Korean Pork Soup with Rice
Quick answer
- Total time
- 100 min
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Dwaeji gukbap is Busan's definitive pork and rice soup, constructed around a broth that simmers pork shoulder or neck in a bone stock base for well over an hour, until the liquid becomes pale, rich, and deeply flavored.
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The pork is always blanched in plain water first and the water discarded, removing blood and impurities that would cloud the broth or introduce an off-flavor. After blanching, the meat transfers to the main pot where it cooks long and low until the muscle fibers loosen and the collagen begins to dissolve into the liquid, adding a gentle body that coats the inside of the bowl. That collagen-thickened base absorbs the mineral depth of the simmered bones beneath it, building a broth that cannot be rushed or replicated quickly. The cooked pork is sliced thin across the grain, arranged over a bowl of steamed rice, and doused with a generous pour of the boiling broth, which soaks into the rice and makes each spoonful carry the flavor of both. Sliced green onion and garlic chives piled on top add a fresh, grassy brightness that cuts through the richness. Fermented shrimp paste and minced fresh chili sit on the side for each diner to season individually - a ritual that is specific to this dish. In Busan, gukbap shops that have kept the same stockpot simmering for decades are treated with the same reverence as landmarks.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Step
Submerge 300g of pork shoulder or neck in cold water for 20 minutes to draw out the blood.
If the water turns deep red, drain and replace with fresh water.
- 2Control
Place the soaked pork in a pot with 1 liter of cold water and bring to a boil over high heat.
As soon as grey foam rises, remove the pork, discard the water, and rinse the meat under cold water. This blanching step is essential for removing off-flavors.
- 3Control
Place the rinsed pork in 1.5 liters of bone broth and simmer over medium-low heat for 60 minutes.
The pork is done when a chopstick inserted releases clear juices with no trace of pink.
- 4Season
Remove the cooked pork and slice thinly along the grain, then set aside.
Season the remaining broth with 1 teaspoon minced garlic and 2 tablespoons fish-sauce-style soy sauce. Adjust saltiness with salt or salted shrimp to taste.
- 5Heat
Ladle hot rice into a heavy earthenware bowl, top with the sliced pork, and pour the hot broth generously over everything, just below boiling temperature.
- 6Finish
Garnish with sliced green onions, garlic chives, and sesame seeds.
Serve with salt and salted shrimp on the side so each person can adjust the seasoning to their own taste.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Simmering pork bones for an hour yields the milky, full-bodied broth essential for Dwaeji Gukbap.
- Finish cue
- The pork is done when a chopstick inserted releases clear juices with no trace of pink.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
100min, 8 ingredients
Category median
40min, 8 ingredients
Based on 309 recipes
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