Kongbiji-jjigae (Ground Soybean Pulp Stew)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 2 to 3 quart pot or ttukbaegi (Korean earthenware pot)
• •Wooden spoon
• •Fine strainer, if making anchovy-kelp broth

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the broth

   If you are making broth, put 3 cups water, the kelp, and the cleaned anchovies in a small pot. Bring it just to a simmer over medium heat, then remove the kelp at once so it does not turn the broth bitter. Simmer the anchovies 8 more minutes, strain, and keep the broth ready. Water will still make dinner, but broth gives the soybean pulp a backbone.

2. 2

   Prepare the biji

   If your kongbiji is very dry and crumbly, stir in 1/2 cup of the broth to loosen it before it goes into the pot. If it is fresh and soft from the tofu shop, leave it alone. Do not rinse it. The soybean flavor is the point.

   No fresh biji? Soak 1 cup dried soybeans overnight, peel off loose skins if you have patience, then grind them with 1 cup water until coarse and creamy. Simmer 10 minutes longer in the stew so the raw soybean taste cooks out.
3. 3

   Render the pork

   Set a heavy pot or ttukbaegi over medium heat. Add the neutral oil, sesame oil, and pork, and cook 4 to 5 minutes until the edges lose their raw look and a little fat coats the bottom. You are not browning it hard. This stew is gentle, and the pork is there to season the pot, not to take it over.

4. 4

   Cook the kimchi

   Add the chopped kimchi and onion. Stir and cook 5 minutes, until the kimchi softens and stains the oil lightly red. This step matters because raw sour kimchi thrown straight into broth stays sharp and separate. Cook it first and it becomes part of the stew.

5. 5

   Season the base

   Add the garlic, kimchi brine, soup soy sauce, saeujeot if using, and gochugaru if you want a little color. Stir for 30 seconds. Start with these measured amounts, then stop. The kimchi and salted shrimp will keep giving salt as the stew simmers, and a heavy hand now makes a harsh bowl later.

6. 6

   Add broth and simmer

   Pour in 2 1/2 cups of the broth and bring it to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, until the kimchi is tender and the broth tastes joined. Keep the remaining 1/2 cup broth nearby. Kongbiji thickens differently from shop to shop, so you adjust the liquid by what is in front of you.

7. 7

   Fold in kongbiji

   Lower the heat to medium-low and spoon in the kongbiji in loose clumps. Stir gently from the bottom so it does not catch, then simmer 12 to 15 minutes. Do not boil it hard. Hard boiling makes it stick and spit, and the texture turns rough instead of creamy.

8. 8

   Adjust the thickness

   The finished stew should mound softly on the spoon but still flow, like a loose porridge. If it is too thick, add the remaining broth 2 tablespoons at a time. If it is too thin, simmer 3 to 5 minutes more with the lid off. 손맛 is real. I still measure it anyway, so the next cook can find the same bowl.

9. 9

   Taste and finish

   Taste before adding salt. If it tastes flat, add salt 1/4 teaspoon at a time, waiting 30 seconds between additions. Scatter the scallion and green chili over the top and turn off the heat. Let the pot sit 2 minutes so the soybean pulp settles into the broth, then serve with rice and one crisp banchan, something sour or fresh to wake the spoon.

Chef Tips

• •Fresh kongbiji from a tofu shop makes the best stew. It should smell clean and nutty, never sour or stale. Use it within 2 days, because soybean pulp spoils faster than people expect.
• •Aged kimchi is not optional in spirit, even if you adjust the amount. Young kimchi tastes raw and cabbage-sweet here. If yours is too fresh, add 1 teaspoon rice vinegar with the kimchi brine, but write that down so you know what you changed.
• •Pork belly gives richness, pork shoulder gives a cleaner bowl. Both are right. For a meatless version, leave out the pork and use 2 tablespoons perilla oil with anchovy broth omitted for vegetable broth or kelp broth; the stew will be lighter and more plainly soybean-forward.
• •Do not bury this with gochujang. Kongbiji-jjigae should be creamy, nutty, and sour from kimchi, not sweet and red. A small spoon of gochugaru is enough if you want warmth.
• •If the stew sticks, lower the heat and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon. A heavy pot helps. A thin pot makes biji punish the impatient cook.

Advance Preparation

• •The anchovy-kelp broth can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. That makes this a practical weeknight stew.
• •Fresh kongbiji can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and stir well before using, because the liquid separates.
• •The stew reheats well once. Warm it gently over medium-low heat and loosen it with 2 to 4 tablespoons water or broth, because the soybean pulp thickens as it sits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 380g)