Korean Black Goat Stew with Perilla, Chili and Garlic

Korean black goat stew is a deeply savory, soup-like pot of tender goat, Korean seasonings and vegetables, finished with fragrant perilla. This Korean-style version draws on the flavors of goat soups made in different ways across Korea; a slow, gentle simmer softens the meat while doenjang, chili and perilla seed powder build a rounded broth.

Ingredients

3 lb (1.36 kg) goat shoulder, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) chunks; use black goat if available, or regular goat shoulder
12 cups (2.8 L) water, for blanching the goat
8 cups (1.9 L) fresh water, for the stew
1 medium yellow onion, about 8 oz (225 g), peeled and halved
8 garlic cloves, about 1 oz (28 g), peeled and lightly crushed
1 piece fresh ginger, 2 inches (5 cm) long or about 1 oz (28 g), sliced
3 scallions, about 3 oz (85 g), divided into white and green parts
12 oz (340 g) Korean radish or daikon, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks
2 tablespoons (36 g) doenjang, Korean fermented soybean paste
1 tablespoon (20 g) gochujang, Korean chili paste
2 tablespoons (12 g) gochugaru, Korean red pepper flakes, or less for a milder stew
½ cup (50 g) perilla seed powder, called deulkkae-garu
2 tablespoons (30 ml) Korean soup soy sauce, called guk-ganjang
1 tablespoon (15 ml) toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon (1 g) fine black pepper
8 oz (225 g) napa cabbage, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces
15 fresh perilla leaves, about 1 oz (30 g), thinly sliced
½ teaspoon (3 g) fine salt, plus more to taste

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients. Trim any very thick, hard pieces of surface fat from the goat, then cut the meat into evenly sized chunks if needed. Do not rinse raw meat in the sink. Peel and cut the radish, prepare the cabbage and aromatics, and stir the doenjang, gochujang, gochugaru, perilla seed powder, soup soy sauce, sesame oil and black pepper together in a bowl. This makes the seasoning easier to distribute later.
Blanch the goat for 10 minutes. Bring the 12 cups (2.8 L) blanching water to a boil in a large pot. Add the goat and boil for 10 minutes, skimming foam that rises to the surface. Drain the meat and discard this water. Rinse the pot to remove residue, and briefly rinse the goat under cool running water if there is visible scum clinging to it. This first boil gives the finished broth a cleaner flavor; it is not a substitute for cooking the meat through.
Start the broth. Return the blanched goat to the clean pot and add 8 cups (1.9 L) fresh water, the onion, garlic, ginger and the white parts of the scallions. Bring it just to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover the pot, leaving the lid slightly ajar so it does not boil over. A steady, quiet simmer is better than a rolling boil, which can make the broth cloudy and the meat fibers tight.
Simmer until tender, about 2 hours 15 minutes. Turn the pieces once or twice and check that the liquid is barely bubbling. Keep the pot covered and add a little hot water if the meat is no longer mostly submerged. Start checking tenderness near the end: a fork should enter a large chunk without much resistance, though it should not fall apart. Goat shoulder varies with the animal and the size of the pieces, so use tenderness as your guide as well as the clock. Check a thick piece with a food thermometer; the USDA FSIS safe minimum for whole cuts of goat is 145°F (63°C), followed by a 3-minute rest. Once the meat is tender and at least that temperature, lift it onto a plate to rest while you finish the vegetables.
Season and cook the radish. Remove and discard the onion, ginger and scallion pieces. Stir the seasoning mixture into the broth until the pastes dissolve, then add the radish and salt. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, or until the radish is beginning to turn translucent at the edges. Taste the broth before adding extra salt: doenjang and soup soy sauce differ in saltiness.
Finish with cabbage and meat. Add the napa cabbage and rested goat, including any juices on the plate. Simmer for 8 minutes, stirring gently once so the cabbage cooks evenly. Add the sliced perilla leaves and the green scallion parts, then cook for 2 minutes more. Taste and adjust with a little salt, more gochugaru for heat, or a splash of hot water if the broth has become stronger than you like. Serve steaming hot.

Tips

Choose the right perilla ingredient. Perilla seed powder is earthy, lightly nutty and gives the broth much of its characteristic body. It is sold at Korean and other Asian grocers, often labeled deulkkae-garu. Ground toasted sesame seeds can stand in, but they make the stew nuttier and less herbal; use the same amount and add gradually because the texture may be coarser.

Adjust for hard-to-find seasonings. If Korean soup soy sauce is unavailable, use 1½ tablespoons (22 ml) regular soy sauce plus a pinch of salt, then taste before adding the measured salt. The broth will be a little darker and less clean-tasting. If you cannot find doenjang, mild yellow miso is a workable substitute; start with 1½ tablespoons (27 g), since it is often less pungent and can be sweeter.

