Gamja Tang Food

GAMJATANG (SPICY PORK BONE STEW)

Steps:

• Soak the bones for an hour or longer in cold water. Change the water half way through if you can. Drain.
• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Drop the bones in. Let it come back to a boil. This will take about 7 to 8 minutes.
• Drain the bones. Wash the bones under running water. Clean the pot. Return the bones back to the pot. Add 8 cups of water, the onion, garlic, ginger and scallion. Bring it to a boil. Continue to boil, uncovered, for 10 minutes over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low. Continue to boil, covered, for 50 minutes to an hour until the meat is tender and the broth is milky.
• Mix the seasoning ingredients well together.
• Bring a medium pot of water to a rapid boil. Blanch the cabbage until the white parts turn soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the cabbage from the pot (keep the hot water to boil the potatoes) and shock in cold water to stop the cooking. Drain and squeeze out water. Cut into 2 to 3-inch lengths.
• Mix the cabbage well with 1 tablespoon of the seasoning.
• Cut the potatoes in half with the skin on. In the pot of water used to blanch the cabbage, boil the potatoes until almost cooked. Peel the potatoes.
• Remove the meat from the broth. Discard the aromatic vegetables, reserving the broth (about 5 cups). Place the bone back in the pot with the broth. Add the cabbage, potatoes, and the remaining seasoning. Boil for about 10 minutes.
• Throw in the perilla leaves and scallion. Add salt and pepper to taste. Boil for an additional couple of minutes, and then add the crushed perilla seeds.

GAMJA-TANG (KOREAN PORK AND POTATO STEW)

Steps:

• For the Gamja-tang: Season ribs on all sides with salt. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of the ribs, meat side down, and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on both sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer browned ribs to a plate and set aside. Repeat browning process with remaining ribs, then let browned ribs rest for 5 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut between ribs to separate into single-rib pieces. Return ribs to plate and set aside.
• Lower heat to medium-low and add onion to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, gochugaru, and doenjang and continue to cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock, fish sauce, and potatoes, and return ribs to pot along with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until potatoes are slightly tender on the exterior but still firm at the center, so that they offer resistance when poked with a paring knife, about 30 minutes.
• Remove lid, stir in daikon radish, and arrange cabbage leaves in an even layer over the surface of the stew to form a lid. Continue to cook, adjusting heat as needed to maintain a simmer, until potatoes are fully cooked through, offering little resistance when poked with a paring knife, and daikon is just tender, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, grind perilla seeds into a coarse powder. Set aside 2 teaspoons of the crushed perilla seeds and, once potatoes are cooked through, add the rest to the stew. Gently stir to incorporate perilla seeds and cabbage leaves into the stew.
• Continue to cook until meat on ribs is fully tender, offering minimal resistance when poked with a paring knife, and potatoes have begun to break down slightly, thickening the stew, about 20 minutes longer. Season with salt to taste.
• For Serving: Divide stew between individual serving bowls, topping each portion with scallions, perilla leaves, chile (if using), and sliced cabbage core. Serve immediately.

GAMJA TANG

Steps:

• Make the broth: In a medium Dutch oven, combine the vegetable broth, ginger, mushrooms, onion, chili, and doenjang. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until you have a lovely aromatic broth as a base for this stew, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Fish out the mushrooms and slice them, then return the slices to the broth.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a small bowl, mix together ½ cup water, the garlic, gochugaru, gochujang, "fishy" sauce, and wild sesame seeds.
• Make the stew: Add the sauce, potatoes, and bean sprouts to the broth and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.
• Right before serving, add the scallions, perilla leaves, sweet potato vermicelli, and sesame oil.