#kimchi Archives - 3jamigos

Eric Kim’s Grape Tomato “Quick Kimchi” (Rock-Paper-Scissors)

By threejamigos | July 3, 2023 | Comments 0 Comment

Every Sunday I meet up with friends for coffee then we walk to our local farmer’s market to stock up for the week. Every year, like clockwork, when summer is upon us, the following conversation takes place between us…

While Walking Back From the Market…

She who shall not be named Person #1 So, who is going to buy the Granny Cart? I can’t lug any more melons, corn, and peaches. We need wheels. I feel like a Sherpa and my shoulder hurts.

She who shall not be named Person #2 Aren’t you the one on Medicare already? You should get it.

She who shall not be named Person #3 But you’re the one with the watermelon, half flat of strawberries, and 6 ears of corn!

She who shall not be named Person #1 Wait a minute, you’re the one with grandkids, you get it.

She who shall not be named Person #2 I’m the youngest, I’m not getting it.

Needless to say, due to vanity, we are still schlepping our haul in multiple tote bags, occasionally stopping for a breather. This Sunday may have been the breaking point, none of us could resist, so much amazing fruit right now. We loaded up on berries, peaches (Biscuit Berry Peach Cobbler), cantaloupes, (Melon, Prosciutto & Mozzarella with Basil Oil), and watermelons, (Watermelon and Tomato Salad). Somebody has to bite the bullet and get that cart!

Tomatoes Are Coming…Update They’re Here!

And I bought my first baskets of cherry tomatoes of the season today. One of my favorite dishes, especially with the 90-degree weather we are having, is Eric Kim’s Grape Tomato Quick Kimchi. I’m staying away from the stove as much as possible and this dish fits the bill. It’s the perfect way to enjoy those lovely tomatoes.

Side Dish Today…Lunch Tomorrow

Simple to make, the time-consuming part is salting and allowing the tomatoes to drain. Use any variety of cherry tomatoes. The dressing consists of vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, and Gochugaru. Red Boat or Three Crabs, are good choices for fish sauce. Either can be found in any Asian store. Gochugaru is Korean chili powder that can also be found in most Asian stores. Your best bet would be a Korean market or online. If you can’t find it feel free to substitute with chili flakes (1/4 tsp or to taste) or Aleppo pepper powder (1:1). Toasted sesame oil provides a nutty, sweet finish to the dressing.

Serve it as a salad or side dish, like Banchan, it goes well with any kind of meal. I make a big batch so I have extra for an easy lunch the next day. Just cook up some pasta, either ramen noodles or Angel Hair pasta, and toss it with the leftover tomatoes and sauce. The pasta warms the tomatoes and picks up the flavors of the dressing, it’s delicious.

With tomatoes coming into season now and the weather warming up, this easy-to-make dish is perfect.

Grape Tomato ‘Quick Kimchi’

Eric Kim's Quick Tomato Kimchi. Refreshing, easy to prepare banchan using fresh cherry tomatoes is the perfect summer dish

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Korean-American

Keyword Banchan, cherry tomatoes, Cold Noodles with Tomatoes, grape tomatoes

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 5

Ingredients

Tomatoes

1 pound grape tomatoes (or any ripe cherry tomato) about 2 to 3 cups, halved lengthwise
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Banchan Dressing

2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar substitute with rice vinegar
½ teaspoon finely grated garlic
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sesame oil Toasted sesame oil like Kadoya
1 tablespoon gochugaru powder of flakes
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Garnish

Thinly sliced scallions chopped chives, or cilantro or flat-leaf parsley leaves for garnish (optional)

Instructions

In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes with the salt, transfer to a colander, and let drain about 30 minutes. In the same bowl, add vinegar and garlic and set aside.
After 30 minutes, add the sesame oil, gochugaru, fish sauce and sugar to bowl with the vinegar and garlic and whisk to combine. Pat the tomatoes dry, then add the tomatoes to the dressing and toss until well coated.
Garnish with the optional herbs before serving. This is best eaten right away, but can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
Make this for banchan for dinner and use any remaining as a pasta sauce the next day. It is delicious with somen noodles. Cook as directed. Add tomatoes to hot noods and mix. Serve immediately.

