Yukgaejang

Ingredients

• 900 g beef brisket, in one piece
• 3.5 litres water
• 1 onion, halved
• 6 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
• 5 cm piece of ginger, sliced
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 350 g spring onions, cut into 6 cm lengths
• 300 g mung bean sprouts
• 200 g cooked gosari (fernbrake), cut into 5 cm lengths
• 100 g shiitake mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 3 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes)
• 3 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 3 tbsp guk-ganjang (Korean soup soy sauce)
• 4 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Steamed short-grain rice, to serve

Before you cook

• Cover the brisket with cold water in a bowl and leave it for 30 minutes to draw out the blood, then drain and rinse it.
• Cut the spring onions into 6 cm lengths and rinse the mung bean sprouts.
• Squeeze the cooked gosari dry and cut it into 5 cm lengths.

Steps

1. Put the brisket in a large stockpot with the 3.5 litres of water and bring it to a boil over high heat.
2. Skim the grey foam off the surface for the first 10 minutes until the liquid runs clear.
3. Add the halved onion, crushed garlic, ginger and peppercorns.
4. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour 15 minutes until a skewer slides through the brisket with no resistance.
5. Lift the brisket onto a board and let it cool for 15 minutes.
6. Strain the broth through a sieve into a clean pot and discard the aromatics.
7. Tear the cooled brisket into finger-width shreds, following the grain of the meat.
8. Warm the sesame oil in a small pan over low heat and stir in the gochugaru for 45 seconds until the oil turns deep red and smells toasty.
9. Scrape the chilli oil into a bowl with the shredded beef, guk-ganjang, minced garlic, salt and black pepper, then rub it all together with your hands.
10. Let the seasoned beef sit for 15 minutes so it takes up the marinade.
11. Bring the strained broth back to a boil.
12. Add the seasoned beef and all the marinade and boil for 15 minutes.
13. Add the gosari, shiitake and spring onions and simmer for 15 minutes.
14. Add the mung bean sprouts and simmer for 5 minutes more so they keep some snap.
15. Pour the beaten eggs over the surface in a thin stream and leave them undisturbed for 30 seconds before stirring once.
16. Taste and adjust with salt or a splash more guk-ganjang, then serve each bowl with hot rice alongside.