Authentic Gomtang Recipe (Korean Beef Soup)

Gomtang (곰탕) is a deeply comforting Korean beef soup made by slowly simmering beef until tender and using the resulting broth as the heart of the dish.

There are many regional and restaurant variations of gomtang in Korea. Some versions use beef bones along with meat, while others focus primarily on cuts such as brisket, shank, tendon, or other beef parts.

This recipe follows a clear, meat-forward style made with beef brisket, optional beef tendon, Korean radish, green onion, garlic, and onion. The result is a clean yet richly savory broth filled with tender slices of beef.

Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time: About 3 hours
Total Time: About 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 4–6

1. What Is Gomtang?

Gomtang is a traditional Korean soup made by slowly simmering beef and, depending on the style, sometimes bones or other beef parts for an extended period.

The word gom is associated with the Korean cooking technique of simmering ingredients for a long time, while tang refers to soup.

Gomtang is therefore less a single rigid formula than a family of long-simmered Korean soups.

Beef versions are the most familiar. Common ingredients can include brisket, shank, tendon, short plate, oxtail, bones, radish, and aromatics.

The version in this recipe has a relatively clear broth and emphasizes tender beef rather than an intensely milky bone broth.

2. Korean Kitchen Note

Gomtang is one of those Korean dishes that looks extremely simple when it arrives at the table.

A bowl may contain little more than hot broth, rice, sliced beef, green onions, and perhaps glass noodles.

But simplicity is exactly what makes the quality of the broth so important.

In well-made gomtang, the flavor comes primarily from long-cooked beef rather than large amounts of garlic, chili paste, or soy sauce.

Like seolleongtang, gomtang is commonly eaten with kkakdugi or well-fermented kimchi. The spicy, acidic kimchi contrasts with the mild beef broth.

Some Korean gomtang restaurants also use a serving technique called toryeom (토렴). Hot broth is repeatedly poured over rice and meat in the serving bowl and returned to the pot before the final broth is added. This warms the ingredients without continuing to cook them aggressively.

3. Ingredients

For 4–6 servings:

For the Beef and Broth

• 900 g (about 2 lb) beef brisket
• 500 g (about 1.1 lb) beef tendon, optional
• 12 cups (about 2.8 liters) water, plus additional water as needed
• 250 g (about 9 oz) Korean radish or daikon
• 1 medium onion, halved
• 1 large Korean green onion or 3 regular green onions
• 6 garlic cloves

For Seasoning

• 1 tablespoon Korean soup soy sauce, optional
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce, optional

For Serving

• Cooked Korean short-grain rice
• Finely chopped green onions
• Cooked dangmyeon glass noodles, optional
• Thin egg strips, optional
• Kkakdugi or baechu kimchi

4. Global Ingredient Substitution Guide

Beef Brisket

Brisket works especially well because long, moist cooking makes it tender while producing a flavorful broth.

Beef shank, chuck, or another cut suitable for slow simmering can also be used.

Beef Tendon

Tendon is optional, but it adds a pleasantly chewy-soft texture and contributes gelatin to the broth after long cooking.

If tendon is difficult to find, simply use additional brisket.

Korean Radish

Korean radish, called mu (무), contributes mild sweetness and a clean vegetable flavor to beef soup.

Daikon is the easiest substitute outside Korea.

Korean Green Onion

Large Korean green onions, called dae-pa, are thicker than ordinary scallions.

Regular green onions work perfectly well if Korean ones are unavailable.

Korean Soup Soy Sauce

Gukganjang can add savory depth without making the broth very dark.

It is optional in this recipe because a good beef broth can also be seasoned simply with salt and black pepper.

5. Step-by-Step: How to Make Gomtang

Step 1. Soak the Beef and Tendon

Place the beef brisket and tendon, if using, in a large bowl.

Cover completely with cold water and soak for about 1 hour.

Change the water once or twice if it becomes dark.

Drain and rinse the meat.

