Sogogi-mu-jorim (Beef and Radish Soy Braise)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 3 to 4 quart pot or Dutch oven with lid
• •Slotted spoon
• •Sharp knife for thick radish cuts
• •Small ladle for basting during reduction

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the beef

   Put the beef chunks in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes, then drain and rinse. This is not old-fashioned fussing. It pulls out surface blood so the braise tastes clean instead of murky, especially when using brisket or shank.

2. 2

   Blanch clean

   Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a heavy pot. Add the beef and boil 3 minutes, until gray foam rises. Drain, rinse the beef under warm water, and wash the pot. A clean first boil gives you a clear braise later, and the soy will taste sharper for it.

   Do not skip washing the pot if there is scum stuck to the sides. That bitterness follows the dish all the way to the table.
3. 3

   Start the broth

   Return the beef to the clean pot with 3 cups fresh water, the kelp, onion, bruised scallion whites, smashed garlic, and ginger. Bring to a gentle simmer. After 10 minutes, pull out the kelp before it turns slick and bitter, then keep simmering the beef 25 minutes more, partly covered.

4. 4

   Cut the radish

   While the beef simmers, cut the radish into thick half-moons, 2.5 to 3 cm across. Trim the sharp edges if you have the patience, because rounded edges chip less during braising. This is one of the corners you may skip on a weeknight, but do not cut the radish thin.

5. 5

   Season the pot

   Lift out and discard the onion, scallion whites, smashed garlic, and ginger. Stir in the soy sauce, soup soy sauce, rice wine, rice syrup, sugar, black pepper, and minced garlic. Taste the liquid now. It should be savory and a little light, not fully salty, because reduction will tighten it.

6. 6

   Braise the radish

   Nestle the radish pieces among the beef in one even layer as much as the pot allows. Simmer uncovered or half-covered for 25 to 30 minutes, turning the radish once halfway through, until a chopstick slides into the center with a little resistance. The radish needs time to drink the broth before the liquid becomes too concentrated.

7. 7

   Reduce and glaze

   Raise the heat to medium and simmer uncovered 10 to 15 minutes, spooning the braising liquid over the beef and radish. Stop when about 3/4 cup liquid remains and it coats the spoon lightly. The radish should look translucent at the edges and the beef should be tender enough to pull apart with chopsticks.

   If the beef is tender before the liquid has reduced, lift the beef and radish to a bowl and reduce the sauce alone for a few minutes. Then return them to coat. This saves the radish from breaking.
8. 8

   Finish and serve

   Turn off the heat. Stir in the sesame oil and optional chili, then rest the braise 5 minutes so the seasoning settles. Scatter sliced scallion green and toasted sesame seeds over the top. Serve with hot rice and one or two clean banchan, not too many sweet ones, because the radish already brings sweetness.

Chef Tips

• •Buy Korean radish when it is heavy, firm, and green at the shoulder. Winter radish is sweeter and denser than summer radish, which is why this humble dish tastes best in cold months.
• •Use a modest cut of beef with connective tissue: brisket, chuck, or shank. Expensive grilling cuts become dry here, and that would be a waste of both money and meat.
• •Sugar is measured small on purpose. The radish should bring the sweetness. If your radish tastes sharp after braising, add 1 teaspoon more rice syrup at the reduction stage, not at the start.
• •A pressure cooker is a safe modern vessel for the beef only: cook the blanched beef with aromatics and water for 18 minutes at high pressure, release naturally 10 minutes, then add radish and seasoning on the stovetop. Do not pressure-cook the radish unless you want it collapsed.
• •Leftovers are good the next day. Chill the braise, remove any firm fat from the surface, and reheat gently with 2 tablespoons water so the sauce loosens without turning salty.

Advance Preparation

• •The beef can be soaked, blanched, and simmered with aromatics up to 2 days ahead. Refrigerate the beef in its strained broth, then add the radish and seasoning when you are ready to finish the dish.
• •The finished braise keeps 3 days refrigerated. Reheat over low heat with a splash of water, because the soy concentrates as it sits.
• •Do not freeze the finished radish. Beef freezes well, but braised radish thaws watery and loses the clean bite that makes this dish worth making.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 320g)