Korean Ox Bone Broth (Milky Collagen-Rich Marrow Soup)
Quick answer
Sagol-guk is a Korean bone broth soup made by simmering beef marrow bones for six hours or longer until the dissolved collagen and marrow turn the liquid a dense, opaque...
What makes this special
- This milky white ox bone broth results from simmering beef marrow for over six hours.
- 6-8 hours simmering dissolves collagen until broth turns milky white
- Soaking and blanching remove blood so the white broth stays clean
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Place 1000 g beef marrow bones in a large pot or bowl and cover fully with cold water.
- 2 Move the drained bones to boiling water and blanch over high heat for 10 minutes.
- 3 Rinse each blanched bone under cold water, rubbing off any clinging bits, and rinse the pot as well.
Sagol-guk is a Korean bone broth soup made by simmering beef marrow bones for six hours or longer until the dissolved collagen and marrow turn the liquid a dense, opaque white that looks closer to milk than water. The seasoning is intentionally minimal, limited to green onion, garlic, and salt, because the entire point of the dish is the bone itself and what slow heat extracts from it over time. Before the long simmer begins, the bones are soaked in cold water to draw out the blood and then briefly blanched to remove any remaining impurities that would cloud or bitter the broth. The same bones can be reboiled three or four times, with each successive batch yielding a progressively lighter and cleaner-tasting liquid. The soup is served piping hot alongside rice, with salt and white pepper passed at the table so each person can season according to preference. Alongside seolleongtang and gomtang, sagol-guk forms one of the three pillars of Korea's long bone broth tradition, and its restorative reputation makes it a natural choice on cold days or when the body needs warmth and something uncomplicated.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Finish
Place 1000 g beef marrow bones in a large pot or bowl and cover fully with cold water.
Soak for 2 to 3 hours, changing the water every 30 minutes so blood is drawn out and the finished broth tastes cleaner.
- 2Control
Move the drained bones to boiling water and blanch over high heat for 10 minutes.
Discard the blanching water completely, along with the foam and gray scum, because keeping it would make the broth muddy and heavy.
- 3Control
Rinse each blanched bone under cold water, rubbing off any clinging bits, and rinse the pot as well.
Return the clean bones to the clean pot, then add 3000 ml fresh water so the long simmer starts clear.
- 4Control
Bring the pot to a strong boil over high heat, then skim off the first foam as it rises.
Lower to medium low heat and keep the liquid gently moving, not violently boiling, so the broth extracts slowly without tasting harsh.
- 5Control
Simmer for 6 to 8 hours, topping up with hot water whenever the level drops below the bones.
The broth is ready when it turns milky white and feels slightly sticky on the lips from the extracted collagen.
- 6Season
Season just before serving with 1 teaspoon salt, then taste and adjust at the table if needed.
Slice 1 green onion diagonally, mince 4 garlic cloves, and add them over the very hot broth so their aroma stays fresh.
After the steps
Pick a recipe that fits this dish.
Continue with shared ingredients, meal pairings, or a similar method.
Recipes That Go Well With This
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Korean Ox Bone Broth with Napa Outer Leaves
Sagol-ugeoji-guk is a hearty Korean soup that combines milky ox bone broth with seasoned outer napa cabbage leaves. The ugeoji is pre-mixed with doenjang, gochugaru, garlic, and perilla oil, then stir-fried in the pot for three minutes to develop its aroma before the bone broth is poured in. Simmering over medium heat for thirty-five minutes softens the fibrous greens completely while the doenjang seasoning dissolves into the broth, building layers of fermented depth. The collagen-rich, white bone stock provides a heavy, lingering richness, and the fermented doenjang character of the greens layers on top of that foundation, so each spoonful coats the palate with something dense and warming. Soup soy sauce adjusts the final salt level, and sliced green onion goes in just before serving. Blanching the ugeoji before seasoning it removes any bitterness and off-odors, which keeps the finished broth cleaner and more balanced. This soup belongs to the restorative end of the Korean soup tradition, substantial enough to anchor a cold-weather meal on its own.
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Sundae-guk is a hearty soup built on a long-simmered pork bone broth that turns milky white from hours of boiling. Thick slices of Korean blood sausage - pork intestine casing stuffed with glass noodles, barley, and pig's blood - sit in the center of the bowl, their chewy casing absorbing the hot broth while the dense filling inside stays warm and soft. Alongside the sundae, slices of boiled pork shoulder and, in more traditional versions, offal like liver or lung add variety in texture and a faint mineral note. The broth itself is rich yet surprisingly clean, seasoned at the table with either salted shrimp paste or coarse salt depending on the diner's preference. Stirring in a spoonful of dadaegi, a thick chili paste condiment, transforms the bowl entirely, cutting through the richness with a sharp heat. Some shops finish the soup with ground perilla seeds for added nuttiness. Rice is spooned directly into the bowl and eaten together with the broth, making sundae-guk one of the most satisfying cold-weather meals in the Korean street-food tradition.
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Black sesame seeds are blended smooth with water to form a dark, fragrant paste, which is stirred into softened soaked rice over low heat until the porridge turns a deep charcoal color. Pre-toasting the sesame seeds before blending amplifies their nutty intensity, producing a layered flavor that sits between toasted grain and roasted nut. Adding the sesame liquid after the rice has already softened makes it easier to dial in the final consistency, and a measured amount of sugar introduces a quiet sweetness beneath the nuttiness without masking it. Black sesame is naturally dense in anthocyanins and unsaturated fats, which is why this porridge has long served as a restorative meal during recovery or as a nourishing breakfast. Among Korean rice porridges, it stands apart for its dark color and particularly pronounced aroma.
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