Day 15: Kalbi Tang

Winter has hit Southern California. Of course most days that means we are in the high 60s, low 70s and I walk around the house bundled up from head to toe. Since I am usually home alone, I can't justify heating up the whole house all day long for just me. I only turn on the heat when my fingers get so cold that I can't type and then usually it is just a space heater.

To me, soup is the perfect food for cold weather. While I enjoy eating American/European style soups (minestrone, creamy mushroom, hearty chili, cheesy potato, etc.) when someone else makes it, at home, for myself, I only make Asian soups. I love the light, clear broth, still-crispy vegetables, meat that is boiled until it is so tender, it falls apart. Korean and Japanese people frequently use the word "clean" to describe food; we say it has a clean flavor, meaning it is not weighed down with things like starches, dairy or fat. This is especially applicable to soup.

My pantry always has several cans or boxes of store-bought stock since recipes frequently use them as a starting point. But when I make soup, I go to my freezer where I keep two-cup containers of homemade beef and chicken stock. American stock is almost always made with celery, a strong flavor that, to me, overwhelms the delicate flavors of Asian soup. Because I use my homemade stock for a variety of ethnic cuisines, I boil the bones and meat with only salt and a smidgeon of garlic. If I am making Vietnamese Pho, I can add the star anise, roasted onions, ginger, and other seasonings. Korean soups benefit from a little more garlic, onions and Korean radishes. Japanese dashi is simple to make but starting with a mild beef stock punches up the flavor a bit.

The kids are with their dad and I am eating at home alone tonight. The last time I made stock, I used beef short ribs with the intention of making Kalbi tang, which is Korean short rib soup. Since I boil several pounds of beef and bones at a time, the ribs go into their own containers next to the stock in the freezer. I like to put the rice in with the soup, sprinkle liberally with kochookahroo (Korean chili powder) and add garnish.

If you want exact measurements, my favorite Korean food blogger has a recipe for Kalbi tang that to me is delicious but is rather labor- and ingredient-intensive. Here are my steps, although be warned, it's a two-day process:

1. You'll need some beef short ribs (typically one rib is a serving, but I plan for two per person).
2. Boil the meat for about 20 minutes to separate out all the gunk and foam. Dump the water and rinse the meat well. This is a crucial step to achieving the "clean" soup that I mentioned earlier.
3. Put the meat in fresh water and bring to a boil. I use at least two cups of water per rib and it will have to be replenished over time.
4. Season with a smidgeon of garlic and a LOT of salt, at least one teaspoon per cup of water.
5. Simmer until the meat is tender and can easily be pulled off the bone, although you don't actually want to do that. Presentation-wise, the soup is usually served with the meat still on the bone. This is about two to three hours.
6. Take the meat out and put in a container in the refrigerator.
7. Put the broth in the refrigerator also, for several hours or overnight. This step causes the fat to congeal and float to the top so that you can skim it off.
8. Run the cold soup through a strainer lined either with cheesecloth or a paper towel. This removes all remaining chunks of fat and gunk, another crucial step for achieving clean flavor.
9. Chop up some onions, korean radish, and/or mushrooms and cook in the broth until tender. Add the rib bone and meat back in and cook until heated through.
10. Add garnishes (slivers of fried egg, watercress, green onion, dried seaweed, etc.) and enjoy.

My Shopping List

Nothing - I made do with what I had on hand.

The Tally

• The day's tally: $0
• Total this week so far: $0
• Total this month to date: $0