Learn how to make authentic Yukgaejang, the famous spicy Korean beef stew, from scratch. The detailed instructions will guide you how.
Food often shares a legend of the people. Yukgaejang, the spicy Korean beef stew (육개장), is one example.
On August 19, 1910…
Soonjong, the last king of Lee dynasty of Chosun (the country prior to the republic of Korea), was forced to give up his sovereign power to Japanese. Korea was colonized to Japan. (Koreans remember that day as the most humiliating day in Korean history of 5,000 years) He was the last emperor of Chosun and, as with last emperors of other nations, he spent the next 10 years of his life lonely in the royal palace with the grief and disgrace.
After he signed the treaty, he refused to eat. With a great despair and the humiliation, his mind and body got weakened dramatically. No food was satisfying to him. The royal chef in chief was sadden to see his king suffering. So he offered this beef stew called, “Yukgaejang (육개장)”.
Yukgaejang was NOT a royal food. It was the food of commoners. But the royal chef wanted to serve this spicy stew to remind his king of something that he was forgetting.
The stew was served to the king. The king saw this unusual spicy looking stew that he hardly ever had it before. He wondered first but soon understood something that he had forgotten. He saw each ingredient in the stew and realized what they meant. The king read the chef’s intention through his food and finished the entire stew with tears in his eyes.
The king wept! He was touched by the wisdom of his royal chef. So what were in it? There were 4 main ingredients in the stew and each had its own symbolism.
4 Authentic Ingredients in Yukgaejang
1) Beef: Korean cows are devotional animal to his master. From birth to death, he works diligently in the field without complaining and yield his meat to the master upon his death. The beef was representing the Korean people who works hard and royal to their king. And many were willing to give their lives for their king.
2) Chilies: the spiciness represent the strength of his people.
3) Fiddlehead (gosari): They are the young stems of wild fern. They grow fast regardless of the harsh environment and this symbolizes how much Koreans desire of independence and freedom from Japanese.
4) Taro stems: Taro stems can fight and withheld its life to many diseases. Koreans will fight to obtain their country back.
This was one of the dramatic scene in a Korean movie called “Shicgak (식객)“. There is no historical record or proof if the king Soonjong actually had this Yukgaejang during his lifetime.
However history proved that the Korean kings had been trained to have some experiences in farming and also had a basic knowledge in agriculture. Therefore there is no doubt that King Soonjong would be unfamiliar with each ingredient and how they grow.
This is a spicy beef stew. If you are not comfortable with strong heat, think twice. However, this is NOT over the top spicy that nearly numbs your senses. If you are familiar with Korean spiciness, you will find this quite pleasant. So don’t be scared by its intensive red color.
How To Make Yukgaejang
NOTE: Fresh taro stem is pretty much impossible to find outside of Korea. So I substituted with oyster mushrooms. If you are lucky enough to find even the dry kind, use it by all means. It adds great texture to the stew.
To make the stock:
Get some nice lean beef brisket and add it in the pot with leek, garlic and black peppercorn, and pour some water to make stock. Bring to boil first then simmer over low heat about 45 minutes.
Reserve the stock and the beef. Discard all the rest. Reserve about 5-6 cups of stock.
As I was straining, I suddenly remembered something terrible. 🙁 ‘Wait a minute…!‘
‘Oh, shoot!‘ I forgot to add this radish in the stock… Pardon the clumsy forgetfulness of aging home-cook. Sigh!!! 🙁
Well, the broth in the stew still be good without it but it will be tastier if you add the radish.
Prepare The Stew Ingredients:
Shred your brisket into bite sizes. Set aside.
These are fiddlehead (고사리, gosari). There are the stem parts of young fern. You can find them in most Korean grocery stores in a dried form or re-hydrated.
If you can only find the dried kind, look here for how to bring them back to life.
Rinse them well. Slice them into 2″ long sticks. Set aside.
Blanch mung bean sprouts in the boiling water for 2 minutes. Use strainer to remove from the water. Set aside to cool.
In the same boiling water, blanch oyster mushrooms for 1 minute. Strain them out of water using a strainer and squeeze out to remove some moisture, set aside.
Do not discard the boiling water yet. You will need for one last ingredient.
Cut Asian leeks into 2″ slices and slit each slice in half lengthwise. White part of the leeks will have a green core piece in the center. Remove them and discard. Cut each half slices to make strips.
This slimy-clear-film-like substance is common thing in Asian leeks. It is natural biological part of their breed but it can make your stew slimy. So what can we do? Rinse the leek slices thoroughly first,
Then add to the pot of boiling water with some salt. 30 seconds! Take them out and throw in a bowl of cold water to cool down. Squeeze out to remove moisture. You still might feel a little sliminess but it is okay.
Flavoring & Seasoning:
Here is the seasoning crew. Korean soup soy sauce (NOT a typical soy sauce), sesame oil, Korean red chili flakes, and minced garlic.
