Wanjakuk Korean Meatball Soup Recipes

WANJAKUK (KOREAN MEATBALL SOUP)

Steps:

• Put the tofu in a clean cloth and squeeze out as much moisture as you can, then tip the tofu into a mixing bowl and mash it with a fork. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Cut 2 of the spring onions crosswise into very thin rings, reserving the other 2 for the stock.
• Add the garlic and sliced spring onions to the bowl with the tofu and then add the ground beef, soy sauce, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Mix well and roll into about 20 meatballs - about the size of a walnut. At this point, you could refrigerate the meatballs until ready to cook.
• Put the stock in a large pan. Cut the remaining spring onions into 2 inch lengths. Peel the ginger and cut it into thin slices. Add the ginger and spring onions to the stock and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 8-10 minutes. Salt the stock to your taste. Return to a boil to add meatballs.
• Put the flour onto a plate and beat the egg lightly in a bowl. Roll each meatball first in the flour and then the egg and then drop into the boiling soup. If the soup falls out of the boil stage as you are adding meatballs, this is ok. Once all meatballs have been added, return soup to a boil and then serve.

GOCHUJANG MEATBALLS

Steps:

• For the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine the beef, panko, egg, soy sauce, gochujang, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
• Use a 1-ounce ice cream scoop to form the beef mixture into meatballs (about 20 total) and place on the prepared baking sheet. Roll each meatball by hand to round out the shape. Bake until browned and just cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• For the glaze: Whisk the brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, gochujang, cornstarch and 1/2 cup water together in a small bowl. Add to a large nonstick skillet and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
• Add the meatballs and cook, tossing to coat, until evenly glazed, about 1 minute.
• Transfer to a serving platter and top with some sesame seeds and scallions.

KOREAN BARBECUE-STYLE MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and use your hands to gently mix.
• Shape the meat into 12 golf-ball-size rounds (about 2 inches in diameter), and arrange on a greased rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake until golden and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.