Haejang-guk

Instructions

1. The night before, put the 15 g of dried ugeoji in a large bowl, cover generously with cold water and leave to soak for at least 8 hours, until the leaves are pliable. Drain, bring a pan of unsalted water to the boil and simmer the leaves for 20 minutes, until a stem crushes easily between your fingers. Drain, rinse under cold water, squeeze out the liquid firmly and cut into 5 cm lengths, peeling away any tough outer membrane from the thick ribs.
2. Meanwhile, soak the 80 g of brisket in cold water for 20 minutes to draw out the blood, changing the water once. Drain, put it in a heavy pot with the 600 ml of water and bring to the boil over high heat. Skim off every trace of grey foam, then lower the heat to a bare simmer and cook, half-covered, for 40 minutes, until a skewer slides through the meat with no resistance.
3. Lift the beef onto a board, let it cool a little, then slice thinly across the grain or shred it into bite-sized strips. Keep the broth at a low simmer and skim off the surface fat with a spoon so the soup stays clean-tasting.