Gamjatang (Spicy Pork Stew w/ Potatoes)

 
Gamjatang is a spicy pork bone stew that is considered a traditional Korean dish which is hearty and rich in flavors. The main ingredients are hearty, complex taste of the rich broth which is made from boiled pork backbone.  In full translation, this dish is called pork bone stew as tang means stew in Korean.

This stew is assorted with vegetables such as cabbage, mushrooms, parsley, green onions and bean sprouts. And it is heavily seasoned with garlic, red chili peppers and roasted perilla seeds. The additions of perilla seeds are optional as it gives a more delicate flavor to the dish, taking away the greasy taste of the pork.  All gamjatang dishes may be similar in appearance, but the taste varies from one restaurant to another.

This dish is known to be rich in proteins, calcium and Vitamin B1 (from the pork bones) and is believed to prevent snoring as well as aging.

Korean101: The word gamja normally means potato in Korean but in this particular dish, it is actually referring to the pork bone itself, and tang means stew in Korean.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 2kg pork spine bones (with meat on)
• 1/2 head Chinese cabbage, rinsed and core cut out
• 6-8 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and chopped in half
• Soup Stock
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled
• 2-3 spring onions, washed of any grit
• 10 black peppercorns
• 1 head of garlic, peeled
• 1 knob of ginger
• 1/2 head of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp dwaenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste)
• 2 tbsp gochujjang (Korean fermented red chilli paste)
• 4 tbsp gochugaru (coarse red chilli powder)
• 2 tbsp finely ground perilla seed powder
• Salt
• Pepper
• Sesame seeds

Cooking Directions:

• Trim the bones of any large white globs of fat that you can see, then immerse the bones in water for an hour to soak out the blood. Drain the bones, then put them into a LARGE pot and cover with water. Slowly bring to a boil and leave to boil for 10 minutes, then throw out the water and drain the bones.
• Give them a good clean under cold water, making sure you get rid of any scum clinging to their surfaces, then put them back in the pot and once again fill the pot so the bones are covered, then add all the ingredients under ‘Soup Stock‘ (onion, spring onions, peppercorns, garlic, ginger). Slowly bring to a simmer and leave to simmer for about 4-5 hours, or till the meat is tender and beginning to fall off the bone.
• While the meat and soup stock is simmering, bring a smaller pot of water to the boil and add the Chinese/Napa cabbage leaves to the water, Leave them for 1-2 minutes just to blanch them, then remove them and give a quick rinse under cold water to stop them cooking further. Drain, and once they have cooled down, rip them into long shreds with your hands.
• Once the soup has finished boiling, carefully remove the bones to a bowl and strain the soup, being careful to reserve the liquid (we are just removing the soup stock ingredients). Pour strained soup back into the pot, add the meat and potatoes and the seasoning ingredients (garlic, dwaenjang, gochujang, gochugaru, perilla seed powder), stir together and taste. At this stage, if you think you’d like it spicier, add more gochugaru to taste.
• Boil the soup till the potatoes are completely cooked through, then add the blanched cabbage leaves and add salt, pepper and sesame seeds to taste. Simmer till the cabbage is tender and cooked through, then serve alongside rice and banchan – don’t forget the kimchi!