Hearty Kimchi Jjigae (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Meat

01 - Cut 180 g (0.4 pounds) of pork belly into small chunks, with the skin removed.
02 - 1 tablespoon of sweet rice wine (mirin)
03 - A few dashes of black pepper

→ Kimchi & Others

04 - 3/4 cup of mature kimchi that's been fermenting for 2-3 weeks, trimmed to smaller bits if needed
05 - Thinly slice 1/4 of a small brown onion (30 g / 1 ounce).
06 - Slice 1/2 stalk of small green onions (5 g / 0.2 ounce).
07 - Trim the stems off 2 small shiitake mushrooms (50 g / 1.4 ounces) and slice them thin.
08 - Cut 150 g of firm tofu (5.3 ounces) into even rectangles 1cm thick—or any shape you’d like.
09 - 1 cup of water

→ Jjigae Base

10 - 1 tablespoon of Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
11 - 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
12 - 1 teaspoon of gochujang (Korean chili paste)
13 - 1/4 teaspoon of minced garlic
14 - A few shakes of ground black pepper

# Instructions:

01 - Mix the pork belly with the rice wine and black pepper, then let it sit for 15 minutes.
02 - Cook the kimchi in a frying pan over medium heat till it's tender. If your soup pot is roomy enough, you can soften the kimchi directly in it instead.
03 - Put the seasoned pork at the bottom of your cooking pot first. Then add the onions, mushrooms, kimchi, tofu, water, and all the jjigae base ingredients—except the green onion. (I used a 1-liter clay pot, but you could use an 18cm Staub Cocotte, which also works great. You don’t have to use the pan from earlier if you’re working in a pinch.)
04 - Turn on medium-high heat and bring the pot to a boil. Once it’s bubbling, dial it down to medium and let it cook for another 10 to 15 minutes. Stir the chili sauce and broth together gently a few times so the flavors blend. Occasionally, spoon some liquid over the veggies and meat to coat them evenly.
05 - When the pork is done cooking, toss in the green onion. Give the pot a gentle stir, turn off the stove, and dish it out! Pair it with rice and your go-to Korean sides.

# Notes:

01 - For the richest taste, use kimchi that’s been aging for at least 2-3 weeks.
02 - Clay pots or Staub Cocotte are awesome choices since they keep the heat in and bring out more flavor.
03 - Measurements: 1 tablespoon = 15 ml, 1 cup = 250 ml.

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