Korean food is super popular at the moment. With bold flavours like garlic, sesame oil and funky fermented soy bean paste, who could refuse this rich, satisfying bowl of tasty goodness!
It’s a labour of love – that’s for sure. The oxtail needs a few hours to really breakdown and release its goodness into the broth. It’s also worth picking up some specialty ingredients from a Korean grocery store. You can use substitutes, but the flavour won’t be quite as authentic or delicious.
Ingredients (serves 4)
800gm Oxtail
12 cups water and more for later
6 cloves garlic
1tbs minced ginger
2tbs doenjang (Korean fermented bean paste – sweet and savoury)
2tbs gochujang (Spicy fermented bean paste)
2tbs sesame oil
Soy sauce
1 cup chopped spring onion
Various Asian mushroom varieties – enoki, shiitake, shimeji
2 heads book choy or choy sum
Kimchi (optional)
4 boiled eggs, peeled and halved
4 serves Ramen noodles
Method
- Place oxtail in water and bring to boil – oxtail should be just covered with water. Add garlic, bean pastes and soy sauce. Simmer for 2-3 hours. Add more water if needed.
- Remove oxtail from broth and shred the meat off the bones. Keep the meat aside and discard the bones. Strain the broth. It should be rich, red, and have quite a lot of fat from the oxtail. You can skim some of the fat off but don’t remove it all – this is where a lot of the flavour is!
- Bring the broth to the boil again and add the sesame oil and ginger. Cook your ramen noodles in the broth.
- Divide the choy sum amongst four large soup bowls. Ladle in the broth and noodles, then arrange the mushrooms, kimchi, eggs, oxtail meat and onions on top. Smell the intense aroma. Serve with spoons and chopsticks!
