Kimchi Jjigae
The stew that sour kimchi was born for: pork belly simmered with well-aged kimchi and its brine until everything turns rich, tangy and deeply red.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Kimchi Jjigae, in 5 ideas
- Jjigae is why you never throw out old kimchi. The sourer the jar, the better the stew, because the acid cooks into depth.
- Kimchi brine is liquid gold. A ladle of it seasons the pot more honestly than any stock cube.
- Pork belly is the classic partner. Its fat rounds the kimchi's sharpness as they simmer together.
- Tofu goes in at the end and stays silken. It is warmed through, never boiled hard, so it keeps its custard texture.
- Serve it boiling, actually bubbling, in the. Pot it cooked in, with rice to tame each spoonful.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1 lb well-fermented kimchi, chopped, with 1/2 cup of its brine
- 12 oz pork belly, cut in chunks
- 1 onion, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chile flakes)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 cups water or light stock
- 1 block tofu, cut in thick slices
- 2 green onions, sliced
How to make it
Method
Sear the pork belly in a heavy pot until its fat runs and the edges brown. Lift out most of the fat, leaving a spoonful.
Add the onion and garlic and soften for 3 minutes in the pork fat.
Add the kimchi and fry for 5 minutes, until it darkens slightly and smells sweet and tangy.
Return the pork with the kimchi brine, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar and water. Simmer for 20 minutes, until the kimchi is tender and the broth is deep red.
Lay the tofu slices over the top, spoon hot broth over them, and simmer gently for 3 minutes to warm through.
Scatter the green onions and serve bubbling, straight from the pot, with steamed rice.
If your kimchi is young and mild, a teaspoon of vinegar and an extra ten minutes of frying will fake a little age convincingly.