Hobakji-jjigae (Squash-Kimchi Stew)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 2.5 to 3-quart pot or ttukbaegi
• •Fine strainer for the brine
• •Wooden spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Taste the hobakji

   Taste one piece of hobakji and one spoon of its brine before you heat the pot. If it is very salty, rinse the pieces briefly and use only 1/4 cup brine. If it is pleasantly sour and not harsh, use the full 1/2 cup. 손맛 is real; I measure it anyway, because fermented squash changes from jar to jar.

2. 2

   Brown the pork

   Heat the oil in a heavy pot or ttukbaegi over medium heat. Add the pork and cook 5 to 6 minutes, turning until the edges lose their raw color and begin to brown. This first browning gives the broth body, so do not rush it into boiling water.

3. 3

   Wake the seasoning

   Add the onion and cook 3 minutes, just until it softens at the edges. Stir in the garlic, gochugaru, and saeujeot, cooking only 30 seconds. The chili should tint the pork fat red, not scorch. Scorched gochugaru tastes flat and bitter, and then no amount of simmering repairs it.

4. 4

   Simmer the stew

   Add the hobakji, broth or rice-rinsing water, strained brine, and doenjang if using. Bring to a boil, then lower to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered 30 to 35 minutes, stirring now and then, until the squash turns soft enough to press with a spoon and the pork gives up its richness to the broth.

   Rice-rinsing water gives a country thickness and helps the sour kimchi broth feel round. Anchovy-kelp broth gives a cleaner, deeper savor. Both are honest; plain water is the weak choice.
5. 5

   Add the tofu

   Slide in the tofu, if using, and simmer 5 minutes more. Do not stir hard after the tofu goes in. Shake the pot instead, because broken tofu clouds the broth and makes the stew look careless.

6. 6

   Balance and serve

   Taste the broth before you add anything. It should be sour first, savory second, with the sweetness of old squash still readable. If it needs salt, add 1/2 teaspoon soup soy sauce. If it is too sharp, simmer 5 minutes longer rather than adding sugar. Finish with green chili, scallions, and the sesame oil if you want it, then carry the pot to the table with hot rice.

Chef Tips

• •Good hobakji should smell sour and savory, not rotten or fizzy in a sharp way. The squash will be softer than cabbage kimchi, but it should still hold pieces in the jar.
• •Pork shoulder gives a cleaner stew, pork belly gives a richer one. If your hobakji is very sour, pork belly is kinder to it.
• •Do not bury this under gochujang. Hobakji has its own fermented taste, softer and rounder than cabbage kimchi. Let it taste like itself.
• •No hobakji at your market? Do not pretend napa kimchi is the same dish. Cook kimchi-jjigae tonight, and make or buy hobakji when late squash appears.

Advance Preparation

• •Anchovy-kelp broth can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Pull the kelp as soon as the water simmers, then simmer the anchovies 8 minutes longer.
• •The stew improves after a short rest. Cook it up to 1 day ahead, refrigerate, and reheat gently, adding tofu only during reheating so it stays neat.
• •Leftovers keep 3 days refrigerated. Reheat to a full simmer, because fermented stews taste dull when only warmed halfway.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 310g)