You’ve probably heard of kimchi jjigae, but less likely of kimchi jjim. They are super similar – pretty much the same thing. Jjigae, however, has a lot of broth and a little less kimchi and meat. Jjim is more like braised kimchi and meat with not that much broth. Jjim is a lot more concentrated on the toppings than the stew.
I like kmichi jjigae and jjim, but never craved it. I think it was too prevalent and easy to find growing up in a Korean community that I tossed it out of my radar when searching for what to eat. I probably hadn’t eaten it in over 10 years. But my fiance absolutely LOVES kimchi jjigae/jjim. It is his favorite food in the world. So in order to win his heart at the start of our relationship, I learned how to make it for the first time. And ohhh shiiiiz it was actually so good!!
So here is the most classic, traditional, beautiful Korean dish in all its glory.
(spot the difference: I took a photo, forgot an ingredient, retook the photo, forgot a different ingredient)
- Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pound (600-700 grams) pork belly
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 Tablespoons cooking wine (mirin or 맛술)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups sliced kimchi
- 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 pack (500 grams) beef bone broth
- 1 pack firm tofu, sliced into 1/2 inch thick pieces (optional)
- 1 green onion, sliced (optional)
- Sauce Ingredients:
- 3 Tablespoons Korean chili powder (gochugaru)
- 2 Tablespoons cooking wine (mirin or 맛술)
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon tuna extract (optional)
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon miso paste
- Recipe:
- boil the pork in water with bay leaves, cooking wine, and black pepper for 10 minutes
- take the pork out and slice into 1/2 inch thick pieces
- heat up the pot on high heat and saute and pork, kimchi, and onions together until the kimchi and onion soften
- mix all the sauce ingredients together
- mix the sauce into the softened kimchi
- pour in the bone broth, and add water until all the kimchi and pork are submerged
- cover and boil for at least 20 minutes
- transfer to a small serving pot
- top with tofu and green onion and bring it to a boil
- turn off heat and serve with rice!
Here it is for the visual learners!
boil the pork in water with bay leaves, cooking wine, and black pepper for 5 minutes
then take the pork out and slice into 1/2 inch thick pieces
heat up the pot on high heat and saute and pork, kimchi, onions, and garlic together until the kimchi and onion soften
mix all the sauce ingredients together
mix the sauce into the softened kimchi
pour in the bone broth, and add water until all the kimchi and pork are submerged
cover and boil for at least 20 minutes
transfer to a small serving pot
top with tofu and green onion and bring it to a boil
turn off heat and serve with rice!
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