Galnaktang (Short Rib and Octopus Soup)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large heavy pot, 5 to 6 liters
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Large bowl for soaking ribs
• •Kitchen shears or small knife for cleaning octopus
• •Slotted spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the ribs

   Put the short ribs in a large bowl and cover with cold water by 5cm. Soak 30 minutes, changing the water once. This pulls out loose blood from the cut bones so the broth tastes clean instead of heavy. Do not soak for hours; you will wash away beef flavor along with the blood.

2. 2

   Blanch and rinse

   Cover the drained ribs with fresh water in a large pot and bring to a hard boil. Boil 5 minutes, then drain. Rinse each rib under warm running water, rubbing away dark scum and bone dust. Wash the pot before the ribs go back in. This is not fussiness. Clear soup asks for clean bones.

   If a cut edge has grey grit or bone fragments, scrape it with the back of a knife. That little work saves the broth.
3. 3

   Start the broth

   Return the clean ribs to the clean pot with 2.5 liters cold water, the radish chunks, onion, 5 whole garlic cloves, scallion whites, kelp, and peppercorns. Bring up slowly over medium heat. Pull the kelp out as soon as the water reaches a steady simmer, about 15 minutes, because kelp left too long gives a slippery bitterness.

4. 4

   Simmer until tender

   Lower the heat so the pot moves gently, with small bubbles at the edge. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, skimming foam and fat from the surface as they rise. The ribs are ready when a chopstick slides into the meat without force, but the meat still holds to the bone. Violent boiling clouds the broth and toughens what you waited for.

5. 5

   Strain and season

   Lift out the ribs and radish. Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pot and discard the onion, garlic, scallion, and peppercorns. Slice the cooked radish into 1cm-thick pieces and return it to the pot with the ribs. Season with soup soy sauce, fish sauce if using, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Taste now. The broth should be savory and clear, a little under-salted because the octopus will bring its own sea taste.

   Soup soy sauce gives aroma and depth, not dark color. If you only have regular soy sauce, use 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce and make up the rest with salt.
6. 6

   Clean the octopus

   If your fishmonger has not cleaned the nakji, turn each head inside out, remove the innards, cut out the eyes, and push out the beak from the center of the arms. Rub the octopus with 2 tablespoons coarse salt and 1 tablespoon flour for 2 minutes, then rinse very well under cold water. The salt and flour remove slime so the broth stays clean and the seasoning can touch the flesh.

7. 7

   Finish the soup

   Bring the seasoned broth with ribs and radish back to a lively simmer. Add the minced garlic and sesame oil, then lay in the cleaned octopus. Cook 2 to 3 minutes for small nakji, turning once, just until the arms curl and the thickest part of the head turns firm. Stop there. 손맛 is real; I measure it anyway, and for octopus the measure is minutes.

8. 8

   Serve at once

   Divide ribs, radish, and one octopus into each bowl. Ladle the clear broth over them and finish with sliced scallion, black pepper, red chili if using, and a few sesame seeds if you like. Serve with rice, kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), and a small dish of salt and pepper for anyone who wants to season the rib meat at the table.

Chef Tips

• •Buy small nakji, not a large octopus cut into pieces, if your market gives you the choice. Small octopus cooks quickly and stays tender; a large one needs a different treatment and will not behave the same in this soup.
• •Frozen cleaned baby octopus is an honest substitute. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, rinse it well, and reduce the final cooking time to about 90 seconds if the pieces are small.
• •Do not add gochujang or sugar. This soup is not meant to be red or sweet. The point is clean beef broth, radish sweetness, and the sea taste of nakji arriving at the end.
• •A pressure cooker is a safe shortcut for the ribs: cook the blanched ribs with water, radish, onion, garlic, scallion, peppercorns, and kelp for 35 minutes at high pressure, removing the kelp before sealing if the water has already heated. Strain, season, and finish the octopus on the stovetop. Do not pressure-cook the octopus.
• •If you want the cleanest broth, chill the strained broth for a few hours and lift off the hardened fat. Good for a planned table. For tonight, careful skimming is enough.

Advance Preparation

• •The ribs and broth can be cooked 1 day ahead. Strain the broth, refrigerate the ribs and radish in the broth, then lift off the hardened fat before reheating.
• •Clean the octopus up to 6 hours ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Add it only at the end, just before serving.
• •Do not store cooked octopus in the soup for long. Leftover broth and ribs reheat well, but the octopus tightens each time it is boiled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 800g)