Combine shredded beef, fiddlehead (gosari), bean sprouts, and mushrooms in a bowl. Add the seasonings, toss and squeeze them all together to mingle well.
Bring a large heavy pot to a medium-low heat. Combine 1 tablespoon of oil and 1/2 tablespoon of Korean chili flakes. Stir together until the chili flakes release it fragrance and infuse, about 2-3minutes.
Be careful not to burn it. We are making chili oil. If you have a bottled chili oil, use it instead.
Bring to heat up to medium and add the all the good stuff in the bowl and stir fry for 1 minute. Pour the reserved the stock. Just enough to cover everything.
The amount of stock you add is depends on how thin you want your Yukgaejang to be. I added about 5 cups but you might need more.
Cover with a lid and bring them to boil first, then reduce the heat to very low and simmer for 1 hour.
Finally add the reserved leeks and cook for another 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt if you need.
Crack some black pepper and your truly lovely spicy beef stew is so ready to serve. Along with any kind of stew, this will taste better on the next day.
My 9 year old son has two Pakistani friends. They came over to our house to hang out with my son. I was so busy with other things to do around the house, I didn’t have time to make special lunch for them. So I served them some of this leftover stew hoping they would like. (…I just had a random feeling that they might like it)
Well…, while my half Korean blooded son needed 2 glasses of milk to accompany 2 tablespoonful of this stew, his Pakistani friends had the entire bowl without a single drop of sweat. They didn’t even need to drink their water.
“Korean food is good!” That was the comment from them at the end of their lunch.
So my verdict is.., if young Pakistani boys can handle this stew, I bet you can.
Good luck!
Yukgaejang, the spicy Korean beef stew
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 lb beef brisket
- 1 large onion or 1 leek sliced
- 6-7 cloves garlic
- 2 Asian leeks cut into 2" slices cut into 2" slices, core removed
- 1 daikon radish sliced into 4-5 pieces
- 1 tbsp black peppercorn
- 10 cups water
- 1/2 lb Korean fiddle head re-hydrated, and well rinsed, cut into 2" slices
- 1/2 lb mung bean sprouts
- 1/2 lb oyster mushroom torn into bite size pieces
- 4 tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 5 tbsp Korean soup soy sauce (gukganjang) gukganjang
- 1 tbsp finely minced garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
For the chili oil
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1/2 tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
Instructions
- In a large pot combine beef, onion (or 1 leek), garlic cloves, peppercorn, radish and water. Bring to boil and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Reserve the beef and the 5-6 cups of stock. Discard the rest.
- Shred the beef and set aside.
- In a pot boil water. Blanch mung bean sprouts with a little salt for 2 minutes. Using a strainer remove the sprouts from the water and rinse in a cold water, squeeze out the excess water and set aside.
- Blanch the mushroom in a same manner. Set aside.
- Blanch the sliced leeks in a same manner and rinse in the cold water, drain. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine shredded beef, fiddlehead, bean sprouts, mushrooms. Add the 4 tablespoon Korean chili flakes, sesame oil, Korean soy sauce for soup and minced garlic. Using a hand mix them all together until all the ingredients are well mixed with the seasoning.
- In a large heavy bottom pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over low heat. Add the 1/2 tablespoon of Korean chili flakes and gently stir well. You will see the oil is changing its color to red. Be careful not to burn the chili flakes.
- Add the beef mixture and toss well with the oil. Pour the 5 cups of reserved stock in the pot. The stock should cover every ingredient in a pot. Add more stock if needed. Bring to gentle boil, cover with a lid and then simmer for 1 hour over low heat.
- Add the reserved blanched Asian leek in the pot and cook for additional 15 minutes. Season the stew with salt if needed and sprinkle lots of freshly grated pepper.
- Serve hot with rice.
Thanks Holly for this recipe. I tried following another site’s recipe but it just did not taste right. Can’t wait to try this!
Great story! And great stew! Good tip on the fiddleheads – I rarely see them in markets here, but didn’t realize they were common in Korean cooking. Now I know where to look. BTW, Pakistani food can sometimes be fiery hot! We used to have a friend who was Pakistan, and we were at her house one day with some other friends who were Indian. Our Indian friends has perspiration beading their foreheads as they were eating lunch because they found the food so hot! My wife and I had no problem. But at the time we were seriously into spicy food. Anyway, good post – thanks.
Oh boy, does that look delicious! Yukgaejang was my all time favorite dish growing up. When going to Korean BBQ restaurants, I would actually prefer ordering this over galbi even, and nobody ever understood why. I dont get to eat this dish much these days, but I should making your version sometime. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Mike
I don’t get to eat much of this stew often either. It is good, isn’t it? I love old time favorite food and Yukgaejang is great comfort food for most Koreans. Thanks for your comment.
