Spicy and Hearty Aged Kimchi Stew with Pork
How to Make Delicious Aged Kimchi Stew with Pork Shoulder
When you don’t have many side dishes, cut the pork into large chunks, stir-fry them with aged kimchi, and then simmer it until tender. This makes a delicious aged kimchi stew! The fantastic combination of pork and deeply fermented kimchi will captivate everyone’s taste buds. It’s the perfect choice when you’re short on side dishes!
Main Ingredients- 1/2 head of well-fermented aged kimchi (approx. 800g)
- 800g pork shoulder (or preferred cut)
- 1 stalk of green onion
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s prepare a rich and flavorful broth. Pour 1 liter of water into a pot and add a handful of dried anchovies. Once the water starts boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes to extract the anchovy broth. If you want to remove any fishy smell, you can remove the anchovies once the water boils, rinse them, and then put them back in to boil.
Step 2
Once the anchovy broth has sufficiently infused, use a sieve or strainer to remove all the anchovies, leaving you with a clear broth.
Step 3
Take out half a head of aged kimchi and prepare it for the stew. (The kimchi in the photo is a smaller variety called Gangwon-do peanut cabbage, so adjust the amount if using regular kimchi.)
Step 4
Trim off the tough core of the aged kimchi. You can either cut the kimchi in half, leave it whole after trimming the core, or cut it into bite-sized pieces as you prefer.
Step 5
Now, let’s start stir-frying. Heat 2 tablespoons of perilla oil in the pot. Add the large chunks of pork shoulder, 1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic, 3 tablespoons of cooking wine, and 2 tablespoons of gochugaru.
Step 6
It’s best to cut the pork shoulder into large, fist-sized pieces for a satisfying chew. (For this kimchi stew, you don’t have to use pork shoulder; other cuts with some fat, like pork belly or neck, will also be delicious!)
Step 7
Stir-fry over medium-high heat, using a spatula to ensure the seasonings coat the pork evenly. Continue stir-frying until the surface of the meat is cooked and has a nice sheen.
Step 8
Once the pork is well-coated with the seasonings and stir-fried, add all the prepared aged kimchi and stir-fry together. It’s important to keep stirring to prevent the kimchi from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Step 9
After stir-frying the kimchi and pork together until well combined, pour in the 800ml of prepared anchovy broth. The broth should almost cover the ingredients.
Step 10
Finally, add 1/2 tablespoon of salt to season and stir well to combine. (Adjust the salt amount based on the saltiness of your aged kimchi.)
Step 11
Now, cover the pot tightly and reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer gently for at least 30 minutes, or until the aged kimchi becomes tender and the pork is thoroughly cooked. Simmering slowly will deepen the flavors.
Step 12
Check if the pork is tender. Then, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and simmer for another 5-10 minutes to infuse the flavor of the garlic. The ingredients will meld together, creating an even richer taste.
Step 13
When the kimchi stew is bubbling vigorously, add the sliced green onion generously and stir briefly before turning off the heat. The fragrant green onion will enhance the spicy and deep flavors of the aged kimchi stew. Enjoy it with a hot bowl of rice!
