Haejanggguk Hangover Stew

Haejang-guk or hangover soup refers soup eaten as a hangover cure in Korean cuisine. It means “soup to chase a hangover” and is also called sulguk. It usually consists of dried Napa cabbage, vegetables and meat in a hearty beef broth.

Ingredients

• . . (1) kombu+shiitake stock (for 2 recipes below)
• 500 ml water
• 5 g dried shiitake mushrooms (1pcs)
• 5 g kombu kelp
• . . (2) Simmered Beef Chuck (can feed 4-5 people)
• 1 kg beef chuck, cubed 2x2cm
• 1 L water
• . . (3) Stew assembly (for 2 people)
• 170 ml Kombu+shiitake stock from step 1
• 120 ml reserved beef stock from step 2
• 80 g daikon radish, sliced into half-moons
• 1 leaf Nappa cabbage, cut into large chunks
• 100 g kimchi
• 24 g shimeji mushrooms, separated
• 30 g fried tofu, sliced into large chunks
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 pcs clove of garlic, minced
• 1 pcs spring onions, cut into 3cm batons
• 20 g bean sprouts
• . . (4) Seasoning
• 2 teaspoon doenjang (soybean paste)
• 1 teaspoon gochujang (spicy bean paste)
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1/4 teaspoon kochukaru (Korean chili flakes)

Directions

• 0Step (1) kombu+shiitake stock
  1. Place the water in a pot and bring to a simmer.
  2. When a few small bubbles begin to break the surface, add the kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms in the liquid. 
  3. Allow to steep for 1 hour. 
  4. Strain the liquid. Discard the kombu and reserve the rehydrated shiitake mushrooms
• 1Step (2) Simmered Beef Chuck
  1. Place the cubed beef and water in a pressure cooker and cook over medium-low heat at pressure level #2 for 30 minutes until the beef becomes fork-tender. 
  2. Strain the liquid and beef and reserve.
  
  
• 2Step (3) (4)Stew assembly
  1. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. 
  2. Add 1 tsp sesame oil and add the daikon radish and saute for a minute.
  3. Add in the fried tofu, the cabbage, the shimeji mushrooms, spring onion and saute for another minute.
  4. Add in the mirin and the two stocks. 
  5. Then add in the kimchi, the doenjang and the gochujang. 
  6. Allow it to simmer for another minute or until the daikon radish begins to soften. 
  7. Adjust the seasoning if necessary, adding more doenjang for salt and mirin for sweetness.