Mandu-Welcome to MDU-Marvel-ous Dumpling Universe

By threejamigos | February 24, 2021 | Comments 0 Comment

I love dumplings, right up there with bowl food, soul food. In my world, Jeopardy has a couple of categories including “Things You Eat with a BOWL and SPOON” and “Dumplings of the World”. It seems every culture has a dumpling that defines comfort, soul food. Ravioli, Momos, Mandu, Gyoza, Pelmeni, Pierogi…the list is endless. Dumplings are a labor of love, and labor-intensive. Maybe that’s why dumpling making is a joint effort with family and friends on occasions that bring us all together. Despite Covid, we did manage to have a small dumpling-making session to usher in the Lunar Year of the Ox (immediate family only and outside).

Bittersweet Gathering

Every year for the past too many to count years I look forward to New Year’s Day celebrations with family and friends. I pack up a tray of holiday cookies and head to my brother’s for their annual New Year’s celebration which includes making mandu of course.

The kitchen table is set up with bowls (more like vats) of mandu filling and stacks of wrappers surrounding the bowls. Everyone takes a shift wrapping mandu. It’s a lively table, as everyone chatters away while folding mandu. The folded mandu are lined on trays sprinkled with cornstarch, like little sentinels waiting for their marching orders on a winter’s day. Some are destined for the pot of boiling water on the stove-immediate gratification, while the rest are loaded into freezer containers for everyone to take home.

I look forward to seeing family and friends that I don’t see very often. We pick up right where we left off the previous year. Catching up on the comings and goings, the kids, vacation highlights, reconnecting as if it were only yesterday we last saw each other. This is what I miss most from this past holiday season due to COVID isolation.

My brother canceled their annual New Year’s Day celebration due to COVID and then my sister-in-law’s mother passed away. It was during the holidays we would normally see her. My kids affectionately called her Halmoni (grandmother in Korean) mimicking their cousins. Born in Seoul, she came here to complete her medical training to be a pediatrician. She was part of a generation of remarkable woman that defied the odds and norms of her time. What I will remember most was her kindness and generosity of spirit. She always greeted you with a warm embrace and a beautiful smile. Her soft-spoken demeanor and gentleness belied the tenacity and determination she must have had to accomplish all that she did.

I thought of her as I prepped the filling for our own little New Year’s Dumpling-making session. I was immediately transported to my brother’s kitchen table, sitting with her and my mom, laughing, talking, and of course, wrapping mandu. She will be sorely missed.

We made two fillings, Mom’s Won Tons and Kimchi Mandu in the morning before our designated wrappers arrived (my kid). I started with mom’s tried and true wonton filling, a delicious mixture of shrimp, pork, water chestnuts, scallions, shiitake mushrooms, and seasonings. We use it not only for wontons but for fried egg dumplings, and as a filling for steamed squash or tofu. Skip the wonton wrapper and make meatballs for a tasty addition to soup or congee. Mom’s universal filling, the best.

I adapted the recipe for Kimchi Mandu from Korean Bapsang (my go-to Korean food site). I wanted a vegetable-centric filling that still had a bit of meat in it. This one was perfect. Not gonna lie, the filling is not a walk in the park and requires time to make. My advice is to make the mandu filling the day before.

For Kimchi Mandu, you will need the following: Firm tofu, dried sweet potato noodles, ground beef or pork or combo, onions, scallions, kimchi, bean sprouts and seasonings. Gather the ingredients and then the “fun” begins. Blanch bean sprouts, drain & smoosh tofu, rehydrate & cut noodles, dice green & yellow onions, mince ginger and garlic, shred kimchi and THEN, add to meat.

WHEW, lots of prep but so WORTH IT. Wontons and mandu freeze beautifully so all this work will give you a freezer full of quick, last-minute, delicious meals.

