Rich Pork Back-bone and Upland Cress Stew (Gamjatang): A Golden Recipe to Enjoy at Home
Rich Pork Back-bone and Upland Cress Stew (Gamjatang): A Golden Recipe to Enjoy at Home
The ultimate Gamjatang recipe featuring rich pork back-bones, tender upland cress, and chewy potatoes. Enjoy a spicy and savory flavor enhanced with perilla oil for a truly satisfying bone soup experience.
Here’s a Gamjatang recipe I can confidently recommend anytime! Instead of perilla seed powder, we use flavorful perilla oil for an even richer, nuttier taste with a hint of spiciness that’s absolutely delicious. On a chilly day, warm yourself up with this hearty stew packed with flavorful broth and generous ingredients for a satisfying meal!
Main Gamjatang Ingredients- Pork back-bones 1.2kg (after soaking to remove blood)
- Upland cress (Siraegi) 200g (after soaking)
- Perilla leaves 10 sheets
- Potatoes 2 medium
- Scallions 2 stalks
- Onion 1/2
- Whole garlic cloves 10
- Cheongyang peppers (spicy green chili peppers) 2
- Whole peppercorns (a pinch)
- Bay leaves 2-3
For Removing Gamey Smell (1st Boil)- Plenty of water
- Doenjang (soybean paste) 1 Tbsp
- Whole peppercorns (a pinch)
- Plenty of water
- Doenjang (soybean paste) 1 Tbsp
- Whole peppercorns (a pinch)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, if the pork back-bones are frozen, soak them completely in cold water for 2 to 3 hours to remove any blood. Changing the water once or twice during this process will help remove blood more thoroughly.
Step 2
After sufficiently soaking the back-bones to remove blood, rinse them thoroughly under cold running water. It’s important to meticulously remove any blood clots or impurities attached to the bones.
Step 3
Place the cleaned back-bones in a pot and add enough cold water to fully submerge them. To remove any gamey odor, add 1 Tbsp of doenjang and a pinch of whole peppercorns, then bring to a boil over high heat.
Step 4
Once the water comes to a rolling boil, impurities will rise to the surface. Continue boiling for about 3 more minutes, then discard all the boiling water. Rinse the back-bones again under cold water to wash away any remaining impurities. Thoroughly removing the gamey smell and impurities is key to achieving a clean-tasting Gamjatang.
Step 5
Place the cleaned back-bones in a different pot and add cold water again, ensuring the bones are well-covered. Now, let’s make the broth. Add 2-3 bay leaves, a pinch of whole peppercorns, 10 whole garlic cloves, the white part of ½ scallion, and ½ onion. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Step 6
Once the water starts boiling rapidly, cover the pot with a lid, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes. If the broth reduces significantly during cooking, you can add about a cup of water. The longer you simmer, the more tender the meat will become and the deeper the broth’s flavor will get.
Step 7
About 1 hour into boiling the back-bones, place the pre-soaked upland cress in a pot, add water, and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes until tender. Boiling it again like this helps remove any raw taste from the cress and enhances its soft texture.
Step 8
While the back-bones are simmering, let’s make the delicious seasoning paste! In a bowl, combine 3 Tbsp doenjang, 1 Tbsp gochujang, 2 Tbsp gochugaru, 1.5 Tbsp guk-ganjang, 1 Tbsp sugar, a pinch of salt, and 7 Tbsp of perilla oil for that nutty aroma. Mix well.
Step 9
Rinse the blanched and boiled upland cress under cold water, squeeze out excess moisture, and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Peel and cut the 2 potatoes into large chunks. Slice the scallions diagonally, and slice the 2 Cheongyang peppers diagonally as well. (You can omit the peppers or perilla leaves according to your preference.)
Step 10
After simmering for 1 hour and 30 minutes, the meat on the back-bones should be very tender. Remove the bones and set them aside.
Step 11
From the broth used to boil the back-bones, remove and discard the bay leaves, whole peppercorns, whole garlic cloves, scallion, and onion. You should have a clear, deep-flavored broth remaining.
Step 12
Separate the clear broth from the boiled back-bones. All the ingredients will now be combined in a pot for cooking the Gamjatang.
Step 13
Now it’s time to bring everything together! In the pot, add the boiled back-bones, the cut upland cress, the chunky potatoes, the sliced scallions, and the prepared seasoning paste. Pour the clear broth over them, ensuring it’s plentiful but not overflowing, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once the potatoes are fully cooked and the flavors have melded together, your delicious Gamjatang is ready!
Step 14
What makes this recipe special is the use of perilla oil. It provides a much richer and more aromatic flavor than perilla seed powder, and the deep broth made from pork back-bones results in an incredibly profound and excellent soup. You won’t be able to forget the taste after trying it.
Step 15
After enjoying your Gamjatang, don’t forget to make kimchi fried rice with the leftover broth and kimchi! It’s a fantastic way to finish a hearty meal.
