Kimchi Jjigae is one of the most iconic stews in Korea. Spicy, hot and refreshing. It is an ultimate comfort food for most Koreans.
Ingredients
Kimchi - 1.5 cupIf you have Aged Kimchi, even better!
Pork - ½ cupChoose a cut with some fat on it - I like pork collar/neck
Rice water - 3 cupsor use anchovy-kelp broth
Cheongyang chili peppers - 2or use ½ Jalapeno, no seeds
Spring onion - 10 inch piecesize of your forearm
Gochugaru - 1.5 teaspoons
Minced garlic - 1 teaspoon
Soup soy sauce - 1 teaspoon
Salt - 1 teaspoon
Instructions
Prep work
Chop green chili peppers and green onion into small circular pieces.
Chop pork and Kimchi into bite-sized pieces.
Rinse rice a couple of times and extract rice water - see video below for reference. (Or you can use an anchovy-kelp broth - reference this video)
Make the broth
Place pork in a large pot. Put rice water (or anchovy-kelp broth) into the pot as well. Turn on medium heat and bring water up to a boil.
Boil for one minute or longer (until pork is fully cooked through). Skim the surface and get rid of any scum. Add your kimchi to the broth as well as your green onions and chili peppers (save a few onions and pepper pieces for garnish).
Then add in the garlic, Korean red chili flakes, soup soy sauce, salt.
Let the soup boil for an additional 10-15 minutes on a medium heat. This will reduce the stew and combine all of the ingredients together.
Garnish the stew with spring onion and chili peppers. It is ready to eat now.
Notes
If you can resist... save some of the soup. Let it sit overnight (or 6 hours) and give it another boil in the morning. You will see that the soup tastes even better!