Gamjatang - Spicy Pork Bone Stew
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr
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Additional Time
1 hr
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Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
349 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Korean
Gamjatang - Spicy Pork Bone Stew
Description
Gamjatang features pork ribs or neck bones simmered in water with aromatics like ginger, peppercorns, and a small amount of coffee. The meat is pre-boiled to remove impurities and then cooked thoroughly until very tender. The stew incorporates diced russet potatoes, green onions, enoki mushrooms, napa cabbage, shishito peppers, crown daisies, perilla leaves, and red chili peppers for complexity and texture.
The seasoning sauce blends Korean soybean paste (doenjang), red chili paste (gochujang), fresh ginger, garlic, black pepper, red chili powder (gochukaru), anchovy sauce, soy sauce, ground perilla seeds, and cooking sake. These ingredients combine to form a thick, spicy, and fragrant broth that infuses the pork and vegetables during simmering. The stew balances heat, umami, and herbal notes from the garnishes.
This dish is traditionally served hot as a main course, perfect for colder weather or when a filling, richly flavored Korean stew is desired. It pairs well with steamed rice and can be adjusted for spice by increasing red chili powder. The perilla seeds contribute a distinctive nutty and earthy quality textured within the broth.
Preparation notes suggest soaking pork neck bones to detract from strong odors, pre-boiling and discarding the first broth, and cooking long enough for the meat to become tender and separate easily from the bones. Ground perilla seed powder is essential for authentic flavor, though it can be omitted if unavailable.
Ingredients
- 2 lb pork ribs or pork neck bones
- 5 cups water
For pre-cooking pork
- 1 Tbsp cooking sake or mirin
- 1 Tbsp peppercorn
- 1 Tbsp ginger just use 1 inch length, fresh
- 1/2 Tbsp ground coffee
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 2 each potato russet
- 2 bunches green onions
- 1/2 pack enoki mushrooms
- 7 each crown daisies Ssukaat
- 10 each perilla leaves
- 8 each shishito pepper optional
- 1 bunch Napa cabbage napa cabbage is ok too, Seoul variety
- 3 each red chili peppers
Seasoning sauce
- 2 Tbsp doenjang Korean Soybean paste
- 1 Tbsp gochujang Korean Red Chili paste
- 1 tsp fresh ginger grated
- 1 Tbsp garlic about 4 cloves, chopped
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 Tbsp red chili powder Gochukaru 고추가루, Korean
- 1 tsp anchovy sauce Myeolchi Aekjeot 멸치액젓, fermented
- 2 tsp soy sauce Korean soup soy sauce, Korean gukganjang (soup soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp perilla seeds Deulkkae Garu 들깨가루, ground
- 2 Tbsp cooking sake mirin ok
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
Prepare Pork
- If using pork neck bones, soak in cold water for 1 hour to remove excess blood and smell. If using pork ribs, no need to soak.
- If using pork ribs, start boiling the pork now. If using pork neck bones, prepare below while soaking.
- Boil pork bones in a pot. Add enough water to cover the pork, add a splash of cooking sake/mirin/white wine, 1 Tbsp of pepper corns, 1 knob of ginger and 1/2 Tbsp of ground coffee. Bring to boil on medium high heat and then cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Drain. Add the pork (only not the liquid) back into the pot.
Prepare all vegetables.
- Peel potatoes and cut into big chunks about 1.5 inch cube.
- Rinse green onions, perilla leaves, red or green chili peppers, shishito peppers, seoul green cabbage and crown daisies.
- Cut red or green chili peppers into 1 inch to 1.5 inch lengths.
- Cut green onions into 2 inch lengths.
- Cut perilla leaves into thick strips.
Prepare Sauce
- Make seasoning sauce by mixing in Gochujang, Deonjang, chopped garlic, grated ginger, gukganjang, anchovy sauce, ground perilla seeds, black pepper, cooking sake and red chili powder.
Put it all together
- In the pot with pre-cooked pork, add 5 cups water and the seasoning sauce.
- Cook on medium high heat for 10 minutes.
- Add potatoes, chili peppers, cabbage and 1/2 of green onions to pork and simmer for 35 minutes or until the meat falls off the bone.
- Finish the stew by topping it with perilla leaves, more green onions and crown daisies. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and serve. Alternatively, you can cook the stew at the table - which is what most restaurants do in Seoul.
- Serve with some rice and a non-spicy banchans like Sukju Namul, Apple Onion Salad or various Jeons or Pancakes
Notes
- Pork ribs may be substituted with neck or back bones according to availability.
- Soak pork neck bones in cold water for 1 hour to reduce any gamey odors before cooking.
- Pre-boil pork bones briefly, discard the water to remove impurities and pungent odors, then continue cooking with fresh water.
- Cook slowly until the meat is tender and easily pulls from the bones to enrich the stew’s flavor.
- Ground perilla seeds are a key ingredient that provide authentic flavor; omitting them will alter the traditional taste.
- Adjust the spice level by varying the amount of red chili powder according to personal preference.
- Include all recommended vegetables and garnishes for the best balance of flavors and textures.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 349 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 349kcal | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 14g | 5% |
| Protein | 32g | 64% |
| Fat | 19g | 29% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 109mg | 36% |
| Sodium | 488mg | 20% |
| Potassium | 751mg | 16% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 1125IU | 23% |
| Vitamin C | 11.5mg | 13% |
| Calcium | 72mg | 7% |
| Iron | 2.6mg | 14% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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