곰탕 Gomtang Recipe

Rinse all bones and soak in cold water for 30 minutes to remove surface blood. Drain and briefly rinse.

Place bones in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Boil vigorously for 10–15 minutes to remove impurities.

Drain bones and discard the blanching water. Rinse bones under cold running water, scrubbing away any brown scum. Clean the pot.

Return the cleaned bones to the large pot. Add 6 liters of fresh cold water, the whole onion (halved), whole garlic cloves, and sliced ginger.

Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat. As soon as it reaches a simmer, lower the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer (small bubbles) — do not boil vigorously, to keep a clear broth.

Skim any foam that rises to the surface during the first 30 minutes. Continue simmering gently, partially covered, for 4 hours.

After 4 hours, add the brisket and any shank/short ribs to the pot with the bones. Continue to simmer gently for another 1.5–2 hours, until the brisket is fork-tender and the broth is milky-looking and flavorful.

Taste the broth and continue simmering up to a total of 6–8 hours from the start if you want a richer, more gelatinous broth. Add small amounts of hot water as needed to keep bones submerged.

Carefully remove the cooked brisket and set aside in a bowl. Remove larger bones and strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean pot or bowl to remove solids and sediment.

If you prefer a very clear broth, let the strained broth rest 10–15 minutes and skim any excess fat from the surface with a ladle or use a fat separator.

Slice the rested brisket thinly across the grain. Reserve some of the meat and small pieces of bone if desired to serve in bowls.

Reheat the strained broth to a gentle simmer. Add fish sauce and 1–2 tablespoons of coarse sea salt (start with 2 tbs total distributed) and adjust later to taste. Simmer 3–5 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

Finely mince the 2 cloves of garlic for garnish and thinly slice green onions (white and green parts separated if desired).

Adjust seasoning: taste the broth and add more salt or fish sauce as needed. Finish with freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Divide cooked steamed rice among 4 bowls or serve on the side in individual rice bowls.

Place several slices of the sliced brisket into each serving bowl (or add small torn pieces of meat). Ladle hot broth over the meat until bowls are nearly full. If using additional bone pieces, add a small piece to each bowl for presentation.

Garnish each bowl with sliced green onions and a small spoon of minced garlic. Serve immediately with kimchi and additional coarse salt or pepper at the table for diners to adjust seasoning.