Did you ever experience craving a very specific food before your period?
This time, it was Korean beef tendon soup, called 스지곰탕 (seujigontang), and I wanted it so badly. It is a clear soup made with beef bones and beef tendon. It is high in protein and very comforting. Once the craving hit, I could not help but make it myself.
And… yeah, I regretted it afterwards 😭
While making this, I suddenly realised how much effort my mum and my grandma must have put in whenever they cooked dishes like this. It made me feel extremely grateful, honestly. I do not think I will be making this again anytime soon, but I still wanted to share the recipe for anyone who is curious. That said, I highly recommend enjoying this dish at a Korean restaurant instead 😌
Korean beef bone soup with beef tendon and oxtail (스지곰탕)
Difficulty: Hard12
servings1
hour10
hours358
kcal40
g12
g15
gIngredients
Beef bones (preferably fresh, frozen also works)
2.5gOxtail (optional, for extra flavour)
500gWater
Enough to fully cover everythingBeef tendon
1kgBeef shank (optional, for extra lean protein)
1kgSpring onions, whole
Whole peppercorns
Garlic cloves
**For serving:
Enoki mushrooms
Chives
Spring onions, sliced
Rice noodles or cooked rice
Cooked beef tendon
Oxtail and beef shank slices
Salt and black pepper, to tasteOptional dipping sauce:
Chives, finely chopped
Gochugaru
Soy sauce
Vinegar
Sweetener of choice
Directions
- Prepare the bones
- Soak the beef bones and oxtail in cold water for a few hours to remove the blood. Change the water once or twice.
- Bring the bones to a boil in a large pot. Once it comes to a boil, drain the water and rinse the bones thoroughly under running water to remove scum and impurities.
- Return the cleaned bones to the pot and add fresh water to fully cover them. Simmer over medium heat. You can add garlic and spring onions to reduce any odour and add flavour to the soup. Remove the vegetables once they become very soft.
- Let the soup simmer for at least 3 to 4 hours, skimming off scum as it rises and adding water as needed.
- Prepare the tendon and beef shank
- In a separate pot, boil the beef tendon and beef shank once. Drain the water and rinse the meat and tendon well.
- Add fresh water, then add whole spring onions, garlic cloves, and whole peppercorns. Simmer until the meat and tendon become soft. Remove the vegetables once they become very soft. This step helps remove any remaining smell and adds subtle flavour.
- Once cooked, remove the meat and tendon from the pot. Keep the broth, strain it through cloth or a fine sieve, and add this filtered broth to the main bone broth for extra richness.
- Long simmer
- Continue simmering the combined broth over medium heat. Skim off scum whenever it appears and add water if the soup reduces too much.
- Traditionally, this soup is simmered for 18 hours or longer. I simmered it until bedtime, strained the soup through cloth, and let it rest overnight. This step can be repeated if you want an extra-clear broth, although it is very time-consuming.
- Finish the tendon
- The next morning, remove the beef shank and store it in the fridge.
- Continue simmering the tendon until it is very soft but still nicely chewy. Once ready, remove the tendon and cut it into serving-size pieces.
- Strain the tendon broth again and add it back into the bone broth. This makes the soup deeper and richer in flavour.
- Serve
- Reheat the soup. Add enoki mushrooms and rice noodles if using, and let them cook briefly in the broth.
- Serve the soup with beef tendon, oxtail, and beef shank. Top with chives and sliced spring onions.
- The soup itself is not seasoned, so season with salt and black pepper at the table according to your own preference.
Recipe Video
Notes
- You can slice the beef shank 3 to 4 hours later and add it to the soup as you like. It is a lean protein and great for boosting protein intake.
- I freeze some of the cooked tendon to use later in soups.
- The soup is not seasoned, so adjust salt before eating according to your taste.
- Calories are difficult to calculate this time, so I provided generic calories for this soup. Beef bone soup is generally lean and protein-rich, but calories will vary depending on the type and amount of meat used.