Step 2. Blanch the Beef

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Add the beef and tendon and boil for approximately 10 minutes.

Foam and gray residue will rise to the surface.

Drain the meat and discard the blanching water.

Step 3. Rinse Everything Thoroughly

Rinse the beef and tendon under cool running water.

Clean the stockpot to remove any residue from the blanching step.

Starting the real broth in a clean pot helps create a cleaner-tasting soup.

Step 4. Start the Broth

Return the beef and tendon to the cleaned pot.

Add 12 cups of fresh water, Korean radish, onion, green onion, and garlic.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer.

Step 5. Simmer Slowly

Partially cover the pot and simmer for approximately 2 1/2 hours.

Skim away foam or excess fat when necessary.

If the water level drops significantly, add additional hot water.

Step 6. Check the Beef

After about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, check the brisket.

When it is tender enough to slice easily but still holds its shape, remove it from the broth.

Allow it to cool slightly.

The tendon may need additional cooking time. Continue simmering until it becomes tender and pleasantly chewy rather than hard.

Step 7. Strain the Broth

Remove the cooked vegetables and tendon.

Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot or heat-safe container.

Discard the softened onion, garlic, and green onion.

The cooked radish can be sliced and returned to the soup if desired.

Step 8. Remove Excess Fat

Skim visible fat from the hot broth.

For an even cleaner soup, cool and refrigerate the broth. The fat will solidify at the surface and can easily be removed before reheating.

Step 9. Slice the Beef

Slice the cooked brisket thinly across the grain.

Cut the cooked tendon into small bite-size pieces if using.

Step 10. Season the Broth

Bring the strained broth back to a simmer.

Add soup soy sauce or fish sauce if desired.

Season lightly with salt.

Do not over-season the entire pot. Part of the traditional experience is allowing each diner to adjust salt and pepper at the table.

Step 11. Assemble the Bowl

Place cooked rice in a large soup bowl.

Add sliced beef, tendon, and optional glass noodles.

For a restaurant-style serving method, ladle some boiling broth over the ingredients and carefully pour it back into the pot once or twice to warm everything thoroughly.

Step 12. Serve

Fill the bowl with piping-hot broth.

Top generously with chopped green onions and freshly ground black pepper.

Serve immediately with salt and kkakdugi on the side.

6. Korean Cook's Tips

Do not overcook the brisket. Tendon benefits from very long cooking, but brisket can eventually become dry and stringy. Remove it once tender.

Keep the seasoning simple. Gomtang should taste primarily of beef.

Skim excess fat. Removing some surface fat helps the soup taste rich without feeling overly greasy.

Make it ahead when possible. Refrigerating the broth makes removing excess fat easy and allows the flavors to settle.

Do not discard the radish automatically. If it still has good texture, slice it and serve it in the soup.

Serve the broth extremely hot. Because rice and sliced beef may already be cooler than the broth, a barely warm soup can quickly become lukewarm at the table.

7. Nutrition Notes

Gomtang is primarily a beef-based soup and can provide substantial protein when served with generous slices of meat.

Beef contributes nutrients including iron, zinc, and vitamin B12.

If tendon is included, the soup also contains gelatin-rich connective tissue after prolonged cooking.

The amount of fat varies significantly depending on the beef cuts used and how much rendered fat is removed from the broth.

Sodium is relatively easy to control because the broth does not require heavy seasoning during cooking.

Serve gomtang with rice and vegetable-based Korean side dishes to create a more balanced meal.

8. Why It Works: Cooking Science

Why Does Brisket Become Tender During Long Cooking?

Brisket contains connective tissue rich in collagen.

During prolonged moist cooking, collagen gradually converts into gelatin, allowing the meat to become more tender.

However, cooking it indefinitely can eventually dry the muscle fibers, which is why the brisket should be removed once it reaches the desired tenderness.

Why Does Tendon Need More Time?

Beef tendon contains a particularly high proportion of collagen-rich connective tissue.

