brisket, fat trimmed 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered 10 cloves 6 kept whole and peeled and 4 minced 3 quarts water the stock will reduce in the cooking process 1 tablespoon sesame oil 2 tablespoon loosely packed gochugaru no substitute 1 tablespoon doenjang doenjang is a Korean soybean paste 1/3 cup soy sauce 1 teaspoon black pepper 3 green onions, cut into thin strips 1/2 cup bean sprouts 1 small zucchini, peeled and diced 5 oz Korean vermicelli noodles

Instructions

1. Place the beef, onion, 6 garlic cloves, and 3 quarts of water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Drop the heat to low and simmer for one hour.
2. Remove the beef from the pot and place it the into another large pot and strain the broth into the second pot discarding the garlic and onion. Leave the meat in the pot with the broth until the meat is cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the pot to a cutting board. The meat will not be extremely tender so it is easier to shred the beef using your hands instead of two forks. Set meat aside.
3. In a large stockpot over medium heat add sesame oil and let it get hot but not to a smoking point. Stir in gochugaru and immediately remove from the heat to prevent burning. Add the soy sauce, minced garlic, doenjang, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the scallions, bean sprouts, and zucchini and stir to combine.
4. Add the reserved stock and shredded brisket, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes. As soon as the vegetables are tender the soup is ready.
5. Meanwhile, fill a medium sized pot with water and bring to a boil. Cook the vermicelli noodles for 5-6 minutes and drain in a colander. The noodles are very long so you can use scissors to cut the noodles to either a bite size length to eat with a spoon or to a standard noodle size to enjoy with chopsticks.
6. Add the noodles to the boiling soup. You can serve and enjoy immediately. After tasting the broth, if the spice level is too high for you use a ladle to carefully skim the bright red oil and chili flakes that will rise to the surface when the soup is at a boil.