Gomtang (Korean Beef Soup)

Cut 2 pounds of beef brisket and trim off the excess fat. Place it in a large bowl.

Add 2 pounds of beef tendon to the bowl with the brisket. The total weight will be about 4 pounds.

Wash the beef and tendon thoroughly under cold running water.

Soak the beef and tendon in a bowl of cold water for about 1 hour to draw out any remaining blood. This will ensure a clear broth. If the water becomes too pink, change it.

In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the soaked meat and tendon for 10 minutes to remove impurities.

After 10 minutes, remove the blanched beef and tendon from the pot.

Rinse the blanched meat and tendon under cold water to clean them thoroughly.

Wash the pot you used for blanching to remove any scum before proceeding.

Place the cleaned beef and tendon back into the clean pot.

Add 24 cups of fresh water to the pot.

Add the aromatics to the pot: 8 ounces of Korean radish (cut into chunks), 1 large green onion (cut into 2-inch pieces), 1 medium onion (quartered), and 12 cloves of garlic.

Cover the pot and bring it to a vigorous boil over medium-high heat, which should take about 25 minutes.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and let it simmer for about 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender.

After 2 hours, remove the vegetables (radish, onion, and green onion). Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.

Remove the cooked beef and tendon from the broth and set them aside to cool.

Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into another clean pot to ensure it's clear.

Let the broth cool down completely (you can place it in the fridge or outside in cold weather). Skim off the solidified fat from the surface.

Once the meat has cooled, thinly slice the beef brisket and cut the tendon into bite-sized pieces.

Soak 2 ounces of sweet potato starch noodles (dangmyeon) in cold water for about 30 minutes until they soften.

To make the egg garnish, crack 2 eggs into a bowl, add 2 pinches of salt, and whisk well. Strain the mixture for a smooth texture.

Lightly oil a non-stick pan, wipe off the excess oil with a paper towel, and pour in the egg mixture to cook a thin crepe over low heat. Do not let it brown.

Once the egg crepe is cooked, roll it up and slice it thinly into beautiful strips for garnish.

Thinly slice a large green onion for garnish.

Reheat the defatted broth. Season it with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil.

Add the soaked and drained noodles to the boiling broth and cook for a few minutes until tender.

In an earthenware bowl (ttukbaegi), place a serving of cooked rice.

Top the rice with a generous amount of the sliced beef and tendon.

To heat the meat and rice, ladle hot broth over them, then pour the broth back into the pot. Repeat this process a few times.

Fill the bowl with the hot broth and noodles.

Garnish the soup with ground black pepper, a generous amount of sliced green onions, and the prepared egg garnish.

Optionally, add a sprinkle of Korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru) for a spicy kick. Serve immediately.