Elwood 5566

Key Features: Korean fusion / very healthy / adaptable

Pork Kimchi Jjim

I’ve lived for almost five years with one of Daegu’s best pork kimchi jjim restaurants less than 10 seconds walk from my front door. I very quickly developed a taste for this tasty dish and over the years have managed to gleam a few tips to help me reproduce it. This recipe is best with sour, aged kimchi, indeed the older the better. Even kimchi of a year old and which has started to grow a layer of mold on the top, can be washed clean and used for this truly satisfying and healthy meal.

The best cut of meat for this is pork leg and if you have time to cook on a low heat for an hour or more, you can cut the meat in large chunks about 1.5-2 inches square. My local restaurant cooks the pork, in large chunks, for several hours until it melts in your mouth. For quicker versions you can reduce the cooking time by cutting meat into smaller portions. If this is the case avoid more fatty cuts of meat – such as pork leg.

MY DEFINITIVE RECIPE

1 cup = 180ml. T=tablespoon (15ml), d=dessert spoon (10ml) t=teaspoon (5ml)

This recipe is ideal for one large portion – double ingredients for each additional person

SHOPPING LIST

240 grams pork tenderloin (목살) or front leg (앞다리). If you have time, leg is preferable.

2T Wine

1d Soy Sauce (간장)

1T Sesame oil

1d Sugar

1 cube or 4 cloves of crushed garlic

Half an inch of finely chopped ginger

Half a Spanish onion roughly chopped

Mooli – about same amount as onion, diced, but omit if this is a main component in your kimchi. White turnip is a good substitute.

0.5t of dashida or a stock cube

1t of sesame powder

1T Mild bean paste

1t Red pepper powder

1 cup of Kimchi, sour is preferable

Sesame powder

Sesame seeds and or pine nuts for garnish

3-4 cups of water

See also suggested accompaniments at the bottom of the page.

EQUIPMENT

Ideally as an earthenware pot or ‘ttukbeki’ (뚝배기) or a heavy bottomed sauce pan.

RECIPE

1. MARINADE

Cut the meat into cubes about an inch square. Then, make a marinade with:

2T wine, soy sauce (간장), 1T sesame oil, 1d sugar,1 cube or 4 cloves of crushed garlic, half an inch of finely chopped ginger (7 items)

Put the pork in the marinade and leave from two hours or overnight.

2.  COOKING

In a heavy bottomed pot or Korean earthenware ‘ttukbeki,’ place:

Half a Spanish onion roughly chopped and the same amount of mooli (or white turnip) omitting this if it features in the kimchi. (2 items)

0.5t of dashida or a stock cube and 1t of sesame powder. (2 items)

1T Mild bean paste

1t Red pepper powder

1 cup of Kimchi

Then add the marinade and bring back to the boil, boiling for five minutes before reducing the heat to a simmer for 25 minutes. You will need to add around 1 cup of extra water during simmering. If my meat is cut larger than inch cubes, and if I’m using the more fatty leg meat, I will cook on a low heat for up to an hour – until the meat is at a stage where easily falls apart. Stir occasionally and add extra water to maintain the original level.

Before serving and an extra teaspoon of sesame oil, some sesame seeds and/or pine nuts.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS        

Serve with an accompanying bowl of rice and a selection of side dishes (반찬) and laver bread (김).

ONGOING NOTES:

©努江虎 – 노강호 2012  Creative Commons Licence.