Folding Mandu in the Cartoon Universe

That’s a Wrap

Most of the time (and I mean MOST), we use commercial wrappers for our dumplings. Look for round wrappers for potstickers or mandu at Asian markets. A link to the Oregonian shows 6 ways to fold dumplings! If you are feeling ambitious do try to make your own. It’s pretty easy and requires only 4 ingredients. The wrappers are flavorful, tender with a nice snap like hand-pulled or knife-cut noodles. Totally worth the effort (homemade wrappers get the “nood” here).

Serve mandu, steamed with a dipping sauce, fried, or boiled. A steaming hot bowl of Galbitang (Beef Short Rib Soup) with mandu and rice cakes ushered in the new year for us. Delish!

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Kimchi Mandu (Kimchi Dumplings)

Delicious dumplings made with ground pork or beef, kimchi, noodles, tofu and onions.

Course Appetizer, One dish meals, Soup

Cuisine Asian

Keyword dumplings, mandu

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 15

Ingredients

Filling:

2 ounces dangmyeon sweet potato starch noodles soaked in warm water for about 30 min or until soft
1 cup packed finely chopped kimchi
8 ounces tofu firm
10 ounces mung bean sprouts sukju namul (숙주나물)
1/2 medium yellow onion minced
2 to 3 scallions diced, or use garlic chives
10 ounces ground pork or beef or blend of both meats

Seasonings for Filling:

1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger or juiced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon gochugaru adjust to taste
salt to taste about 1/4 teaspoon
pepper to taste about 1/8 teaspoon

Wrappers

40 dumpling wrappers slightly thick

Instructions

Drain and squeeze water out of tofu. Using a cheesecloth or kitchen towel to squeeze water out.
Finely chop the kimchi and squeeze out excess liquid by hand. Use older kimchi which has more flavor.
Blanch the bean sprouts in boiling salted water (2-3 min) should still be crisp, drain, chop and squeeze out water.
Finely chop the noodles. Finely chop the onions and drain off excess water. Finely chop the scallions or garlic chives.
Combine all the filling ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well by hand. Stir in one direction to filling feels a littlle sticky.
Place one heaping teaspoonful to a tablespoon of the filling on a wrapper. Wet the edges of the wrapper with water or egg wash and seal tightly, push the air out with your fingers. shape into a half-moon shape. Then, bring the two ends together, apply water or egg wash to one end and press tightly to create a round shape. Repeat this process until all the filling/wrappers are used.
Kimchi mandu can be steamed for about 10 minutes in a steamer (12 minutes if frozen). Make sure to line the steamer with parchment paper or cabbage leaves to prevent mandu from sticking. You can also boil the mandu. Place dumplings in boiling water, bring it back to boil, adjust heat so it keeps a nice boil. When the dumplings float to the surface they are almost ready, boil another 30 seconds and remove from pot.
Note, you can cook a tablespoon of filling by boiling or frying to taste for seasonings.

Notes

Tips for freezing: Freeze the dumplings on a tray with the pieces not touching for about an hour, and then store them in a freezer bag.

Everybody Have Jjigae Tonight (Kimchi Jjiggae-Korean Kimchi Tofu Soup)

By threejamigos | March 9, 2020 | Comments 0 Comment

Y’all know I love soup, right? I have about a dozen recipes for different soups on 3jamigos and now I am adding one more, Kimchi Jjigae or Kimchi Tofu Soup. It is easy to make, super delicious and something a little different. It’s a hearty soup with lots of yummy stuff. Along with kimchi, the soup has beef, or pork, tofu, mushrooms, onions, cabbage, basically, anything your little heart desires. Jamie and I collaborated on this recipe (she made it, I ate it). It is a mash-up of various recipes we found online. If you like Korean food and would like to try making it at home, there are some really good blogs and Instagrammers you can check out, Korean Bapsang, and My Korean Kitchen. Instagrammer @Christy_l_kitchen’s video for kimchi tofu soup served as ground zero for Jamie’s delicious soup.

