Gwangmyeong Okdol Gopchang

• Gopchang: During the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897), cattle were precious farm animals and beef was a luxury. The offal left after butchering went to ordinary people, who turned it into hearty soups and stews. In the 1960s–70s, as Seoul industrialised, small charcoal-briquette gopchang bars clustered in Wangsimni and Hwanghak-dong near the Majang-dong meat market, feeding factory and market workers. Today gopchang is one of Korea's most iconic dishes to share over soju.
• Nakgopsae: It grew out of jobang-nakji, a spicy octopus dish eaten by workers near the Joseon Textile ("Jobang") factory in Beomil-dong, Busan, in the 1960s–70s. Adding gopchang and shrimp created a richer stew that long-running Busan restaurants made famous, and it is now loved all over Korea.
• Gopdori-tang: A modern fusion that adds gopchang to dakdori-tang (also called dakbokkeum-tang), Korea's classic spicy braised chicken with potatoes. It has become a popular comfort food in Korea in recent years.

BBQ · Grilled Gopchang / Mixed BBQ

• Heat the pan well, add the gopchang and grill over medium heat, turning often, until golden on the outside. It is already pre-boiled, so it does not need long.
• Grill the onion, potato, garlic, kimchi and mushrooms in the gopchang fat for extra flavour.
• Dip in cham-sauce and enjoy with the chopped chili & garlic, roasted soybean powder, chives and shredded onion.

Hot pot · Nakgopsae · Gopdori-tang · Stew

• Put the ingredients and sauce in a pot, add water, bring to a boil on high heat, then simmer on medium until the broth thickens.
• Add the noodles or rice cakes at the end so they stay chewy.

The Korean finish

• Koreans finish with bokkeum-bap: fry rice, seaweed flakes and chopped kimchi in the leftover sauce and fat. Don't skip it!