The dish we are looking at today is inspired by a couple of recipes for Asian and Korean style spicy, boiled beef soups. It is fiery, salty and has wonderfully bold flavours. It also lends itself to a number of variations.
Our version uses kimchi, a spicy fermented cabbage dish that can usually be found in large or specialty grocery stores.
To begin you want assemble your ingredients:
3 lb. beef (boneless round, chuck or sirloin steak all work well)
10 cups beef stock
6 cups water
2 cups soy sauce
1 1/2 cup chopped kimchi
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 full bulb of garlic, peeled
1 large knob of ginger cut into 2 or 3 pieces and crushed
2 fresh, large jalapenos, unseeded and chopped (you can add more or less to adjust the heat)
garlic powder
kosher or sea salt
Either purchase your beef pre-sliced into "stir-fry" strips or slice it into strips approximately 1/2 inch thick. Toss the beef strips in a bowl seasoning them liberally with garlic and lightly with kosher or sea salt.
In a large pot bring to a boil the ten cups of beef broth and six cups of water.
Add the beef, stir, reduce heat and simmer the beef for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
After 45 minutes add all the other ingredients. All the garlic cloves go in whole. Stir, bring to a boil again and then reduce heat and simmer for another 45 minutes.
When done the soup can served just as is, removing the crushed ginger pieces. Do not remove the garlic cloves, they are delicious. The beef will be exceptionally tender and you can add more kimchi to your bowl individually for added kick.
I also like to make thin rice noodles separately and then add them to each bowl of soup individually. The soup goes very nicely with these.
Another variation is to add around a pound of fully cooked shrimp to the soup with about 6 - 10 minutes to go.
Terrific with ice cold beer (or wine) anytime of year.
Enjoy.
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