Today I’m introducing Chef Jung Ho-young’s super simple gamjatang recipe.
It’s not the traditional version made by simmering pork bones for hours, but it still captures that familiar gamjatang flavor you can easily recreate at home.
The ingredient list is short and the cooking time is quick, yet the result turns out richer and more satisfying than you’d expect.
Ingredients
- Pork – 200g (about 7 oz; pork belly, pork shoulder, or front leg cut all work; front leg is cheaper and recommended)
- Kimchi – 200g (about 7 oz)
- Beef bone broth – 500g, 1 pack (about 17.6 oz; sagol gomtang, a Korean beef bone broth sold in pre-packaged portions; can substitute with other beef or pork bone broth)
- Potato – 1
- Green onion – 1 stalk
- Minced garlic – 1 T
- Cheongyang chili pepper – 1-2 (Korean spicy green chili; can substitute with jalapeño or serrano pepper)
- Perilla leaves – 10 leaves (kkaennip; Korean perilla leaves; can substitute with fresh basil if unavailable, though the flavor will differ)
- Ground perilla seeds – 5 T, to taste (deulkkae-garu; nutty ground perilla seed powder; can substitute with ground sesame seeds for a different but still nutty flavor)
- Water – 200ml (about 6.8 fl oz)
(1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
Sauce
- Gochujang – 1/2 T (Korean red chili paste)
- Doenjang – 1.5 T (Korean soybean paste)
- Tuna fish sauce – 1.5 T (chamchi-aekjeot; Korean tuna extract sauce; can substitute with regular fish sauce or anchovy sauce)
- Salt – to taste
- Pepper – to taste
(1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
How to Make It
1Prep the potato, green onion, cheongyang chili pepper, and perilla leaves as shown in the photos.
2Heat a pan over high heat and sauté the pork until golden brown.
3Add the potato and kimchi, then pour in the water and beef bone broth.
4Stir in the gochujang, doenjang, and tuna fish sauce, then let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
5Add the green onion, minced garlic, cheongyang chili pepper, and perilla leaves, and simmer for another 3 minutes.
6Finish by stirring in the ground perilla seeds until well combined.TipAdjust the seasoning with a bit more salt if needed.
Feel free to adjust the amount of ground perilla seeds to your liking — the more you add, the richer and nuttier the stew becomes.
Adding udon noodles, hand-torn dough flakes, or ramen noodles makes this even more filling and delicious.
This recipe is remarkably simple to make, but the flavor goes well beyond what you’d expect from such a short cooking time.
Using store-bought beef bone broth gives the soup a deep, savory base, while the ground perilla seeds and perilla leaves bring in that signature nutty aroma gamjatang is known for.
On days when you’re craving gamjatang but don’t want to spend hours simmering bones, this quick version is a great way to satisfy that craving.
It makes a solid meal on its own, and it’s even better when you toss in some noodles for a heartier bowl.
Ingredients
- Pork – 200g (about 7 oz; pork belly, pork shoulder, or front leg cut all work; front leg is cheaper and recommended)
- Kimchi – 200g (about 7 oz)
- Beef bone broth – 500g, 1 pack (about 17.6 oz; sagol gomtang, a Korean beef bone broth sold in pre-packaged portions; can substitute with other beef or pork bone broth)
- Potato – 1
- Green onion – 1 stalk
- Minced garlic – 1 T
- Cheongyang chili pepper – 1-2 (Korean spicy green chili; can substitute with jalapeño or serrano pepper)
- Perilla leaves – 10 leaves (kkaennip; Korean perilla leaves; can substitute with fresh basil if unavailable, though the flavor will differ)
- Ground perilla seeds – 5 T, to taste (deulkkae-garu; nutty ground perilla seed powder; can substitute with ground sesame seeds for a different but still nutty flavor)
- Water – 200ml (about 6.8 fl oz)
- (1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
Sauce
- Gochujang – 1/2 T (Korean red chili paste)
- Doenjang – 1.5 T (Korean soybean paste)
- Tuna fish sauce – 1.5 T (chamchi-aekjeot; Korean tuna extract sauce; can substitute with regular fish sauce or anchovy sauce)
- Salt – to taste
- Pepper – to taste
- (1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
How to Make It
- Prep the potato, green onion, cheongyang chili pepper, and perilla leaves as shown in the photos.
- Heat a pan over high heat and sauté the pork until golden brown.
- Add the potato and kimchi, then pour in the water and beef bone broth.
- Stir in the gochujang, doenjang, and tuna fish sauce, then let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Add the green onion, minced garlic, cheongyang chili pepper, and perilla leaves, and simmer for another 3 minutes.
- Finish by stirring in the ground perilla seeds until well combined.
Tip.Adjust the seasoning with a bit more salt if needed. Feel free to adjust the amount of ground perilla seeds to your liking — the more you add, the richer and nuttier the stew becomes. Adding udon noodles, hand-torn dough flakes, or ramen noodles makes this even more filling and delicious.
