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Kimchi jjigae bubbling in a pot with sour kimchi, pork, tofu, and green onion

Easy Kimchi Jjigae With Pork (Korean Kimchi Stew)

A cozy, everyday Korean stew of sour kimchi and tender pork in a quick anchovy-kelp broth. Everything simmers together with the lid on, no frying needed. Add tofu if you like.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 26 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Korean
Calories: 250
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Broth
  • 12 dried anchovies (myeolchi) medium size; remove the dark guts from large ones
  • 2 pieces dried kelp (dashima) about 3 x 3 inches (7 cm) each
Stew
  • 2 cups sour napa cabbage kimchi about 300 g, chopped; homemade, store-bought, or a mix (I use 2/3 homemade + 1/3 store-bought). Pre-cut kimchi is easiest
  • 1/4 cup kimchi juice 60 ml, from the jar
  • 5 to 7 oz pork shoulder or pork ribs 150 to 200 g, bite-size pieces (ribs cut small, bone-in)
  • 1 tbps gochugaru Korean chili flakes; adjust to your kimchi
  • 1 tps garlic minced
  • 1/2 tbsp mirin optional
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • 1/2 tbsp soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang) or regular soy sauce; add to taste
  • salt to taste
  • 1/4 samll onion sliced
  • 1/2 green onion sliced
Optional
  • 1/2 block firm or extra-firm tofu about 7 oz (200 g), thick slices or cubes
  • 1 hot green chili sliced, for more heat

Equipment

  • 1 Medium pot with a lid
  • 1 Fine-mesh strainer
  • 1 Ladle

Method
 

  1. Make the broth. Put the water, anchovies, and kelp in a pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to medium and boil 10 minutes. Strain. You should have about 2¾ cups (650 ml).
  2. Prep. Shake the loose filling off the kimchi and chop it into bite-size pieces. Cut the pork into bite-size pieces. Slice the onion, green onion, and tofu.
  3. Put everything in the pot. Add the pork, kimchi, kimchi juice, garlic, gochugaru, mirin, pepper, and broth to the pot. Cover with the lid.
    Kimchi, pork, kimchi juice, and broth in a pot before simmering
  4. Simmer with the lid on. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower to medium-low and cook 10 minutes, then lower to low and cook 10 minutes more. The kimchi should be soft and slightly translucent, and the pork cooked through with no pink.
  5. Add tofu and season. Add the tofu, if using, and the onion. Taste, then season with soup soy sauce and a pinch of salt as needed. Simmer 2 minutes.
  6. Finish. Add the green onion, bring back to a boil, and serve hot with rice.

Notes

  • Spice level: About 2 out of 3. For milder (1), skip the gochugaru, use half the kimchi juice, and add tofu. For hotter (3), add more gochugaru or a sliced hot green chili.
  • Kimchi: Sour, well-fermented kimchi is the key. Most store-bought kimchi is already a little sour. If yours is fresh, leave it at room temperature until it tastes pleasantly sour (about 2 days in summer, up to a week when it's cool), then refrigerate. Or add 1 teaspoon rice vinegar to the stew.
  • Homemade vs. store-bought: Homemade kimchi alone makes a lighter stew. Store-bought alone tastes bolder. A mix of about 2/3 homemade and 1/3 store-bought is balanced.
  • Too sour? Add a small pinch of sugar.
  • Pork ribs: Simmer about 15 minutes longer in step 4, until the meat is tender and pulls away from the bone.
  • Tuna or Spam: Use instead of pork and add in the last 5 minutes.
  • Vegan option: Use vegan kimchi, a kelp and dried shiitake broth, and extra tofu and mushrooms instead of pork.
  • Storage: Refrigerate within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days. Reheat until boiling.