I’m reading this on a cold winter morning and it looks SO GOOD. Gorgeous recipe and I love the story about your son’s Pakistani friends. Adventurous eaters warm my heart!
I just finish making this. Soooo good, soooo spicy, I am like your son, needed lots of water but the spiciness just makes you want to eat more, I don’t know if there will be leftovers for tomorrow: )
I really enjoyed learning about some of the symbolism behind this dish–very interesting and very beautiful. Not to mention that it looks really delicious!
Ah… I love yukgaejang and have been patiently waiting for your version, Holly. Can’t wait to make it myself!
Thanks. It was really tasty and spicy! Hope you get to try soon.
Oh Holly, I love your stories that come with your food! So what happened to the King after he ate his stew and understood the meaning? I will try and find that film, hope I can find a version with Eng subtitles! Lol
The stew looks fabulous and I can’t wait to try it 🙂
Hi Lucy
I think the king died soon after in the movie. But in real history, he lived 10 or more years and secretly supported resistance groups for the country to bring the independence. It is very interesting movie about food and I really enjoyed. Hope you get to find.
Thanks so much for this recipe…I’m South Korean myself and adopted, and i love korean food but i’m trying to research myself about korean food since i didn’t have a korean upbringing. I always ordered this dish in restaurants but i didn’t know what the fiddlehead was! i’m going to try and find this at my local asian supermarket now i know what i’m looking for. thanks again for the story and inspiration!
This looks delicious!
Are the fiddleheads the same as what we get in North America in the spring? http://www.gourmetfury.com/photos/fiddlehead1.png
Not all the fiddleheads are created equal I guess. They look a little different but you can still use them in the recipe.
First off, I just want to say that I love your blog, and I have bookmarked it. Your stories and recipes are fantastic! After having spent about 2 hours searching, reading and getting very hungry, this stew looks like the dish I’ll try making first… I LOVE spicy food! 🙂 Having read your entire tutorial on kimchi, I think that might be a bit more than I can handle for the first Korean dish I make. lol This stew looks wonderful, and I have a Korean co-worker I’d love to take some to. In this recipe, you said you substituted oyster mushrooms for the taro stem. I am a cashier at a large Houston grocery store where occasionally I have seen taro stems come through my register. Never knew what they would be used for until now! If in fact I can get my hands on taro stem, how much would I need for this recipe, and how would I prepare it for the stew? Also, is there a substitute for fiddleheads in case I cannot find them?
Hi Rebecca
Thanks for the sweet comment. I am glad that you enjoy reading my post. This particular stew is really great for cold weather days. I hope you get to enjoy making it. It is exciting to hear that you have an access to taro stems. if they are fresh, just blanch in a boiling water until soft, then add to the other mixture for seasoning. If dried, you need to soak overnight and boil in the water until soft.
For the substitution of fiddle head, it is sort of one of the most important ingredient next to the beef, but if you can’t find them, try with swiss chard. Let me know how it turns out.
Looks so good, can’t wait to try! I don’t think many people realize how inexpensive these Asian food ingredients can be at Asian markets. Well at least here in San Diego there are many different markets to choose from!
probably my all time favorite korean dish. i could eat this 24/7/365.
Wow, this must be your true love! Thanks for the comment, Erik!
OMG! This is my favorite Korean soup. I have to try this recipe!! Thank you!
I’ve been looking so hard to find a perfect recipe of Yukgaejang. When I first tried this dish at a Korean restaurant, I instantly loved it. So I’m gonna try this soon.. I also told my boyfriend about me trying this recipe so he’s kind of excited as well. 🙂
Hi Isa
Hope you enjoy this recipe. Your boyfriend is a lucky guy! ^^
Thanks for the recipe and story behind yukaejang – very touching! I look forward to trying your recipe – I never knew how to make that “red” soup color; mine is a much more simple version. Thanks for your great blog, recipes, and stories – much more accessible than the Korean cookbook my mom gave me 🙂
Hi Holly! Been following ur recipes a lot! My household is really small so i wanna ask if i can store this gorgeousness in the fridge or something?
Hi Mion
Yes, you can store the leftover in the fridge and reheat it over the stove or in a microwave. Hope you like it.
Thank u for the reply Holly! May i know how long does it keep?
It will last up to 10 days in the fridge. It might taste good even after, but be cautious.
Hi Holly,
thank you for this recipe. It is a great starting point for me 🙂
I have to nitpick about you bringing up and those taro stems, though…
My mother told me that, originally, taro stems were never used here. It used to be Goguma stems, but unfortunately, they are hardly available anymore – even in Korea (!).
So… the king would probably had had goguma stems. I suppose the story adapts wonderfully 😛
Kind regards
Hi holly, love your recipes! I just got an instant pot (electric pressure cooker) and was wondering if you knew how to cover the cooking times and steps to make this in a pressure cooker instead of on the stove? Thanks!
I would reduce the amount of stock by 2/3, and the reduce the cooking time according to the soup setting.