Effortless Kimchi Jjigae Stew (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Meat
01 -
180 g boneless pork belly (0.4 pounds), diced into small chunks
02 -
1 Tbsp sweet rice wine (mirin)
03 -
A few dashes of ground black pepper
→ Kimchi & Others
04 -
150 g firm tofu (5.3 ounces), sliced into rectangles about 1cm thick or in your favorite shape
05 -
1/4 small brown onion (30 g / 1 ounce), thinly chopped
06 -
3/4 cup well-fermented kimchi (aged 2-3 weeks), bite-sized pieces if not already cut
07 -
1 cup water
08 -
1/2 stalk green onion (5 g / 0.2 ounce), thinly sliced
09 -
2 small shiitake mushrooms (50 g / 1.4 ounces), thinly sliced with stems removed
→ Jjigae Base
10 -
1 tsp Korean chili paste (gochujang)
11 -
1 Tbsp soy sauce
12 -
1 Tbsp ground Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
13 -
3 dashes of black pepper
14 -
1/4 tsp finely chopped garlic
# Instructions:
01 -
Mix the rice wine with the ground black pepper and toss the pork belly chunks in it. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
02 -
Heat the kimchi in a frying pan until it becomes tender. Alternatively, skip this step if your pot is roomy enough to stir easily while cooking everything.
03 -
In your pot, arrange the marinated pork first. Pile in the tofu, onion, mushrooms, kimchi, water, and the jjigae seasoning base, but hold off on adding the green onion for now. (I used a 1-liter clay pot, but an 18cm (7-inch) Staub Cocotte also works great, so the frying pan step can be skipped.)
04 -
Turn on medium-high heat and let the mixture boil. Once bubbling fully, reduce to medium heat and keep simmering for 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally to mix the flavors evenly, and spoon some broth over the ingredients to help spread the taste around.
05 -
When the pork is cooked through, sprinkle the sliced green onions over the stew, gently stir, then turn off the heat. Dish it up with steamed rice and some traditional Korean sides.
# Notes:
01 -
Aged kimchi (about 2-3 weeks old) gives the dish its signature bold taste.
02 -
Using clay pots or Staub Cocottes helps keep the stew warm and develops deeper flavors.
03 -
For precise measurements: 1 Tbsp = 15 ml, and 1 Cup = 250 ml.