Rich and Deep Pork Kimchi Stew
Rich and Deep Pork Kimchi Stew
Chef Baek Jong Won’s Foolproof Pork Kimchi Stew Recipe: Cooked Without Sautéing Meat for a Cleaner Taste!
Who doesn’t love Kimchi Stew, a true Korean comfort food? Depending on whether you add pork, tuna, Spam, or other ingredients to well-fermented kimchi, you can enjoy a wonderfully diverse range of flavors! However, creating a perfectly balanced Kimchi Stew can surprisingly be a challenge. Typically, recipes involve sautéing the meat and kimchi, or using a broth, which can be complex. Today, I’ll share a simple and quick method for making Kimchi Stew, inspired by Chef Baek Jong Won’s recipe. This version skips sautéing the meat, resulting in a cleaner, deeper flavor. Shall we cook this deliciousness together?
Ingredients- Pork (for stew) 150g
- Well-fermented Kimchi 3 cups
- Water 500ml
- 1 Cheongyang pepper (optional)
- 1 Tbsp salted shrimp (saeujeot)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce for soup (gukganjang)
- 2 Tbsp red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Prepare the pork for stew. Cuts like pork shoulder with a moderate amount of fat are good for a clean taste. I like to have pieces of meat along with the well-cooked kimchi, so I’ve cut them thickly. Chef Baek Jong Won’s recipe cooks the meat by boiling it in water to create the broth, rather than sautéing it, so add the pork directly to the pot.
Step 2
Add 1 tablespoon of salted shrimp (saeujeot). Salted shrimp adds umami and helps remove any gamey smell from the pork. However, since salted shrimp is quite salty, be mindful not to add too much, or your stew might become too salty.
Step 3
Pour in 500ml of fresh water.
Step 4
Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Once it reaches a rolling boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes. This process allows the broth to extract rich flavors from the pork. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface during simmering for a cleaner-tasting soup.
Step 5
Finely chop the kimchi into bite-sized pieces. It’s convenient to chop it directly in the pot with scissors, saving on dishes! Prepare about 3 cups of kimchi, measured by a paper cup.
Step 6
Add 2 tablespoons of red pepper flakes (gochugaru) to give the Kimchi Stew a vibrant, appetizing color. Now, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer until the kimchi becomes tender and soft. Remember, the longer you simmer Kimchi Stew, the deeper its flavor becomes, so allow ample cooking time. If the broth seems to have reduced too much, add a little more water.
Step 7
Finally, season the stew with soy sauce for soup (gukganjang). Using this type of soy sauce provides a clean saltiness without an overly strong or muddled flavor.
Step 8
As the Kimchi Stew is nearing completion, add 1 chopped Cheongyang pepper, if you like a bit of heat, for an extra spicy kick.
Step 9
Your Baek Jong Won-style Pork Kimchi Stew is now ready! You can also add tofu or other ingredients according to your preference for an even richer taste.
Step 10
The key to this recipe is boiling the meat in water instead of sautéing it. This allows the pork’s juices to meld into the broth, resulting in a wonderfully tender texture and a clean, refined flavor. The salted shrimp adds a fantastic depth of umami and also helps to eliminate any porky smell, making it a true secret ingredient!
Step 11
Serve this stew over hot white rice, scooping up the tender pork and well-cooked kimchi together. This is a dish you’ll want to enjoy every day without getting tired of it! See how easy it is to make Baek Jong Won’s Pork Kimchi Stew? Enjoy your delicious homemade Kimchi Stew!
