Korean · Authentic-ish Korean
Yukgaejang
351 kcal a serving, against 477 for the traditional version. That is 126 kcal off, or 26%, with 35.5g of protein. Serves 6. 30 minutes active, 2 hours simmering.
What the traditional version is
Brisket boiled with whole garlic, black pepper and water for a few hours, then shredded and returned to the broth with a big handful of fernbrake, beansprouts, spring onions and sometimes mushrooms. The soup is seasoned with soy sauce, gochugaru, chilli oil and sesame oil, then simmered until everything sings in perfect chaos: spicy, grassy, beefy and deep red, with a glossy bite of oil in every spoonful.
What changed, and what each change costs
Cut sesame oil and vegetable oil down from 60g each to 15g each
All that oil floats on top, looking dramatic but hiding most of the calories. The core flavours still hit if you keep just enough oil to bloom the chilli and help everything mix. I could cut more, but then you're eating beefy water.
What it costs you. You don't get the classic lacquered look, and there's less of that rich, mouth-coating finish. It's not a showstopper now. Still, it's hot, red and warming - just handle it with chopsticks, not a defibrillator.
Up gochugaru from 25g to 35g to make up for lost oil
Cutting oil also cuts body and colour. Extra gochugaru brings back some heat, sharpness and gives you a deeper red instead of something that looks apologetic.
What it costs you. There's a touch more fire and less velvet in the broth. If you're not keen on a proper punch, dial it back and sneak in a spoon of the oil you saved.
More mushrooms (from 100g to 150g) for extra umami and bite
Losing fat means losing some roundness. Double down on mushrooms and you get more chew and flavour for hardly any extra energy.
What it costs you. It's a more mushroomy soup than before - nobody complains unless they hate mushrooms. If you've got fernbrake, chuck it in, but nobody's breaking the law if you don't.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 477 | 351 |
| Protein | 35.2g | 35.5g |
| Fat | 31.6g | 16.8g |
| Saturated fat | 6.7g | 4.7g |
| Carbohydrate | 14g | 15.7g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 7.4g | 10.1g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Korean prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, sesame, soybeans.
The method is in the book
Yukgaejang in this state is still a bracing, beefy bowl. It's just missing the dangerous cloud of oil that sits on top. If you're eating for comfort or after a night out, go to a restaurant and get the full-fat blast. For weekday lunches, this one does the trick, and you'll actually want to move afterwards. You don't get the full, shimmering red glaze, but you keep the heat and the beef. If you want real old-school, don't count the oil; if you want a bowl you can eat every week, this'll do.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Korean, along with 51 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.