The Kimchi Jjigae You’ll Cherish Forever
The Kimchi Jjigae You’ll Cherish Forever
Ryoo Soo-young’s ‘Forever Kimchi Jjigae’ Recipe: The Secret to Deep, Rich Flavor
Try making Ryoo Soo-young’s ‘Forever Kimchi Jjigae’ recipe, featured on the TV show ‘Star Chef’. The rich flavor of pork combined with well-fermented kimchi, enhanced by Ryoo Soo-young’s special techniques, creates an unforgettable taste. This detailed guide makes it easy for even beginners to follow.
Kimchi Jjigae Ingredients- Pork shoulder (for stew) 300g
- Soy sauce 2 Tbsp
- Gochugaru (Korean chili powder) 2 Tbsp
- Tofu 1 block
- Onion 1 (medium size)
- Minced garlic 1 Tbsp
- Salted shrimp (saeujeot) 1 tsp
- Chopped green onion 1 Tbsp
- Well-fermented kimchi 1/4 head
- Vinegar 1 Tbsp
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
The star of ‘Forever Kimchi Jjigae’ is the kimchi itself! It’s crucial to use well-fermented, tasty kimchi. As Chef Ryoo Soo-young emphasizes, cut the kimchi into bite-sized pieces. (Tip: Save some kimchi juice; you might use it later!)
Step 2
Prepare one onion and slice it thickly. The natural sweetness of the onion enhances the jjigae’s flavor and helps achieve a deep taste without needing artificial sweeteners.
Step 3
Prepare about 300g of pork shoulder, suitable for boiling pork (suyuk). To make the jjigae hearty, cut the pork into slightly larger than bite-sized pieces, rather than too small.
Step 4
In a thick-bottomed pot, add a generous amount of cooking oil and place the sliced pork in it. Cook over medium heat. (Tip: High heat can burn the pork easily, so be careful. It’s important to start on medium heat to render the fat slowly.)
Step 5
Once the pork is partially browned, add 1 Tbsp of minced garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. As the garlic cooks, add 1 tsp of salted shrimp (saeujeot) and stir-fry to combine its umami flavor with the pork. Saeujeot is one of the secrets to adding depth to kimchi jjigae!
Step 6
Push the pork, now mixed with saeujeot, to one side of the pot. Pour 2 Tbsp of soy sauce into the empty space. Let the soy sauce reduce slightly for about a minute, then mix it with the pork and stir-fry together. (Tip: Reducing the soy sauce first removes its bitterness and leaves only the flavor, making it even more delicious. This is Chef Ryoo Soo-young’s second key secret.)
Step 7
After stir-frying the pork with soy sauce, add 2 Tbsp of gochugaru (Korean chili powder) and mix evenly. Stir-fry thoroughly to extract plenty of chili oil. (Tip: If your pork has very little fat, you can add about 1 Tbsp of chili oil at this stage for a richer flavor. This is Chef Ryoo Soo-young’s third key point – extracting chili oil.)
Step 8
Once the gochugaru and pork are well combined and the chili oil has rendered, turn off the heat briefly and add 1 liter of water for the stew. (This step ensures the delicious chili oil from the fried pork and gochugaru fully infuses.) Turn the heat back to high and add the sliced onions.
Step 9
When the stew starts boiling vigorously, add the pre-cut kimchi. Chef Ryoo Soo-young added half a cup of kimchi juice here, but I skipped it to taste the stew later. (Tip: If the kimchi itself is flavorful and seasoned enough, you can achieve a deep taste without added kimchi juice. It’s recommended to add it as needed after tasting.)
Step 10
Cover the pot and simmer on medium heat for over 20 minutes, then reduce to low heat and simmer for another 20 minutes, for a total of about 50 minutes. This long simmering time will make the kimchi very soft and tender, and the pork incredibly tender, creating a stew that tastes like a well-made braised kimchi dish. (Tip: If you prefer a brothier stew, add about half a cup more water. Even without adding kimchi juice initially, the flavor will be sufficiently deep, so adjust the liquid based on taste.)
Step 11
Once the kimchi and pork are well-cooked, add the tofu cut into bite-sized pieces. Simmer for a little longer after adding the tofu, allowing it to absorb the delicious broth.
Step 12
Now it’s almost done! A characteristic of Chef Ryoo Soo-young’s recipe is adding 1 Tbsp of vinegar at the end. I was worried about a vinegary smell, but it actually removed any gaminess and added a clean finish. Don’t be afraid to try it!
Step 13
And here it is, the completed ‘Forever Kimchi Jjigae’ by Ryoo Soo-young, ‘Eonam Seonsaeng’! Chef Ryoo Soo-young suggested seasoning with salt at the end, but I found the soy sauce and saeujeot provided enough seasoning, so I didn’t add any extra salt. (Tip: To taste, if it’s too bland, add a tiny bit of salt or more saeujeot brine.)
Step 14
I’m truly amazed at how such a delicious recipe was developed! The process of thoroughly rendering chili oil and stir-frying the pork with saeujeot and soy sauce to build flavor seems to be the real secret to this ‘Forever Kimchi Jjigae’. Once you taste it, you won’t forget it!
