Korean

Serving

Gamjatang (Pork Bone Stew)

Name: Gamjatang (Pork Bone Stew)
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 1.5kg meaty pork neck/spine bones; 3 medium potatoes (peeled and halved); 5 leaves napa cabbage (blanched); 10 perilla leaves (roughly chopped); 2 tbsp perilla seed powder (deulkkae-garu); 3 tbsp doenjang; 3 tbsp gochugaru; 2 tbsp minced garlic; 1 tbsp ginger (sliced)

A spicy Korean soup made from the spine or rib bones of a pig, potatoes, and vegetables.

150 minutes

Serves 8

Dinner

53 min prep

83 min cook

Contains common allergens

Soy

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Good to know

One-pot

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners

Instructions

6 steps

1
Soak the pork bones in cold water for 1 hour. Drain, then boil the bones for 10 minutes in fresh water. Discard this murky water and rinse the bones thoroughly under cold water.
2
Return the clean bones to a large heavy pot. Cover with 10 cups of water, add the sliced ginger and 1 tbsp of doenjang. Boil over medium-low heat, covered, for 1.5 to 2 hours until the meat is incredibly tender.
3
Mix a seasoning paste using the remaining 2 tbsp doenjang, gochugaru, minced garlic, and a splash of water.
4
Tear the blanched napa cabbage lengthwise and toss it in the seasoning paste.
5
Add the seasoned cabbage, halved potatoes, and the rest of the paste to the simmering bone broth. Cook for another 30 minutes until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
6
Right before serving, stir in the perilla seed powder and top with fresh perilla leaves. Serve bubbling hot.

Gamjatang (Pork Bone Stew) — plated and served — Serving moment. How Gamjatang (Pork Bone Stew) looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

68/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 90

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 54

Budget-friendly 86

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 22

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

535

Calories

53 g

Protein

15 g

Carbs

28 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Gamjatang is a hearty stew built on meaty pork neck and spine bones, long a working-class favorite served late into the night at 24-hour spots across Korea. Despite gamja meaning potato, many believe the name actually refers to an old word for a cut of pork spine, with the potatoes a later addition.

Listahan note

This version blanches and rinses the bones before the real simmer, a step this recipe insists on because it is what removes the murky scum and gives the finished broth a clean, deep flavor.

Technique cues

Boiling the bones for ten minutes and discarding that first murky water draws out the blood and impurities that would otherwise cloud and taint the stew.
Perilla seed powder stirred in only at the very end thickens the broth and adds a nutty richness; cooked too long it turns gritty and dull.
A long covered simmer of an hour and a half or more is what makes the meat fall off the bone and the broth turn rich.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Mix the seasoning paste and blanch the cabbage during the long bone simmer so the second stage is quick.
Make-ahead: Simmer the bones a day ahead and refrigerate; the chilled broth lets you lift off the hardened fat before finishing.
Leftover move: Add cooked rice and a beaten egg to leftover broth for a next-day bone-broth rice bowl.
Cleanup rhythm: Strain the discarded blanching water down the drain hot, and soak the heavy pot right away so collagen does not set on it.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

pork neck/spine bones

Main protein and broth base

Purpose: The meaty bones give both the pull-apart pork and the collagen-rich body of the stew.

Handling: Soak in cold water an hour, then blanch and rinse to clear the blood before the long simmer.

Adaptation: Pork ribs work for a similar flavor but yield less of the gelatinous body the spine gives.

perilla seed powder

Thickener and nutty finish

Purpose: It is the signature ingredient, thickening the broth and lending the dish its earthy, nutty character.

Handling: Stir in only right before serving so it stays smooth rather than gritty.

Adaptation: Ground toasted sesame seeds give a related nuttiness but lack the same body.

doenjang

Savory base

Purpose: This fermented soybean paste deepens the broth and tames any porky odor.

Handling: Add one spoonful to the simmering bones and reserve the rest for the seasoning paste.

Adaptation: Japanese miso works but is sweeter and milder; use a touch more.

perilla leaves

Fresh herb finish

Purpose: Their minty, anise-like aroma cuts the richness of the pork right at the end.

Handling: Chop roughly and add fresh just before serving so they stay fragrant.

Adaptation: There is no exact match; a little fresh shiso or a mix of basil and mint approximates the aroma.

napa cabbage

Vegetable body

Purpose: Blanched and seasoned, it soaks up the spicy broth and adds gentle bulk.

Handling: Blanch, then tear lengthwise and toss in the seasoning paste before it joins the pot.

Adaptation: Pre-blanched ugeoji (dried cabbage) is the traditional alternative and even more authentic.

Technique notes

Never skip the first blanch-and-rinse; that single step is the difference between a clean broth and a muddy, off-tasting one.
Add the potatoes only for the final thirty minutes so they cook through without falling apart into the broth.
Toast the perilla seed powder lightly if it tastes flat, then stir it in off the boil to keep the finish silky.

Ingredient swaps

Lower-sodium direction: Reduce the doenjang by a third and add it gradually, tasting as the broth reduces and concentrates.
Soy-free direction: Replace the doenjang with a chickpea miso to keep the fermented depth without soy; the color lightens slightly.
Weeknight shortcut: Use a pressure cooker to cut the bone simmer to about 45 minutes, then finish the vegetables on the stovetop.

Serve alongside

Steamed short-grain rice
Kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi)
Buchu geotjeori (chive salad)
Bokkeum bap made from the leftover broth
Soju, neat
Makgeolli (rice wine)
Cold barley tea

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate for up to 4 days; the flavor improves overnight as the broth settles.
Reheat gently on the stovetop, stirring in a little fresh perilla seed powder to refresh the body.
Freeze the strained broth and meat for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge; add fresh perilla leaves after reheating.

Equipment

Large heavy stockpot
Fine skimmer
Slotted spoon for the bones
Tongs for tearing the meat

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