Keep the simmer gentle and check the meat. A hard boil does not make goat tender faster in a useful way; it can make the outside dry before connective tissue has softened. If the meat is still chewy when the listed simmer time is up, continue cooking in 15-minute increments, covered, and add hot water as needed. The recipe time is a practical estimate, not a reason to serve tough meat.

Season in stages. Doenjang, gochujang and soup soy sauce all contribute salt, while broth concentrates as it simmers. Hold back on extra salt until the radish and cabbage have cooked, and add chili in small increments if you are unsure about heat. For a milder bowl, reduce the gochugaru rather than removing all the gochujang, which also contributes fermented depth.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the stew in deep bowls with plenty of broth, goat, radish and cabbage in each portion. Steamed short-grain rice is the classic-feeling partner: diners can eat it alongside the stew or spoon some into the broth. Offer small dishes of kimchi, pickled radish or other Korean-style banchan to add crisp, tangy contrast. A simple cucumber salad is another useful counterpoint to the rich, earthy broth.

Set out extra sliced scallions, perilla leaves and gochugaru so everyone can finish a bowl to taste. If you want the meal to feel more substantial, serve rice and one or two vegetable sides rather than adding many competing flavors to the pot. The stew is filling on its own, and its broth is meant to remain prominent rather than being reduced to a thick sauce.

Variations

Make the broth more or less spicy. For a gentler version, use 1 tablespoon (6 g) gochugaru and keep the gochujang as written. For a hotter pot, increase the gochugaru by 1 teaspoon (2 g) at a time. Korean chili flakes have a particular fruity, mellow heat; cayenne is much sharper, so if substituting, begin with just ¼ teaspoon (about 0.5 g) and adjust carefully.

Change the greens. Perilla leaves bring a distinctive minty, anise-like aroma. If they are unavailable, use shiso if you can find it; it is the closest practical leafy substitute, though the flavor is not identical. A small handful of watercress or baby mustard greens can add freshness instead, but will make the stew taste less specifically of perilla. Add tender greens only in the final few minutes.

Use a different cut or vegetable. Bone-in goat shoulder or neck can make a fuller broth, but may need extra simmering and careful eating around the bones. If using lean goat leg, cut it into larger chunks and begin checking earlier so it does not dry out. Korean radish is crisp and mild; daikon works well, while turnip is a reasonable alternative with a slightly sharper flavor. Keep the vegetable pieces large enough to hold their shape.

Make a thicker, seed-forward stew. Perilla seed powder naturally thickens the broth. For a lighter soup, start with ⅓ cup (33 g) instead of ½ cup (50 g), then stir in more near the end if desired. For a fuller texture, add the powder gradually and simmer for a few minutes after each addition; adding it all at once to boiling liquid can leave stubborn clumps.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking. Divide the stew among shallow, covered containers so it cools promptly, and keep it refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. The perilla aroma softens with storage, but the broth often tastes more integrated the next day. If the chilled broth has thickened, loosen it with a splash of water when reheating.

For longer storage, freeze portions in airtight freezer-safe containers for up to 2 to 3 months for best quality. Leave a little room at the top for expansion. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or reheat from frozen over low heat with a little water, stirring carefully as the broth loosens. Reheat on the stove until the stew reaches 165°F (74°C), checked with a food thermometer; bring it to a gentle simmer and stir so the meat and broth heat evenly. Avoid repeatedly cooling and reheating the whole pot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to buy black goat specifically? If black goat meat is available from a trusted butcher, it is suitable for this recipe. Regular goat shoulder also works; the recipe’s Korean flavor comes from the seasoning and cooking method, not from a special color or breed requirement. Ask the butcher for shoulder cut into stew-size pieces if you would rather not trim and portion it yourself.

Why blanch the goat and throw away the first water? Blanching briefly removes surface proteins and residue that can make a broth taste strong or look cloudy. It is a flavor and appearance step, not a safety step: the goat still needs to simmer until tender and reach the safe minimum temperature. Drain the blanching water rather than using it as the stew liquid.

Can I make this in a pressure cooker? Yes, although timing varies by cooker and by the size and age of the goat pieces. Blanch the goat separately as directed, then pressure-cook it with the fresh water and aromatics according to your appliance’s instructions until fork-tender. Release pressure safely, add the seasoning and vegetables, and simmer uncovered until the radish and cabbage are done. Do not fill the cooker above its stated limit.

What if the stew tastes too strong or too salty? Add hot water a little at a time, then taste again; this dilutes the seasoning without introducing a competing flavor. If it is simply too salty, adding more water and unsalted vegetables is more effective than adding sugar. Next time, reduce the salt and check the labels or saltiness of the doenjang and soup soy sauce before seasoning.

Can I prepare the stew ahead? You can cook the goat and broth a day ahead, cool and refrigerate them promptly, then remove any firm layer of fat from the surface if desired. Reheat the broth and goat, add the radish and cabbage, and finish with fresh perilla leaves shortly before serving. Adding the tender greens at the end keeps their aroma brighter than storing them in the stew overnight.

More recipes to cook

Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it (corrections policy).