Delicious Korean Dish / Kimchi-jjigae / Baek Jong-won style / Golden Recipe for Deep Flavor with Pork

If we had to pick just one soul food that absolutely must not be missing from a Korean table, I'm sure it would be kimchi-jjigae. However, isn't it true that many of you have worried because the unique deep and spicy taste you get in restaurants doesn't come through when you boil it at home?

Today, we have prepared a golden recipe for pork kimchi-jjigae full of the know-how of Master Baek Jong-won, the synonym for hand-taste that never fails. By adding just one very simple tip, the taste of the soup becomes on a whole new level, so be sure to follow along for tonight's dinner menu!

Preparing Essential Ingredients (Serves 3-4)

Main Ingredients:

• 3 cups of well-aged, sour kimchi (about 300g),
• 1.5 cups of pork (for jjigae, either shoulder butt or pork belly) (about 150~200g)

Vegetable Ingredients:

• 1 leek,
• 1 green cheongyang chili (or jalapenos),
• 1 red chili,
• 1/2 block of tofu,
• 1/2 onion.

Broth and Seasoning: 

• 4 cups of rice water (or plain water) (about 800ml),
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic,
• 2 tablespoons of red chili flakes (1 tablespoon fine, 1 tablespoon coarse), 
• 1 tablespoon of soup soy sauce,
• 1 tablespoon of salted shrimp,
• a few dried anchovies for broth (optional).

Step-by-Step Cooking Order for Baek Jong-won Pork Kimchi-jjigae

Stage 1 (Making Pork Broth - The Key Point!) 

The most core secret of Baek Jong-won's recipe is 'boiling it deeply in water to make broth', not stir-frying the meat first. Put the prepared pork and 4 cups of rice water in a pot and boil deeply over medium heat. As oil and rich broth are produced from the meat, the basic base of the soup is completed. At this time, if you slightly skim off the light-colored foam that rises to the top, it becomes much cleaner.

Stage 2 (Adding Sour Kimchi and Seasoning)

When the meat broth is sufficiently brewed, add the finely chopped sour kimchi. If the kimchi is too sour, add about 0.5 tablespoons of sugar to capture the sourness, and conversely, if the kimchi is under-ripe, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to revive the sour kimchi feeling. Next, add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of red chili flakes, and 1 tablespoon of soup soy sauce and boil together.

Stage 3 (Capturing Savory Flavor with Salted Shrimp)

Another tip is to add 1 tablespoon of salted shrimp instead of salt to adjust the seasoning. When salted shrimp is added, the unique fresh and deep savory flavor is revived, creating a deep taste that is as good as any restaurant. If you don't have salted shrimp, it is also okay to replace it with 1 tablespoon of anchovy fish sauce or sand lance fish sauce.

Stage 4 (Adding Sub-ingredients and Finishing)

When the stew is boiling and bubbling and the kimchi has calmed down, add the roughly chopped onion and tofu. Finally, put the sliced leek and green cheongyang chili, red chili that will add spicy heat, and boil it down for about 3 to 5 minutes, and perfect Baek Jong-won style pork kimchi-jjigae is complete!

Core Summary of Baek Jong-won's Recipe for Maximizing Flavor

Utilizing Rice Water: If you use rice water instead of plain water, a savory taste like scorched rice water is added, and the ingredients mingle because of the starch.

Boiling Meat First: Boiling the meat first in water to draw out the oil produces a much richer soup taste than stir-frying the meat in oil first and then boiling it.

Seasoning with Salted Shrimp: The key to jjigae seasoning is salted shrimp! It completes a flavor that is clean yet deep.

How about emptying a bowl of warm rice in one go with the Baek Jong-won kimchi-jjigae recipe we informed you of today? You will be able to make the life kimchi-jjigae that the whole family praises with just small changes in order!