Jangguk-juk (장국죽, Beef and Soy Porridge)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 3- to 4-quart pot with a thick bottom
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Sharp knife for hand-mincing beef
• •Small nonstick skillet for jidan, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the rice

   Rinse the rice in 3 changes of cold water, rubbing the grains lightly, until the water is cloudy but no longer thick and milky. Soak 30 minutes, then drain in a sieve for 10 minutes. Soaking lets the center of each grain cook at the same pace as the outside; draining lets the rice toast instead of sliding wet around the pot.

2. 2

   Prepare the shiitake

   Put the dried shiitake in 1 cup warm water and soak 25 to 30 minutes, until the caps bend easily. Squeeze them gently, trim away the tough stems, and slice the caps thin, about 1/8 inch. Strain the soaking liquid through a fine sieve, leaving the grit behind, then add unsalted beef broth or water until you have 6 1/2 cups total liquid.

3. 3

   Season the beef

   Mix the minced beef, sliced shiitake, 1 tablespoon guk-ganjang, 1 tablespoon minced scallion, garlic, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and black pepper. Let it stand 10 minutes while the rice drains. The beef should be cut small enough to move through the porridge with the rice, not sit in it like stew meat.

   Hand-mince if you can. If you use ground beef, choose a coarse grind and break it into rice-grain pieces as it cooks, because tight little clumps make the bowl feel careless.
4. 4

   Cut the jidan

   If using the egg garnish, beat the yolk and white separately with a tiny pinch of the measured salt. Wipe a small skillet with neutral oil and cook each over low heat into a thin sheet, keeping the color clean, not browned. Cool, then slice into fine threads. This is a safe corner to cut when breakfast is waiting; the porridge itself still has to be done properly.

5. 5

   Toast the base

   Warm a heavy 3- to 4-quart pot over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Add the seasoned beef and shiitake and stir about 2 minutes, until the beef loses its raw red color. Add the drained rice and stir 3 to 4 minutes, until the grains look pearly at the edges. Do not brown them. This step is why jangguk-juk tastes like toasted rice in broth, not plain rice boiled until it gives up.

6. 6

   Simmer the porridge

   Pour in 2 cups of the measured liquid first and scrape the bottom of the pot clean, then add the remaining 4 1/2 cups. Bring it to a simmer, lower the heat, and cook with the lid slightly ajar for 35 to 40 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes at first and every 2 minutes near the end, because rice catches quietly on the bottom. The grains should bloom open and the porridge should fall slowly from the spoon. If it turns too thick before the rice is tender, add the extra liquid 1/4 cup at a time.

7. 7

   Season with restraint

   Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon guk-ganjang and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Simmer 2 minutes, then taste. It should be savory but still pale brown, with beef, soy, sesame, and mushroom all clear. If it tastes flat, add up to 1/4 teaspoon more salt; if it lacks jang character, add 1 teaspoon more guk-ganjang. More soy sauce makes the bowl dark before it makes it better, so stop early.

8. 8

   Rest and serve

   Turn off the heat and let the juk rest 5 minutes, because it tightens as it stands and settles into the right spoonful. Ladle into warm bowls and finish with jidan, gim, sesame seeds, and sliced scallion if using. Serve with baechu-kimchi (napa cabbage kimchi) or dongchimi (radish water kimchi), something bright beside the beef and soy.

   Notebook 23 says 6 1/2 cups liquid for 1 cup rice in my heavy pot. If your pot drinks more, add liquid in measured 1/4-cup amounts and write it down. Memory is a borrowed bowl.

Chef Tips

• •Use guk-ganjang if you can. It is saltier and lighter in body than regular soy sauce, so it seasons the broth without turning the porridge black. If all you have is regular soy sauce, use 1 1/2 tablespoons total, then make up the seasoning with salt.
• •Dried shiitake is doing broth work here, not just filling space. Fresh shiitake tastes pleasant, but it will not give the same depth; if you use fresh mushrooms, use unsalted beef broth rather than water.
• •The safe shortcuts are clear: store-bought unsalted beef broth is fine, and skipping jidan is fine. Do not skip soaking, draining, and toasting the rice, because then you have beef rice soup instead of jangguk-juk.
• •Juk thickens as it sits. Keep hot water or broth nearby and loosen it by 1/4 cup at a time, stirring before you decide it needs more.

Advance Preparation

• •The shiitake can be soaked overnight. Keep the sliced caps and strained soaking liquid refrigerated, then measure the cooking liquid before you begin.
• •The rice is best soaked and drained just before cooking, but it can be soaked, drained, covered, and refrigerated up to 4 hours ahead.
• •Cooked juk keeps for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Cool it in a shallow container within 2 hours, then reheat gently with about 1/2 cup water or broth per 2 cups porridge, stirring often.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 500g)