Miyuk Guk

Whose birthday is it? Um....somebody's?
A traditional Korean soup made from the sea vegetable wakame (or seaweed), Miyuk Guk is typically served on a birthday in hopes of bringing good fortune for the upcoming year, but for this occasion it was simply because I was craving it. Nostalgia is a hidden ingredient because it always takes me back to my childhood and past -- the days a family friend would watch over me and serve it to me for dinner, the many birthdays my mom would make it for me first thing in the morning, and all the random cravings in between. I called my mom for the recipe and she gave me a quick run-through. To share a more tangible recipe, I took one from Maangchi.

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Servings: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups of soaked miyuk (1 cup of dried seaplant)
• 16 cups of water
• 4-5 tbs of fish sauce
• 200 grams of beef brisket
• 1 tbs of minced garlic
• sesame oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Soak 1 cup of dried miyuk in a big bowl for at least 30 minutes.
2. Drain the water from the sea plant and cut it into bite size
3. Place the soaked sea plant(about 4 cups) in a big pot and add 16 cups of water and boil it over high heat for 20 minutes.(later you may have to add more water if the soup is too thick)
4. Cut the beef brisket nto bite size pieces.
5. When the water starts boiling (about 20 minutes later), add the beef and 1 tbs of garlic. Boil it again for another 20 or 25 minutes over medium heat.
6. Add 4 or 5 tbs of fish sauce(add more or less depending on your taste) and drizzle a few drops of sesame oil before serving.

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I also took the leftover miyuk I cooked (it was seriously miyuk gone wild in the kitchen! *a forewarning: dry seaweed will expand like crazy overnight when soaked) and made miyuk muchim, also found on Maangchi's site. Both recipes are VERY easy, so try it out! They also reap great health benefits since miyuk is rich in iodine, calcium, and other nutrients. Enjoy. :)