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.