Gamjatang 감자탕 Recipe

Blanch and clean bones

Place the pork bones in a large pot and cover with about 2 liters of cold water. Add 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat and boil for 10 minutes to remove impurities. Skim foam, then pour bones into a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water, scrubbing off any coagulated blood. Rinse the pot.

Make the stock

Return the cleaned bones to the pot and add 3 liters of fresh water. Add the dried kelp, dried anchovies (remove heads/guts beforehand), halved onion, smashed garlic cloves, ginger slice, and white parts of the green onions. Bring to a gentle boil over high heat, then reduce to a low simmer. Simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, skimming occasionally. After the first 30–45 minutes, remove the kelp (to prevent bitterness). Continue simmering until meat is tender and falling from the bone.

Strain solids (optional)

If you prefer a clearer broth, carefully remove the bones and strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into another pot. Keep the meat on the bones or remove and reserve shredded meat as desired. Return strained broth and bones/meat to the pot.

Prepare seasoning paste

While the stock simmers, combine 2 tablespoons gochujang, 2 tablespoons gochugaru, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon doenjang, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, and 4 minced garlic cloves in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. Taste and adjust heat/salt as desired.

Add paste to stew

Once the broth is rich and the pork mostly cooked (after at least 1.5 hours), add the seasoning paste to the pot and stir thoroughly to dissolve into the broth. Simmer gently for 10 minutes to let flavors meld.

Add potatoes and simmer

Add the peeled and halved potatoes to the stew. Continue simmering for 15–20 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender but not falling apart.

Add greens, tofu and finish

Stir in the chopped napa cabbage (or bok choy), tofu cubes if using, chopped perilla leaves (if using), and the sliced green onions. Cook another 5–7 minutes until greens are wilted and flavors have combined. Taste and adjust seasoning with a splash more soy sauce or fish sauce and additional gochugaru if you want more heat. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Ladle the hot gamjatang into large shallow bowls, ensuring each serving gets meat on the bone, potatoes, and broth. Serve immediately with steamed short-grain rice and banchan such as kimchi. Provide spoons and chopsticks; diners can pick meat from the bones at the table.