Seolleongtang (Ox bone soup)
User Reviews
4.7
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Prep Time
1 hr
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Cook Time
5 hrs
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Servings
8
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Korean
Seolleongtang (Ox bone soup)
Description
This recipe for Seolleongtang calls for lengthy soaking and boiling of beef marrow bones and brisket, which produces a rich, opaque broth characteristic of the dish. The soaking steps help remove impurities, resulting in a clean-tasting yet deeply savory soup. The long simmering, around five hours or more, extracts gelatin and marrow that give the broth a creamy texture without adding cream.
After boiling, the thinly sliced cooked beef and fat can be added back for a tender meat component, complemented by generous chopped scallions that provide freshness and mild pungency. The broth is seasoned by individual diners with salt and black pepper at the table to taste. This soup is traditionally served with cooked rice or noodles, allowing for a comforting and filling meal — especially good for cooler weather or when recovering from illness.
Preparation includes parboiling the bones to clean them and replenishing water during the long simmer to maintain the broth’s volume and clarity. The recipe notes the option to use cow knuckles or foot cuts, which also add body to the soup.
Ingredients
- 3 - 4 pounds beef marrow bones You can also use cow knuckles (도가니) and/or foot (우족, aka sagol (사골), cut up
- 1 - 2 pounds beef brisket or shank meat
For serving:
- rice cooked
- somyeon noodles cooked, or glas noodles
- meat thinly sliced, cooked with the bones
- scallion lots of chopped
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
Preparation
- Soak the bones in cold water to draw out as much blood as possible, about 1 hour (or longer if you have time). Rinse well and drain.
- Soak the meat in another bowl to draw out as much blood as possible, about 1 hour. Drain. Keep it in the fridge until ready to use.
Parboiling
- Add the bones to a large stockpot (preferably 8 quarts or largewith enough cold water to cover. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, and boil for 5 minutes.
- Drain. Rinse the bones, and clean out the pot to remove any brown bits. Return the bones to the pot.
Boiling
- Fill up the pot with cold water, leaving a little room for boiling. Bring it to a boil over high heat, and reduce the heat to medium.
- Cover, and boil until the broth becomes rich and milky, about 5 hours (or longer if you have time). Adjust the heat a little, if necessary, to maintain a medium boil. (On my stove, this is somewhere between medium and medium low.) Add more water (boiling hot water to maintain the cooking temperature) to cover the bones, once or twice while boiling. (This photo was taken at the 3-hour point.)
- Add the soaked meat (and more water if needed to submerge the meat). Boil until the meat is tender, for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the meat. Once cooled, thinly slice the meat to add to the soup when serving. Pour the broth through a colander into another pot or a large bowl to cool.
Optional step (highly recommended)
- Fill up the pot with fresh water again. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover, and boil until the broth becomes rich and milky, 3 - 5 hours. Reduce the heat a little, as necessary, to maintain a moderate boil. Add more water if the liquid reduces too quickly while boiling. Pour the milky broth through a colander into the pot or large bowl that contains the first batch. You can repeat this one more time, if desired. Just mix them all at the end to even it out.
Removing fat
- You can use a fat separator to remove the fat, or keep it in the fridge (or out on the deck or balcony in the winteuntil the fat solidifies to spoon off the fat.
Serving
- To serve, place some rice and, if desired, noodles in a serving bowl, add the meat pieces, and then ladle the hot broth on top. Typically, chopped scallions, salt and pepper are served separately so each person can season to taste. Serve piping hot with kimchi.
Freezing leftover
- Freeze leftover broth in freezer bags.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
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