Easy Korean Oxtail Soup (Kkori Gomtang)
Soup season means it's time to make Korean Oxtail Soup! Also called Kkori Gomtang, it's a delicious soup made from beef oxtail bones. Clear broth, chewy oxtails, tender radish, and slurpy sweet potato noodles -- so delicious! Serve with rice, kimchi, and a shower of green onion.
Servings: 4
Calories: 974kcal
Equipment
- Large stock pot
- Colander
Ingredients
- 3 lbs fresh beef oxtails *cut in half, for faster cooking
- 1 lb radish peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 large onion peeled but kept whole (for easier removal)
- 1 piece dashima (dried kelp)
- 8 cups cold water (plus more to add when liquid reduces)
- 1-2 tsps salt (or to taste)
- 1 Tbsp Dasida (beef bouillon powder)
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 4 oz Dangmyeon (Korean sweet potato noodle) *large handful, optional
Instructions
- Remove blood. In a large pot, add the oxtail pieces. Add enough cold water to cover. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours until the blood drains from the meat and bones. The water will be red.
- Drain. Drain the bloody water. Return bones to the pot. Rinse and cover with cold water.
- Parboil. 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. Drain the bones in a colander. Rinse thoroughly, making sure to rub off any debris or fatty bits. Wash the pot. Return parboiled bones to the clean pot. Add 8 cups of cold water, onion, and dashima.
- Cook. Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer until the meat is tender and the broth is milky-looking, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. The meat should be soft when poked with a chopstick but not falling off the bone just yet. Add radish and cook until soft, about 30 minutes. Remove the onion pieces and dashima.
- Add noodles. While the radish cooks, soak the sweet potato noodles in cold water for 15 minutes. Drain the noodles and add to the soup pot. Cook until soft and pliant, about 3-4 minutes. Season the soup with beef bouillon, salt, and pepper.
- Serve. Serve in separate bowls, making sure to divide the oxtail, radish, and noodles evenly. Ladle plenty of hot broth on top. Serve with rice, kimchi, and a small bowl of green onion.
Video
Notes
Tips:
- Make in advance. The soup can be made a day or two beforehand and refrigerated. Easily reheats on the stovetop. Do not cook the noodles until right before serving.
- Parboil the bones. In Korean cooking, the secret to great soup is to parboil the meat bones. Although it can seem like a hassle, it removes the soup of any impurities. And results in a clear, rich, intensely flavored, clear broth.
- Clean the parboiled bones and cooking pot. After parboiling, clean the bones and stock pot. For the bones, drain and rinse under cold water. Rub with your hands to remove any grimy particles that are stuck to the meat. For the large stock pot, wash thoroughly with soap and water to remove the grimy particles stuck to the side.
- Remove fat. For a less oily soup, place the broth in the fridge overnight. The fat will harden and be easier to remove.
- Add water. As the soup cooks, the liquid will evaporate. Make sure to keep adding enough water to match the original water line.
Nutrition
Calories: 974kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 106g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 374mg | Sodium: 1645mg | Potassium: 362mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 128IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 134mg | Iron: 14mg