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Korean Dwaeji Gukbap, plated and ready to serve

Korean Dwaeji Gukbap, Busan Pork and Rice Soup

Dwaeji gukbap is Busan's signature soup: a milky, deeply savory pork broth poured over tender slices of pork, then seasoned at the table with salted shrimp, chives and chili paste. It is warming, filling and nearly carb-free. Serve the cauliflower rice on the side or drop it into the bowl, just as Busan locals do with rice.
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Korean
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 253kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds pork neck bones or trotters for the broth
  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder in one piece
  • 1 onion halved
  • 1 head garlic halved crosswise
  • 2-inch piece ginger sliced
  • 3 scallions whites for the broth, greens chopped for serving
  • 10 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons salted shrimp (saeujeot) for serving
  • 1 cup garlic chives (buchu) chopped, for serving
  • 1 teaspoon gochugaru for serving
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 3 cups cooked cauliflower rice for serving (optional)

Instructions

  • Soak the pork bones in cold water for 1 hour to draw out the blood. Put them in a large pot, cover with water, and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the bones and the pot.
  • Return the bones to the pot with the pork shoulder, onion, garlic, ginger, scallion whites and 10 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer.
  • After 1 hour, remove the pork shoulder, let it cool slightly, and refrigerate. Keep simmering the bones for 1 to 1 1/2 hours more, skimming occasionally, until the broth turns cloudy and white.
  • Strain the broth and discard the bones and aromatics. Thinly slice the pork shoulder.
  • To serve, place cauliflower rice (if using) and slices of pork in each bowl and ladle in the hot broth. Let everyone season their own bowl with salted shrimp, chives, gochugaru, salt and pepper.

Notes

Boiling hard rather than gently is what turns the broth milky, so keep it at a lively simmer for the last hour. A pressure cooker cuts the time to about 1 hour on high. The nutrition here counts the pork shoulder and seasonings; the strained broth adds a modest amount of protein and fat.
Chef's Tip: Make the broth a day ahead and chill it. You can lift off as much of the fat as you like, and the flavor improves overnight.
Keto Swap: The soup itself is naturally keto. The only change is serving it with cauliflower rice instead of the traditional bowl of white rice.
Success Tip: Add a spoonful of the broth to children's bowls with plain pork and cauliflower rice, and let adults add the heat.
Nutrition is calculated from the ingredients and is an estimate per serving. Net carbs exclude fiber and allulose.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 253kcal | Protein: 22g | Fat: 14g | Fiber: 2.1g
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