Gamjatang - Korean style pork bone soup with potatoes

serves 2-3

I just needed to get this soup in my mouth. And as i’m learning more and more about cooking aux meats aka not your basic cuts, I am loving learning new soups!

Ingredients

1.5 lbs of Pork Neck Bones - soaked, parboiled and rinsed again

6 cups water

Aromatics:

1/2 onion, big chunks

1/2 c dried shiitake mushrooms

a few red chilis

4 garlic cloves

nub of ginger, chunked

2 heaping T Doenjang

Seasoning Paste:

2 T Gochugaru

2 T Gochujang

2 T Fish soup base (or 1 T fish sauce)

Black pepper

Hot water to mix

Also I will be adding 2 T of sesame paste to replace perilla seed powder

Veg for soup:

2-3 Potatoes, peeled and chunked

Blanched Napa Cabbage, or in my case bok choy

3 Scallions Cut into 2 inch lengths

other optional but delicious and recommended veg: bean sprouts, perilla leaves

I smashed together two recipes, one from our queen Maangchi and one from Sue of My Korean Kitchen

First step is to rinse your neck bones in cold water, letting them soake for about an hour, changing the water every 15 mins or so. you are pulling out any leftover blood that can make the bone broth tastes funky ew and this step and the next make sure you have a really lovely, clean bone broth

While this is soaking, go ahead and prepare you aromatics. I also like to blanch the green veg. This is def not necessary though.

After your bones have soaked for an hour, you will need to par-boil your neck bones to really clean them out, boil your bones for 8-10 mins, then move them to the sink, drain and rins with cold water, rubbing each individually to clean them well.

Add them back to your now clean pot, top with 6 cups of water and your aromatics. Bring to a boil then down to medium heat and cook covered for 1.5 hours

After 1.5 hours, pull out your chili peppers and add in your seasoning paste, your potatoes, bean sprouts (I WISh I haD ThESE BUT IT IS A SNOW DAY AND I CAN'T GO TO THE KROGERRR), green onion and bock choy or cabbage to the pot, cover and simmer for 30 mins until your potatoes are tender.

top with some seseame seeds, scallions and perilla leaf if you have it, serve with rice and side dishes and FEEL THE WARM OOEY GOOEY PRIDE OF MAKING THIS WINTER CLASSIC