I don't go the traditional route with the soaking and boiling technique most Korean cooks tend to use for beef soups. Instead, I salt and pepper whatever bones I'm using, roast them in the oven for 20-30 minutes until browned, then cover them with water and whatever aromatics I choose to grace the pot. This evening, I used vidalia onions, a head of garlic, leeks, carrots, and beef ribs, which I tend to prefer as the foundational ingredient for beef based soups. The flavor profile and overall tenderness of ribmeat surpasses that of flank according to my palate, so I decided to recalibrate Seoulstice Yukgaejang to my taste. We shall see how my soup measures up in the making tomorrow night, but for now, I'm still braising the base at 1:54 am while my son slumbers the night away.
I checked the stock at 2:30ish and the meat was cooked to perfection, so I removed the bones, strained away the unnecessaries, made a post-midnight snack w/ one rib (it's no wonder most chefs grow a lil round around the middle), and am cooling it until refrigeration makes sense. One needs a day or two to properly separate the fat from the soup , so I'm going to sleep with the hope that a delicious beef broth will be awaiting my attention in the morning.
