BEEF AND RICE COIN SOUP
- FOR THE RICE COINS
- 6 to 8 rice cake sticks
- FOR THE TOPPINGS
- 2 teaspoons peanut oil
- ¼ pound boneless beef, partially frozen, then cut into
- fine strips
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 ounces ground beef, formed into marble-size
- meatballs
- 1 teaspoon flour
- 1 egg, beaten
- FOR THE SOUP
- 8 cups (2 quarts) Beef Stock
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon hot chile sauce
- GARNISH
- 1 tablespoon chopped green onion
- 1 tablespoon crushed dried seaweed
- Pinch of cayenne
Instructions:
TTOK-KUK IS A beautiful and festive soup: delicate strips of yellow egg and bright green scallion slices setting off a rich beef broth that is crammed with color and texture— chewy white rice-cake medallions, tender meatballs, and juicy beef strips. At serving time, it gets an aromatic boost with a last-minute crumble of dried seaweed, cayenne, and green onion.
- TO PREPARE
-  The night before (as needed), depending on whether your rice sticks are soft or hard as a rock, you may leave them out overnight to harden or soak them in water overnight to soften. They should be soft enough to cut with a knife yet hard enough to hold their cut shape.
-  An hour ahead, carve away the edges of the rice sticks, then slice them into thin rounds (like thick wooden coins, symbolizing wealth and prosperity in the New Year) and soak them in cold water for 30 minutes.
- Prep the topping ingredients, separately, but all in the same skillet:
- Heat the peanut oil in a small skillet over mediumhigh heat and fry the beef strips until just cooked through. Remove them with a slotted spoon, season with salt and pepper, and reserve.
- Season the ground beef and shape into small meatballs. Sprinkle with flour, then dip them in the beaten egg (reserving the remaining egg) and fry in the skillet in the same oil. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve with the beef strips.
- Pour the unused egg into the skillet (adding oil if needed) and let it cook into a thin sheet. Flip once to cook on the other side. Slice into four quarters, stack, then cut into thin strips and reserve with the fried meats.
- TO COOK
- Bring the beef stock to a boil in a large soup pot over mediumhigh heat. Add the rice cake slices, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, covered, until they are tender and chewy, about 10 minutes. Season the soup with the soy sauce, salt, sliced green onion, chopped garlic, and chile sauce.
- TO SERVE
- Ladle the soup into individual serving bowls, evenly distributing the rice cake, meat strips, meat balls, and egg strips. Top each portion with some slices of green onion and the seaweed that has been crushed into a powder, and sprinkle a pinch of cayenne over all.