Gamjatang: Spicy Pork & Potato Stew
A warming Korean pork neck stew loaded with potatoes, perilla leaves, and a fiery gochugaru kick. Served bubbling in a stone bowl with rice, it's comfort food that tastes like home.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 480
- Protein
- 38g
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork neck bones or pork shoulder (cut into 2-inch chunks)
- 3 whole medium waxy potatoes (cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 3 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
- 5 whole garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 6 whole perilla leaves (kkaennip), roughly torn
- 2 whole scallions (cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces)
Instructions
- 1
Place the pork chunks in a large pot and cover with cold water until the meat is fully submerged — about 8 cups — so impurities will rise during blanching.
- 2
Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then immediately drain the pork in a colander and rinse each piece under cold running water until the water runs clear, removing pink foam and scum.
- 3
Rinse the pot and add the cleaned pork back in with 8 cups of fresh cold water, then bring to a boil over high heat — this will be your broth base.
- 4
Add the potato cubes to the boiling broth and reduce heat to medium-high, maintaining a steady rolling boil so the pork becomes tender, about 15 minutes.
- 5
Sprinkle the gochugaru into the boiling stew and stir constantly for 2 minutes until the red pepper flakes fully dissolve and the broth turns dark red, blooming the spice flavor.
- 6
Add the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds until the aroma becomes strongly fragrant — you will smell a sharp, pungent garlic scent — then add the 2 tablespoons of soy sauce.
- 7
Simmer uncovered over medium heat for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally once every 30 seconds, allowing the broth to deepen in flavor and the pork to become fully tender.
- 8
Turn off the heat and drizzle the 1 tablespoon of sesame oil over the surface of the stew — the oil will pool on top and add a rich, nutty aroma.
- 9
Scatter the torn perilla leaves over the stew in a single layer covering the surface, then add the scallion pieces in a small mound in the center.
Tools you’ll need
- large pot (at least 4-quart capacity)
- colander
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- wooden spoon for stirring
- soup spoon
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