my golden hour

Hello everyone after another busy week!  How is it already the end of February?

A few weeks ago, I had an almost-disaster with round one of making this soup.  But the crisis was averted and here is the successful, delicious second try.

A few notes:

1. ALWAYS keep an eye on your water level.  Don’t let the heat get too strong, as the best result will come with slow and steady cooking. 8 hours is a long time, I know, but it’s worth it.

2. I know it’s a hassle, but I really can’t stress how important it is to dump the water after the first boil. All the impurities and foam that develops after this first boil can thwart a beautifully clean, milky-broth.

3.  This is so easy, simple, and delicious.  It’s one of those soups that warms your entire body with how comforting it is.  I am instantly brought back to my childhood whenever I have this deliciously delicate broth. I am a purist when it comes to this soup, I know there are a lot of variations of putting radish, ginger, onion, and other sorts into this, but I am a bit enamored by this Korean-type-consomme, pure and simple. Feel free to add other ingredients if you so desire, but I am the biggest fan of this bare bones version.

Gori Gom Tang Recipe

4 lbs beef oxtail

1 quart + 1 quart + more cups as needed of water

4-5 cloves of garlic

Green onion (chopped finely), sea salt, and pepper to taste

1. Soak your beef oxtail in a pot of cold water for one hour.  You’ll notice the water will turn a little bloody, this is the point.  We want to get rid of as much blood inside the bones as possible. Drain and rinse with cold water.

2. Fill a pot with the quart of water and then add bones.  Bring to a full-fledged boil for about five minutes.  Watch carefully so that the water and foam do not overflow.  Once you see a lot of foam piling on top of the pot, turn off the heat and drain all of this water VERY CAREFULLY.  Put the oxtail in a big bowl and rinse with cold water to make sure all the foam and impurities are rinsed off.  Next, rinse out the pot and clean with soap and water if needed.

3. Add the oxtail back to the pot and add a quart of water.  Bring to a boil, and then lower heat back down to a medium-simmer. Place the cover on the pot and let simmer for 6~8 hours, the longer the better, while checking every hour to refill with water as needed.  The broth should be a milky-cloudy-color, and a LOT of fat will have been released.  Carefully, scoop out the fat using a ladle, or I’ve read that some people remove the bones, then refrigerate the soup and remove the hardened fat the day after.  I am too impatient for that so I ladle the fat out myself.

4. The oxtail meat will be so tender that it will be falling off the bone.  If it’s not, the soup isn’t ready!  Once ready to serve and fat-less, turn up the heat to a soft boil and add garlic.  Boil for ten minutes, and then ladle into bowls to serve, around 1-2 big oxtail sections per serving.

5. Add green onion, sea salt, and pepper to taste at the table.  I also put a little bit of salt and pepper on a small dish and dip my oxtail meat into it,  so scrumptious.  Enjoy!

I love eating this soup with a bowl of white rice and some spicy kimchi.