Gamjatang (Pork bone soup)

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 to 3 pounds Pork neck or spine bones
• 1 ounce Ginger (sliced)
• 2 tablespoons Doenjang (Korean fermented bean paste)
• 2 Dried Shiitake mushrooms
• 1 medium sized Onion (sliced)
• 1 large Dried red chili pepper (or a few fresh chili peppers)
• 1 pound Napa cabbage (cored)
• 2 or 3 medium-sized Potatoes (peeled)
• 8 ounces Soybean sprouts (washed and strained)
• 4 Green onions (washed and cut into 2 inch pieces)
• 8 to 12 Perilla leaves (washed)
• For the seasoning paste:
• 6 cloves Garlic
• 3 tablespoons Gochugaru (Korean hot pepper flakes)
• 1 tablespoon Gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
• 3 tablespoons Fish sauce
• 1/4 cup Deulkkae-garu (perilla seeds powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
• 1/2 cup Water
• If desired, you can substitute chard for Napa cabbage
• OR Bok choy

Instructions

1. 1
   Rinse the pork bones and soak them in cold water for 30 minutes. Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the cabbage for 1 minute then take it out of the water with tongs. Keep the water boiling for later use.
2. 2
   Rinse the cabbage with cold water in a strainer. Tear each of the cabbage leaves once or twice.
3. 3
   Put the bones into the boiling water and cover the pot. Let them simmer for 7 minutes, then put them into a strainer and wash each one to remove the foam from boiling them.
4. 4
   Put the cleaned bones into a new pot, then add the ginger, soy bean paste, dried shiitake mushrooms, onion, dried pepper, and 11 cups of water. Cover and cook for 90 minutes over medium high heat.
5. 5
   While the soup cooks, prepare the seasoning paste by combining all of the ingredients in the "seasoning paste" section in a bowl and stirring the mixture until a creamy paste forms.
6. 6
   Remove the mushrooms from the pot and set them aside. Add the cabbage, soy bean sprouts, 3 of the green onions, and the peeled potatoes to the pot. Slice the mushrooms thinly, then add them and the seasoning paste to the pot. Add 1/4 cup water and cover the pot.
7. 7
   Cook the soup for 30 to 40 minutes over medium high heat. Sir in the perilla leaves and serve the soup with rice and garnished with sliced green onion as a garnish.