Long, moist cooking is necessary to transform its initially tough texture into the soft, gelatinous chew prized in many Korean soups.

Why Blanch the Beef First?

Blanching releases surface proteins, residual juices, and other material before the actual broth is prepared.

Discarding that water and rinsing the meat helps create a cleaner flavor and appearance.

Why Does Chilled Broth Sometimes Turn Gelatinous?

Gelatin produced from long-cooked connective tissue remains dissolved in hot broth.

As the broth cools, the gelatin molecules can form a loose network that gives the liquid a soft jelly-like consistency.

The broth becomes liquid again when reheated.

Why Use Toryeom?

Rice and sliced meat can cool the serving bowl quickly.

Repeatedly bathing these ingredients in boiling broth heats them gradually without requiring them to remain cooking in the pot.

This helps produce a uniformly hot bowl of soup when served.

9. What to Serve With Gomtang

Gomtang is traditionally served with steamed Korean short-grain rice.

Many people place the rice directly into the soup rather than keeping it separate.

The best side dishes are bold enough to contrast with the mild beef broth:

• Kkakdugi – Korean radish kimchi
• Baechu kimchi – Napa cabbage kimchi
• Fresh green chili peppers
• Simple seasoned vegetables

Kkakdugi is particularly well suited to gomtang because its crunchy texture, acidity, and chili flavor balance the soft beef and gentle broth.

10. Frequently Asked Questions

What is gomtang?

Gomtang is a Korean long-simmered soup, most commonly made with beef. Depending on the regional or restaurant style, it can contain beef meat, tendon, bones, or a combination of beef parts.

Is gomtang the same as seolleongtang?

No, although the categories sometimes overlap.

Seolleongtang is especially associated with a milky-white broth produced by long and vigorous boiling of beef bones. Many gomtang styles emphasize beef meat and have a clearer broth.

Is gomtang spicy?

No. Traditional beef gomtang is generally mild. Gochugaru or chili can be added at the table if desired.

What is the best beef for gomtang?

Brisket, shank, and other cuts suitable for slow simmering work well. Beef tendon can also be added for additional texture and body.

Does gomtang contain bones?

It can. Gomtang is a broad category and recipes vary. Some versions use primarily meat, while others simmer beef meat and bones together.

What is toryeom?

Toryeom is a Korean serving technique in which very hot broth is poured over rice and meat in the serving bowl and then returned to the pot, often more than once, before the final broth is added.

Can I make gomtang without tendon?

Yes. Tendon is completely optional. Replace it with additional brisket or another slow-cooking cut of beef.

Can gomtang be frozen?

Yes. Cool the broth and beef completely, portion them into freezer-safe containers, and freeze. Add fresh rice and green onions after reheating.

Why does my gomtang turn jelly-like in the refrigerator?

This is normal. Gelatin released from connective tissue can cause a well-cooked beef broth to set when chilled. It will return to liquid when heated.

11. More Korean Recipes

If you enjoy traditional Korean beef soups, explore these recipes next:

• Seolleongtang – Korean Ox Bone Soup
• Galbitang – Korean Beef Short Rib Soup
• Kkori Gomtang – Korean Oxtail Soup
• Yukgaejang – Korean Spicy Beef Soup
• Soegogi Muguk – Korean Beef and Radish Soup
• Miyeokguk – Korean Seaweed Soup with Beef

12. Key Takeaways

Gomtang is a traditional Korean long-simmered soup whose exact ingredients vary by region and cooking style.

This version emphasizes tender beef brisket, optional tendon, Korean radish, and a clean savory broth.

The key techniques are to soak and blanch the beef, begin the broth with fresh water, simmer slowly until the different cuts reach the correct tenderness, strain the broth, and season lightly.

Unlike the intensely milky bone broth associated with seolleongtang, this gomtang has a clearer, meat-forward character.

Serve it piping hot with rice, chopped green onions, salt, black pepper, and plenty of crunchy kkakdugi for a deeply comforting Korean meal.