Oxtail Soup (Korean)

꼬리 곰탕... a Korean family staple and a favorite at my house. My kid sister especially loved this when she was a baby. She would gnaw the meat off all the way to the bones and then pass out in her high chair ahahahaha. Most adorable thing ever.

This is really easy to make if you just use the basic recipe. I'm sure seasoned 아줌마s have extra tricks and secrets up their sleeve. I kept it simple.

Just peel and core as needed: 무우, 양파, 배 or 사과.

Do not forget the garlic! I think I used a whole head.

You'll also need salt (sea salt or kosher) and black pepper.

First, put the oxtails in a pot with some water, just enough to cover them and then a little extra. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for a few minutes. This is to boil out all the bloody gunk. Meanwhile, if you want to save yourself some time, bring clean water to a boil in another (maybe bigger pot).

After most of the bloody gunk has floated to the top of the water, remove from heat and dump the bloody gunk water. Make sure you don't boil the oxtails for too long or at too roiling of a boil just to suck the bloody gunk out (it'll make the meat tough and lose flavor). Rinse any remnants of the bloody gunk off and place oxtails in the clean water pot (the clean water should come an inch or so above the top of the oxtails in the pot).

Add all the ingredients prepared before to the pot with the oxtails. Add some salt and pepper. Simmer for 2-3 hours.

Remove from heat, and leave pot open to cool over night. If you have enough space in your fridge, you can cool it in the fridge.

Once chilled, the fat will harden at the top. Skim the fat off and throw out. Remove the 무우, 양파, and fruit.

Serve the meat on the bones and the broth with chopped green onions. Add salt and pepper to the broth to taste. Some people like to dip the meat in 양념 간장 (soy sauce with red pepper flakes, green onions, garlic, sesame seeds, vinegar).

If you have extra broth, you can use it as a base for other soups! Delicious.

Sorry I don't have a photo of the finished product. I just ate it without taking any pictures hehe.

Wilted Kale and Tomato Salad

Apologies in advance for the lack of measurements in this recipe. I learned to cook from my Korean mother, whose idea of measurements is "요만큼" or "적당히" or "잘 보면서." Three thousand miles away and far from affordable Korean restaurants, I would call my mother to ask her how to cook things... only to hear on the other end of the line, "Oh, you know, you just have to put in enough." Thanks, Mom.

I've been eating a lot of kale salad lately because kale is so delicious and healthy... and a good source of   vitamins! Gotta eat those leafy green veggies during pregnancy! This evening, I needed a little snack to hold me over until we eat a late dinner (of Korean bbq no less). So I whipped this up around 5:30 pm to get some nutrients in my body before I poison myself with grease and fat (and some protein) galore in a couple hours.

Here are the unmeasured ingredients:

• Kale (I used two leaves for my little half-serving here)
• Tomato (I used about 2/3 of one of those tomatoes they sell on the vine)
• Minced Garlic (1 clove)
• Onion (um... you know, just enough)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (again, just enough... to cover the pan in my case)
• Balsamic vinegar (I used 2 splashes)
• Kosher Salt
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Pine Nuts (optional... I didn't use them here)

Directions:

1. Mince garlic, mince onion, dice tomato, and cut kale leaves off the stem into slightly larger than bite-size pieces.
2. Coat pan with evoo and put over medium heat.
3. When the oil is hot enough (test with a drop of water or a piece of onion for a slight sizzle), toss garlic and onion into pan. After 1-2 minutes but before garlic browns, lower heat to medium-low and toss in tomatoes. Increase heat to medium if the tomato is taking too long to cook (do not overcook!) and your stomach is grumbling (like mine was).
4. After the tomato has cooked for a few minutes, add kale. You might need to add a little more evoo at this point. Eyeball it, as my mother would say. Stir so kale is coated with oil and wilting nicely. Add salt, balsamic vinegar, and black pepper to taste. The kale will shrink and turn a slightly deeper green. 
5. Before kale turns too saggy and lifeless, remove from heat and place onto serving dish. Grate parmesan cheese on top if desired. I also like to add pine nuts to my kale salad sometimes to add more nutrients and flavor. But this time I went for the cheese.
6. Eat while still warm.

Other kale salads I like:

• Massaged kale with some kind of citrus fruit, onion, toasted almonds, and golden raisins and/or dried cranberries
• Warm kale and potato salad in a lemon or mustard dressing
• Roasted yam and kale salad