Sabbath in the Kitchen - December 31

Sabbath in the Kitchen

Miyeok-guk

A family recipe shared by Christine J. Hong

Miyeok-guk is a traditional postpartum meal for new mothers and a traditional Korean birthday meal. Korean people make and eat Miyeok-guk to celebrate growing a year older and to honor the labor of their mothers who brought them into the world.

ingredients

  • 1 ounce of dried miyeok/seaweed (you can find this in the dried goods section at a Korean grocery store like H Mart)

  • 1 pound of beef brisket sliced into small pieces (you can substitute any shellfish)

  • 1 packet of bone broth or anchovy and dried kelp broth (you can find both kinds of broth ready-made and packaged at a Korean grocery store—bonus, they are shelf stable—or you can make your own)

  • 1-2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil, to taste

  • 1-2 tablespoons of soup soy sauce or light soy sauce, to

  • taste (you can substitute fish sauce)

  • 4 minced cloves of garlic

instructions

Soak your miyeok/seaweed in cold water. It will rehydrate. Once rehydrated, drain, and cut it up into small bite-sized pieces. Prepare your brisket by cutting it up into small pieces. To a pot, add 6 cups of water and the miyeok. Cover and boil on high for about 10 minutes. Add in the brisket and boil at medium heat for 35-40 minutes. Stir occasionally. The beef will slowly become tender. Stir in your garlic, bone broth, and soup soy sauce and boil for 10 more minutes. Stir in the sesame oil. For a full meal, serve alongside or over hot rice with kimchi on the side. Serves 3-4 people.

David Haun