Spicy Korean Pork Bone Soup (Gamjatang)

korean pork bone soup in a bowl with kimchi on the side

5 from 3 votes

Spicy Korean Pork Bone Soup (Gamjatang)

Make a cold-weather favorite: Spicy Korean Pork Bone Soup! Also known as Gamjatang, it's a hearty and delicious stew made with spicy broth, fluffy potato chunks, and tender, fall-off-the-bone pork. The milky broth is packed full of flavor and nutrients. The secret ingredients are Perilla Seed Powder and Perilla Seed Oil. You'll also need pork neck bones for this traditional Korean soup. Or, use baby back ribs if you can't find it. Serve with white rice and kimchi. A cozy, spicy soup that's perfect for winter!

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 15

Soaking Time30

Course: Dinner, Soup

Cuisine: Korean

Keyword: Gamjatang, Pork Bone Soup

Servings: as main, 4 as side

Calories: 585kcal

Author: Lis Lam

Equipment

Large stock pot
Large colander

Ingredients

3 lbs pork neck bones

For the broth:

1 large onion, peeled + halved
3 inch ginger, sliced
2 bay leaves
2-3 medium potatoes, quartered
2-3 medium carrots, peeled + cut into 2-inch chunks
1/2 cup Kimchi (old, mature kimchi preferred)

For the spicy paste:

1/4 cup ground perilla seeds
1/4 cup Doenjang
2 Tbsp Gochujang
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Gochukaru
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp Mirin
1 Tbsp Maesil Cheong or Korean green plum syrup (can be subbed with sugar or maple syrup)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tsp black pepper

For garnish:

8-10 perilla leaves (fresh), chopped
4 green onions, chopped
black pepper (to taste)
1-2 Tbsp Perilla Seed Oil (drizzled all over)

For extra spicy broth:

1 Tbsp chili peppers, minced (per serving) (Korean chili pepper, fresno, or jalapeno all work well)
1-2 tsp mustard seeds (per serving)

Instructions

SOAK PORK NECK BONES: Add pork neck bones to a large bowl. Cover with cold water and soak for 30-60 minutes. (You can keep on the kitchen counter unless it's very warm in your kitchen, in which you should store in the fridge.) This removes all the blood to make a clearer, better tasting broth.
Drain and rinse in cold water. Transfer to a large stock pot.
PARBOIL PORK NECK BONES: Add pork neck bones to a large stock pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. There will be a lot of scum and fat particles that rise to the surface. Boil furiously for 5 minutes.
DRAIN AND CLEAN PORK NECK BONES: drain pork neck bones in a colander and rinse the bones under running cold water. Make sure to rub off all the grime and fat particles that stick to the pork bones; use your hands to rub the bones and flesh under cold running water. Also, wash the pot in order to remove the scum and bits stuck to the side.
MAKE BROTH: Add clean, parboiled pork bones to the clean stock pot. Add onion, ginger slices, and bay leaves. Add enough water to cover, about 6 cups. Bring to a boil then lower heat. Simmer, covered, until the meat is soft and falling off the bone, about 45-60 minutes.
Add potato, carrots, and kimchi. When the pork is tender and falling off the bone (poke with a chopstick to see if it goes through easily), add the potatoes, carrots, and kimchi. Cover and cook until soft and cooked through, about 10-15 minutes more.
MAKE SPICY PASTE: While the potatoes and carrots cook, make the spicy paste. In a medium bowl, add ingredients for spicy paste and mix well. Add immediately to the simmering pot, mixing well so there are no big chunks. Simmer until all the flavours come together, about 5-10 minutes more.
GARNISH: Add a few grinds of black pepper, a drizzle of perilla seed oil, and a generous sprinkling of finely sliced perilla leaves and green onions. Serve bubbling hot with rice, kimchi, and banchan (side dishes) of choice. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Additional Tips:

Swap with Baby Back Pork Ribs. If you can't find pork neck bones (usually found at the Asian market), use baby back pork ribs. Make sure the ribs contain bones as they contain a lot of flavor, depth, and body.
Make it spicier! If you love spicy, add minced chili pepper and mustard seeds right before serving. Korean chilies, fresno or jalapeno peppers all work.

Make in advance. Gamjatang recipe can be made up to 2-3 days in advance. Simply cover and store in the fridge. Also an easy way to create a less oily broth -- simply remove the hardened fat when chilled.

Nutrition