Korean Oxtail Soup
Quick answer
- Total time
- 235 min
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 7
About this dish
Sokori-guk demands patience - oxtail pieces are soaked in cold water to draw out blood, then placed in a heavy pot with enough water to cover and simmered for at least three to four hours.
Read more
During that long, slow cook, collagen buried in the joints and connective tissue dissolves into the liquid, producing a broth so rich in gelatin that it sets into a solid block when refrigerated. Skimming fat and foam at regular intervals keeps the final broth a clean, milky white with no greasy residue. The meat, once it slides easily off the bone, is torn along the grain into shreds that are impossibly soft, while the tendon segments offer a pleasantly bouncy chew. Seasoning is deliberately minimal - coarse salt, black pepper, and sliced scallion - because the bones themselves have already contributed all the depth the soup needs. Served with a bowl of steamed rice and a side of kkakdugi, the cubed radish kimchi's sharp tang provides the only counterpoint this quietly powerful broth requires.
Ingredients
As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Finish
Soak 1200 g oxtail in cold water for 1 hour to draw out blood.
Change the water once halfway through if it looks very red, which helps keep the finished broth cleaner.
- 2Heat
Blanch the oxtail in boiling water for 7 minutes.
Drain it, then rinse each piece under running water, rubbing away gray foam, bone dust, and any clinging impurities from the surface.
- 3Control
Put the cleaned oxtail and 3200 ml fresh water in a heavy pot and bring it to a boil over high heat.
Once it boils, skim foam thoroughly and lower to medium heat.
- 4Control
Add 250 g Korean radish, 1 onion, 10 garlic cloves, and 1 green onion.
Simmer gently over low heat for 3 hours, skimming fat whenever it gathers so the broth stays milky but not greasy.
- 5Prep
When the meat slips easily from the bone, lift out the solids.
Shred the meat along the grain so it stays tender, and cut the radish into bite size pieces before returning them.
- 6Finish
Return the meat and radish to the broth and season with 1 teaspoon salt.
Once the soup returns to a boil, serve hot.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Only salt and pepper seasoning lets the bone's collagen liquid shine.
- Finish cue
- Shred the meat along the grain so it stays tender, and cut the radish into bite size pieces before returning them.
- Storage and reheating
- Chill overnight and remove fat for a lighter soup.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
235min, 7 ingredients
Category median
45min, 8 ingredients
Based on 310 recipes
Use-up ingredient planner
Turn these ingredients into two more meals
The overlap excludes basic seasonings. Open the next recipe and your selected dishes will stay with you.
Korean Pacific Saury Stew
korean radish, onion
Korean Braised Cod with Vegetables
korean radish, onion
Korean Spicy Braised Semi-Dried Pollock
korean radish, onion