Milky stock.  Knobby bones.  Fatty meat. Chewy tendon.  Korean Oxtail Soup, or Kkori Gomtang, is the big pot of cozy that will point you towards home.  

this recipe

**Thank you to Bessie Box for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.**

When I was a kid, my favorite soup was Kkori Gomtang, Korean Oxtail Soup.  Not chicken noodle soup.  Or tomato soup.  Instead, I loved my Korean grandmother’s soup made from bones and simmered in a giant pot on the stove.

I’d soak my rice in the soup and gnaw on the chewy bits of tendon. I’d slurp up the noodles and take bites of spicy kimchi on the side. And at the end of the meal, I’d pick up the bowl and drain the contents completely. SO GOOD.

Bone soup is good for you, my Korean Grandma would say.  Better than soup made from meat and vegetables alone. Don’t waste any of it!      

What is Korean Oxtail Soup or Kkori Gomtang?

Korean Oxtail Soup is Korean soup made from beef oxtails. A slow cooking recipe that results in tender, fall-off-the-bone oxtails swimming in a rich-tasting, clear broth.

Koreans call this soup, Kkori Gomtang. Which roughly translates, Tail Bone Soup.

The hallmarks of this delicious, healthy, good-for-you soup: milky, rich broth. Mouth-watering delicious chunks of oxtail. And plenty of green onions, sea salt, and black pepper!

Oxtails are great for long-simmered soups. All that connective tissue, tendon, cartilage, and muscle are FULL of flavor! When cooked for a long time, they break down and contribute to a full-bodied, rich stock. Plus the meat is very tender.

Ingredients:

• Oxtails. Look for meaty, thick oxtails. If you can, ask your butcher to cut the larger oxtails in half, for faster cooking.
• Onion. One large onion gives lots of flavor to the broth.
• Daikon or Korean Radish (Mu). Korean radish is large with light green coloring. Adds depth of flavor and heft. Doesn’t taste the same without this Asian vegetable!
• Beef Bouillon Powder. My Korean grandma’s secret ingredient for beefy flavored stock or soup. Just a scoop is all you need!
• Green Onion. Add a small bowl of chopped green onion when serving. People can add how much they like at the table.
• Noodles (optional). Koreans like to add Dang Myeon (sweet potato noodle) or Somyeon (thin wheat noodle) to this dish. Although it’s an optional ingredient, it adds a very pleasurable chew factor.

How to make Korean Oxtail Soup:

1. In a large pot, add the oxtail. Add enough cold water to cover.  Refrigerate for 1-2 hours so that the blood will drain from the bones.  

2. Drain bloody water.  Return bones to the pot.  Cover with cold water.

3. Bring the contents of the pot to a boil over medium high heat.  Simmer furiously for 3-5 minutes until the water looks dirty and scum rises to the surface.    

4. Drain soup.  Rinse bones thoroughly.  Wash the pot.  Return parboiled bones to the pot.  Add cold water, onion, and radish.

5. Bring to a boil then simmer until the meat is tender and the broth is milky-looking, about 2-3 hours. Now it’s time to eat.

PRO Tips:

• Make in advance. The soup can be made a day or two beforehand then refrigerated. An easy way to remove the hardened fat that rises to the surface. Easily reheats on the stovetop.
• Clean the parboiled bones and cooking pot. After parboiling, make sure to drain and rinse the bones under cold water. Rub with your hands to remove any grimy particles that are stuck to the meat. And don’t forget to wash the cooking pot — there are lots of grimy particles stuck to the side.
• Use a colander. Transfer the clean, parboiled bones to a colander. Makes it easier to separate and sort the cleaned oxtails from the ones that need to be cleaned.

How to serve:

• Serve with green onions and salt + pepper. People can help themselves at the table.
• Easy sides: rice and kimchi. A classic addition to this hearty Korean soup! Cubed radish Kimchi (Kkakduggi) is especially good.

The secret to GREAT Korean soup: PARBOIL the bones!

Koreans parboil meat bones when cooking soup.  Parboiling requires partially cooking the bones first and is an essential Korean method for making soup.

Parboiling results in a clean-tasting, rich, more deeply flavored stock. Also, the broth will be clear with a beautiful milky hue.

When I first made oxtail soup, I was arrogant. Parboiling seemed like a nuisance and a waste of time.  Why throw away that extra flavor?  What value was there in rinsing the meat bones and washing the pot?

A lot, I quickly learned. When I didn’t parboil the bones, the broth was flat and sadly lacking. All kinds of murky, unappetizing debris floated in the broth. It was a very sad experience.

All to say, parboiling the bones is the secret to good Korean soup. 

More Soup Recipes:

• Dak Gomtang (Korean Chicken Soup)
• Beef Gomtang (Beef Bone Soup)
• Instant Pot Vietnamese-Style Chicken Soup
• Homemade Miso Soup