Yukgaejang (Spicy Beef Soup with Vegetables)

Ingredients

• 1 ounce dried gosari, 고사리 (fernbrakes) - about 1 cup rehydrated
• 1 pound beef brisket, 양지머리 (or flank steak or shank meat)
• 1/2 onion (do not cut off the stem)
• 8 ounce sKorean radish (mu, 무), cut into big chunks - optional
• 8 ounce sbean sprouts (sukju, 숙주)
• 3 dry shiitake mushrooms, soaked (or 2 ounce sfresh shiitake or oyster mushrooms)
• 2-3 bunch es scallions (or 2 or 3 stalk sof Korean daepa (large variety scallion)2 or 3 stalk sof Korean daepa (large variety scallion)
• 2 tablespoon ssesame oil
• 2 tablespoon sgochugaru, 고추가루 (red chili pepper flakes) - 2.5 to 3 TB for spicier soup
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoon sguk ganjang, 국간장 (soup soy sauce), divided
• 1 teaspoon gochujang, 고추장 (red chili pepper paste) - optional
• 1 teaspoon doenjang, 된장 (soybean paste) - optional
• salt and pepper
• 2 eggslightly beaten
• 3 ounce sdangmyeon (당면), starch noodlessoaked in warm water for 20 minutes

Instructions

1. Add the gosari and 4 cups of water to a small pot. Boil over medium heat, covered, until tender. Mine only took about 30 minutes, but the time can vary significantly depending on gosari. Turn the heat off and let it cool in the cooking water. When ready to use, rinse in cold water and drain. Cut into 4 inch lengths, removing tough ends of the stems, if any. (See note 1.)
2. In a large pot, bring the meat, onion, and optional radish, to a boil in 14 cups of water (see note 2 for other broth options).
3. Reduce the heat to medium, and skim off the scum.
4. Boil, covered, until the meat is tender enough for shredding, about 1 hour.
5. Pull a string of meat off and check the tenderness.
6. Let the meat cool a bit in the cooking liquid.
7. Discard the vegetables, reserving the stock in the pot.
8. Spoon off any visible fat.
9. The broth should be about 7 to 8 cups.
10. When the meat is cool enough to handle, shred into about 3 to 4 inch strips.
11. Blanch the bean sprouts in boiling water for a minute. Wash with cold water and drain. Cut the scallions into 4 inch lengths. Thinly slice the soaked mushrooms.
12. In a pan, heat the sesame oil until hot over low heat and stir in the chili pepper flakes. Turn the heat off as soon as the oil starts to turn red and the chili pepper flakes become a bit pasty. This only takes a few seconds. Do not burn the flakes.
13. Add the meat, gosari, mushrooms, 1 tablespoon soup soy sauce, and garlic to the pan. Toss well to coat everything with the oiled chili pepper flakes.
14. Add the meat and gosari mixture to the broth. Stir in 1 tablespoon of soup soy sauce, optional gochujang and doenjang, and boil over medium high heat, covered, for about 10 minutes.
15. Throw in the bean sprouts and scallions, and boil over medium heat for another 10 minutes. Add salt (1 teaspoon or more) and pepper to taste. Within a few minutes before turning the heat, add the optional noodles. Slowly drizzle the optional eggs over the boiling soup and turn the heat off. Serve with rice.