Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew)

Name: Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 8 oz pork belly or pork shoulder, thinly sliced; 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil; 2 cups well-fermented (sour) napa cabbage kimchi, chopped, plus 1/4 cup kimchi juice; 1/2 medium onion, sliced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 to 2 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes); 1 tbsp gochujang; 1 tsp sugar; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 3 1/2 cups water or anchovy or chicken stock; 1 (14 oz) block soft or medium tofu, cut in thick slices; 3 green onions, cut in 2-inch lengths; 1 small green or red chili, sliced (optional); steamed short-grain rice, to serve

A bubbling, spicy-sour Korean stew of well-fermented kimchi, pork belly and soft tofu in a gochugaru-red broth. A warming 35-minute dinner with a bowl of steamed rice.

Prep10 min

Cook25 min

Total35 min

Serves4

What you'll need

Enameled cast-iron Dutch ovenFor soups, stews and braises

Amazon Walmart

8-inch chef's knifeFor all the chopping

Amazon

Rice cookerFor hands-off rice and grains

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Ingredients

8 oz pork belly or pork shoulder, thinly sliced

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

2 cups well-fermented (sour) napa cabbage kimchi, chopped, plus 1/4 cup kimchi juice

1/2 medium onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 to 2 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)

1 tbsp gochujang

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp soy sauce

3 1/2 cups water or anchovy or chicken stock

1 (14 oz) block soft or medium tofu, cut in thick slices

3 green onions, cut in 2-inch lengths

1 small green or red chili, sliced (optional)

steamed short-grain rice, to serve

Steps

Heat a Dutch oven or Korean earthenware pot over medium-high heat. Cook the pork in the sesame oil until lightly browned, 4 minutes.

Add the kimchi and onion and stir-fry 4 to 5 minutes, until the kimchi softens and smells toasty.

Stir in the garlic, gochugaru, gochujang, sugar and soy sauce for 30 seconds.

Add the water and kimchi juice, bring to a boil and simmer, covered, 12 to 15 minutes.

Lay the tofu slices on top, add the green onions and chili, and simmer 3 to 4 minutes more, until the tofu is heated through.

Taste and add a little more kimchi juice or salt if needed. Serve bubbling hot with rice.

TipOlder, sourer kimchi makes much better jjigae than fresh kimchi; if yours is young, add 1 tsp rice vinegar to the broth.