Kimchi-jjigae (Kimchi Stew)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 2 to 3 quart pot or ttukbaegi (Korean earthenware pot)
• •Sharp knife and cutting board
• •Long spoon or heatproof spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Judge the kimchi

   Taste the kimchi before you cut it. It should be sour enough to make your jaw tighten a little, with plenty of red brine in the container. If it tastes fresh and crisp, leave it on the counter for half a day, then refrigerate again, or save this stew for another week. Kimchi-jjigae needs age.

2. 2

   Brown the pork

   Set a heavy pot or ttukbaegi over medium heat. Add the sesame oil and neutral oil, then the pork. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until the edges lose their raw color and some fat renders into the pot. This fat is not extra. It is what carries the sour kimchi into the broth.

3. 3

   Saute the kimchi

   Add the kimchi, onion, garlic, and gochugaru. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the cabbage softens, darkens slightly, and smells rounded instead of raw. Do not rush this. If you put water in too soon, the stew tastes like boiled kimchi instead of kimchi-jjigae.

   If the kimchi tastes painfully sour rather than pleasantly sharp, add 1 teaspoon sugar here. Use it as a correction, not as a habit.
4. 4

   Add brine and broth

   Pour in the kimchi brine and 3 cups broth, rice water, or water. Stir in the soup soy sauce. The liquid should just cover the kimchi and pork by about 1/2 inch. Bring it to a lively simmer, then lower the heat and cook uncovered for 20 minutes. The cabbage should slump and the broth should turn a deep red-orange, glossy at the edges.

5. 5

   Taste before seasoning

   Taste the broth now. If it needs salt, add 1 teaspoon more kimchi brine or 1/2 teaspoon soup soy sauce, not a heavy hand of paste. If it is too strong, add 1/4 cup water and simmer 3 minutes. Every jar is different, so this is where the cook has to pay attention.

6. 6

   Warm the tofu

   Slide the tofu into the stew and spoon broth over the top. Simmer gently for 5 to 7 minutes, just until the tofu is heated through and stained at the edges. Do not stir hard after the tofu goes in, or you will break it into the broth.

7. 7

   Finish and serve

   Scatter in the scallions and sliced chili, if using, and simmer 1 minute more. Carry the pot to the table with rice. This stew is not finished until someone spoons broth over their rice and reaches back for another piece of kimchi.

Chef Tips

• •Use old kimchi. If the kimchi is not sour, the stew has no spine. Restaurants keep aged kimchi for this reason, and a home cook should learn the same habit.
• •Pork belly gives the deepest broth, but pork shoulder works if you want it leaner. For a no-meat version, use 1 tablespoon perilla oil to saute the kimchi and add mushrooms. It will be lighter, but still honest.
• •Anchovy-kelp broth gives the cleanest base. Rice water is the old weeknight shortcut and a good one; it gives the broth a little body without extra seasoning.
• •Do not add gochujang unless your kimchi is weak and you accept that the stew will taste sweeter and heavier. Good kimchi-jjigae tastes like aged kimchi first.

Advance Preparation

• •Anchovy-kelp broth can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. For a weeknight pot, that turns the stew into cutting, sauteing, and simmering.
• •Kimchi-jjigae reheats well for 2 days. Cool it quickly, refrigerate it covered, and reheat it to a full simmer. Add fresh tofu when reheating if you want the cleanest texture.
• •If your kimchi is almost ready but not sour enough, cut the amount for the stew and leave it covered at cool room temperature for 8 to 12 hours, then refrigerate until cooking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 645g, including about 1 cup cooked rice)