Kkori Gomtang

Kkori Gomtang is an oxtail soup made by slowly simmering beef oxtails until the broth is light and not overly beefy, and the meat becomes so tender it falls right off the bone. Served with rice and crunchy kimchi, this hearty soup is a comforting meal that is full of flavor without feeling too heavy.

What Is Kkori Gomtang?

Kkori gomtang is a classic Korean beef soup made mainly with oxtail. The oxtail is cut into pieces, with meat around each central bone. The broth is lighter than some other Korean soups that use a lot of seasoning. Instead of chili or strong spices, kkori gomtang gets its flavor from the beef, bones, aromatics, and slow cooking. People usually serve it with steamed rice and kimchi. This makes for a simple and comforting Korean meal.

The History of Kkori Gomtang

Gomtang has been part of Korean cooking for a long time. It is known as a nourishing meal made by slowly cooking meat and bones. Over time, different regions and families created their own versions using local ingredients.

Slow cooking brings out the best in this flavorful meal. The meat turns tender, and the bones add richness to the broth. You can find this dish at most restaurants. It is often enjoyed in the winter months. People often enjoy it when they want a warm, filling meal.

Ingredients

​Oxtail, Water, White vinegar, Ginger, Garlic cloves, Radish, Bay leaves, Beef stock cube, Salt, Black pepper powder and Spring Onions.

For this oxtail soup, you will need beef oxtail, water, white radish (daikon), ginger, garlic, bay leaves, a beef stock cube, salt, black pepper, and spring onions. Most of these ingredients are simple, but each one has a job to do.

The white radish is especially good in this soup. It softens and tenderizes as it cooks, giving the broth sweetness without making it taste sweet. Ginger and garlic add a little warmth and depth, while the bay leaves give the broth a subtle fragrance as the oxtail simmers.

You can use a beef stock cube for a fuller, more savory broth. If you prefer a cleaner and milder oxtail soup, leave it out and let the oxtail, radish, ginger, and garlic do the work. Season the broth with salt and black pepper at the end, once you know how strong the natural flavor is.

When buying oxtail, look for pieces with plenty of meat around the bone. The pieces should look fresh, clean, and firm, without any strong smell. Oxtail is naturally tough at the start, so don’t worry if the meat feels firm when you first buy it. With slow cooking, the connective tissue breaks down and the meat becomes soft and easy to pull from the bone.

Spring onions are best added near the end or sprinkled over each bowl before serving. They add a fresh bite that works nicely with the rich broth. If you’re serving the soup with rice and kimchi, keep the broth seasoning fairly simple; the kimchi brings plenty of extra flavor to the table.

Instructions

Peel the white radish and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Clean the garlic cloves and slice them. Soak the unfrozen oxtails in cold water for at least 1 hour. The water will begin to turn red, which is normal. People in general think that this “red water” is the blood from the meat, but in actuality, it is the myoglobin, which is the protein that contains oxygen in the muscle cells.

Drain the water, then refill with cold water every 30 minutes. This step is necessary to remove excess blood, myoglobin, and impurities. With this purification step, the broth will become creamier and more flavourful.

If the oxtails are frozen, soak them in the cold water overnight in the fridge. This will allow the meat to thaw, add a tablespoon of brown sugar to draw out more myoglobin from oxtail.

Transfer the oxtail to a pot, add two litres of water, and bring to a boil. Continue boiling the water for five minutes on high heat. Thereafter, use a ladle or a scoop to remove the foam from the broth.

Add ginger, garlic, bay leaves, and beef stock cube to the soup. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the soup for two hours with the lid closed. Gently stir the soup every twenty minutes and scoop out the fat that rises to the surface.

Add one cup of water whenever the soup is low on liquid. Add radish and four tablespoons of roughly chopped spring onions to the pot during the last thirty minutes of cooking. Garnish with spring onions and serve with rice and kimchi.

What to Serve with Kkori Gomtang

Kkori Gomtang is quite simple on its own, so a few Korean side dishes can really bring the meal together. A bowl of steamed rice and crunchy kimchi is the classic combination. The sour, spicy flavor of kimchi cuts through the rich oxtail broth and gives you something crisp and punchy with every bite.

If you want to try a few different kinds of kimchi, Pa Kimchi (made with spring onions) and Buchu Kimchi (made with Korean chives) are both good choices. You can also serve it with a little Musaengchae, a spicy and crunchy Korean radish salad. The fresh crunch works particularly well alongside the soft oxtail and warm broth.

Some people like to add glass noodles, or dangmyeon (당면), directly to the soup. They soak up some of the broth and make the bowl more filling. Add them toward the end of cooking so they stay pleasantly chewy rather than becoming too soft.

For a bigger Korean-style meal, you can add a few simple banchan such as spinach namul, bean sprout namul, or roasted Korean seaweed. Bibimbap is another good option if you have leftover vegetables or want to turn the meal into a larger spread.

If you’re serving several dishes, Doenjang Jjigae can also be part of a Korean-style table, while Haemul Pajeon makes a nice crispy addition. I would keep the rest of the meal fairly light, though, since the oxtail soup and rice are already filling.

How to Store and Reheat Kkori Gomtang

Making kkori gomtang is easy, but it takes some time. For this reason, it is usually made in large portions, which you will need to refrigerate. Korean oxtail soup can be stored in the fridge or the deep freezer for an extended period.

You can store the soup in the fridge in the whole pot if there is enough space. Transfer the soup to an airtight container to store in the refrigerator, where it lasts up to four to five days. If you have large portions, divide the soup into portions and transfer them to a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 3 months. Reheating the soup is easy. Heat one portion of soup in the microwave. For more than one portion, add the soup to a small pot and reheat for two minutes on medium-low heat.