Gopchang-jeongol

Gopchang-jeongol(곱창전골) orbeef tripe hot potis a spicyKoreansteworcasserolemade by boiling beeftripe, vegetables, and seasonings in beefbroth.Gopchangrefers to beefsmall intestines,whilejeongolrefers to a category ofsteworcasseroleinKorean cuisine.Although the dish is mainly based on beefgopchang, other parts of beef innards are also used to give the dish a richer flavor and chewy texture.
To remove any odor and excessive fat in the dish, any whitefatadhering to the intestines should be meticulously cleaned out by rubbing them withwheat flourand salt and washing them several times.Since cooking the dish requires not only specialized cooking techniques and a great deal of labor to prepare, but also very fresh ingredients,gopchang jeongolis generally eaten at restaurants specializing in beef innards dishes.The dish, which is seasoned with a hot and spicyred chili-based sauce, is served as a mainentrée, accompanied with a bowl ofsteamed rice.It is often shared between several diners on the center of the table, and is also a popularanjuwhen drinking alcoholic beverages such assojuinSouth Korea.
Koreans classify beef innards into subcategories, which includeyang(양),beoljibyang(벌집양),cheonyeop(처녑),makchang(막창),gopchang(곱창, also calledsochang소창), anddaechang(대창).
The broth for the dish can be either a mixture of two broths, made from beefgopchangandbrisket, respectively, orgomtang, a thin soup with a rich flavor made by simmering beef bones for a long time. If choosing the first type, the beefgopchangand brisket have to be boiled separately because beefgopchanghas strong flavor that can affect the brisket broth and the meat. To make the beefgopchangbroth, cleaned beefgopchang, onions,scallions, garlic, and ginger are placed in a large pot with a large amount of water and boiled until thoroughly cooked. Likewise, the brisket broth is prepared using the same method, using the same secondary ingredients to remove any bad odors that might persist. After that, both broths are chilled, and any fat floating on the surface is skimmed off. The cooked brisket is cut into bite-sized pieces, while theyangandgopchangare cut into long, diagonal strips. The boiled beefgopchangand brisket are marinated with seasonings and kneaded for a long time.
Oyster mushroomsareparboiledin salted boiling water, slightly pressed to squeeze water, torn by theirgrain, and seasoned. Driedshiitakemushrooms are soaked in lukewarm water, and if a small amount of sugar is added to the water, that helps the mushrooms to rehydrate more quickly. Thestipesof the mushroom are taken out, and the caps are shredded and seasoned. Green chili peppers are seeded and chopped and onions and carrots are chopped into pieces the same size as the peppers. Scallions are cut into long diagonal strips.
In a pan, the remaining vegetables are placed on the bottom, and the marinated beefgopchangand brisket are placed over them in a circular fashion. The shredded mushrooms and sliced vegetables are arranged between thegopchangand meat. The prepared broths are mixed together, seasoned with salt, and poured little by little into the pan. When the dish is cooked, any floating foam is skimmed off and thegopchang jeongolis served.