Naju Gomtang (Naju Clear Brisket Beef Soup)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 160 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 7
About this dish
Naju-gomtang is a traditional beef soup from Naju in Korea's South Jeolla Province, distinguished by its clear broth and its reliance entirely on lean cuts rather than bones or offal.
Read more
While Seoul-style gomtang often includes bone marrow and internal organs for a richer, cloudier result, Naju gomtang uses only brisket and shank, producing a broth that looks light but carries a deep, clean beef flavor. The entire technique depends on low, patient heat. A hard boil clouds the liquid, so the pot must stay at a gentle simmer for at least two hours, with foam skimmed off as it rises. This extended cooking draws collagen from the connective tissue into the broth, giving it a coating quality that lingers on the palate despite the clear appearance. The meat is lifted out, shredded along the grain or sliced thin, then returned to the strained broth. Seasoning is intentionally minimal, just soup soy sauce and salt, because the point is to let the flavor of long-simmered beef stand on its own. Sliced green onion and white pepper are added at the table just before eating, the traditional finishing touch.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Control
Soak 700 g beef brisket and 500 g beef shank in cold water for 30 minutes.
Change the water once if it becomes very red, which helps reduce muddy flavor and keeps the final broth clearer.
- 2Control
Put the beef in a pot with enough water to cover and bring it to a boil over high heat.
Once it boils, cook for 5 minutes, then discard the foamy blanching water completely.
- 3Heat
Rinse the pot, then add the beef, 2800 ml water, green onion, and garlic.
Bring it back just to a boil, then immediately lower the heat so the surface only trembles gently.
- 4Control
Simmer gently for at least 2 hours.
Check often that it is not boiling hard, and skim off foam as it rises so the broth stays clean rather than cloudy.
- 5Prep
When a chopstick slides into the beef easily, lift it out and let it cool briefly.
Shred along the grain or slice thinly, then strain the broth through a sieve to remove solids.
- 6Finish
Season the clear broth with 2 tablespoons of soup soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Return the meat, boil for 10 minutes until heated through, and serve immediately.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Naju-gomtang produces a distinctively clear broth using lean brisket without any bones.
- Finish cue
- Season the clear broth with 2 tablespoons of soup soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Storage and reheating
- After cooking, shred or thinly slice the brisket and shank along the grain, return them to the broth, and boil for 10 minutes to reheat evenly.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
160min, 7 ingredients
Category median
45min, 8 ingredients
Based on 310 recipes
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