Gopchang Boodae Recipe

Clean and parboil intestines

If using fresh gopchang/makchang, rinse under cold water. Place intestines in a pot, cover with water, add 1 tbs rice wine or 1 tsp vinegar (optional) and 1 sliced onion, bring to a gentle boil and simmer 10 minutes to remove impurities. Drain, rinse under cold running water, then slice into 2–3 cm pieces. Pat dry.

Soak sweet potato noodles in hot water for 10–15 minutes until pliable, then drain and set aside. Trim mushrooms, slice onion and cabbage, cut scallions, slice garlic and chilies.

Sear gopchang and beef

Heat 1 tbs cooking oil in a heavy skillet or the shallow pot (jungol pot) over medium-high heat. Add gopchang pieces in a single layer and sear until browned and slightly crisp at edges, about 3–4 minutes, turning once. Remove and set aside. Add remaining 1 tbs oil and quickly sear the thinly sliced beef just until lightly browned, 1–2 minutes. Remove and reserve with gopchang.

In the same pot, add a touch more oil if needed, then lightly sauté the sliced garlic and minced garlic from the broth list for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add kimchi and stir 2–3 minutes to caramelize slightly. This builds the jammy base for the soup.

Combine and simmer

To the pot with kimchi, add the beef bone broth and 1 cup water. Whisk in gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, miso (if using), sugar, grated ginger and sesame oil until dissolved. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Return the seared gopchang and beef to the pot. Add sliced onion, cabbage, and shiitake mushrooms. Simmer gently for 12–15 minutes so the flavors meld and the gopchang becomes tender but still slightly chewy. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed (start with the 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper listed).

Add noodles and delicate vegetables

Add soaked sweet potato noodles and enoki mushrooms to the simmering pot. Cook 3–5 minutes until noodles are translucent and tender. Add scallions and sliced green chili in the final 1–2 minutes—they should be just wilted but still bright.

If the broth reduces too much, add up to 1/2 cup hot water to adjust consistency. Adjust seasoning to taste with additional soy sauce, gochugaru, or salt.

Serve family-style

Ladle the gopchang boodae into a shallow communal pot (jungol) or individual bowls. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and chopped scallion or cilantro. Serve immediately while steaming hot. Provide small bowls of extra gochugaru, soy sauce, or sliced chilies on the side for diners to adjust heat.

Leftovers: cool quickly, refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat gently on stovetop; add a splash of water when reheating to loosen noodles and broth.