First, let’s run through the ingredients for Kimchi Jjigae. If you live in the Bay Area, it will be easy to find the ingredients for this tasty pot. Actually, any major metropolitan area probably has an Asian market and there are online sources. (Or call me, happy to take anyone Asian food shopping) Once you have assembled the ingredients, putting the soup together is a SNAP.

Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start…

Kimchi, or fermented cabbage, is essential to the soup. It is the cornerstone of the soup providing umami, texture, and spice. Asian stores and larger supermarkets often carry Kimchi in their cold boxes. My favorite brands are Ocinet and Im Soon Ja. Use the one you like.

Tofu-made from soybean comes in various densities from super soft to extra firm. Normally, SoonDubu Jjigae uses a very soft “silken” tofu. PERFECTLY acceptable to use firmer tofu if you like. Tofu in tubes by Pulmone is a great choice. Kithcn has a nice primer on tofu that helps sort out the different varieties.

For protein, we used pork belly but again you can substitute beef or seafood such as shrimp or clams. Mushrooms are amazing and if you pull out the protein, the perfect vegetarian version. Jamie added King Mushrooms (pictured) and Enoki Mushrooms (teeny tiny mushrooms), very tasty.

Gochugaru, Korean red pepper adds sweet, spicy, fruity, smoky-irreplaceable, look for it at Korean markets or online. I like to use Gochujang (spicy sweet chili paste) along with the powder.

The soup can be made with water but if you want depth of flavor, use stock. Traditionally an anchovy stock is used but we improvised by using a Japanese Shiro Dashi (fish-based stock) concentrate which I love. In a pinch use chicken broth or a mushroom broth. The recipe calls for 1 cup of liquid, I LOVE soup so I usually increase the amount of liquid 1.5-2 cups. If you do too, taste for seasoning, you may want to increase the chili powder.

There you have it, all the ingredients for a pot of yumminess.

The hard part is over! It’s downhill from here. Saute’ your onions and pork, add kimchi and seasonings, stock, shrooms, and then the tofu. Top with green onions, Badda bing Badda boom, done. Just a couple of minutes of work and dinner is served! Koreans have a special little pot to cook Tofu Soup in, it retains heat, when you bring it to the table the soup is still bubbling furiously. Drop a raw egg in and let it cook in the piping hot broth. We don’t have a special pot so we dropped the egg on top before taking the saucepan off the stove.

Variations on a Jjigae theme. Did I mention we threw in mandu for good measure? Because who doesn’t love dumplings! To increase the veggie content without adding more kimchi, add sliced fresh cabbage or more mushrooms.

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Korean Tofu Soup Kimchi Jjigae

Korean comfort food, Soondubu Jjigae or Tofu Soup. Tofu, pork, beef or seafood and Kimchi are the building blocks for this delicious, easy to make soup.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Asian

Keyword kimchij jigae, tofu soup

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Ingredients

1/4 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced pork belly or beef can sub seafood, shrimp or clams.
1/2-3/4 cup thinly sliced kimchi
2-3 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced or enoki mushrooms, 1 small pkg
1-2 T red chili pepper flakes gochugaru add more for a spicier stew
1 T Gochujang (chili paste)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil use a little more if using more gochugaru
10 ounces soondubu extra soft/silken tofu, 1/2 carton of tofu
1 cup anchovy broth can use water, dashi or chicken broth
1/2-1 T soy sauce
2 to 3 tablespoons juice from kimchi
pinch black pepper, dash of salt
2 scallions divide white and green parts, finely chopped, add white part to yellow onion mix saute', reserve green part for garnish
1 egg

Instructions

Heat 1 tsp oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add diced onion, scallions (white part) and pork or . Stir-fry until the meat is almost cooked, 3 - 4 minutes.
Add the kimchi, chili paste, garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil to pot. Stir to combine and saute for 1-2 minutes.
Pour in broth, juice from the kimchi and pepper flakes. Bring it to a boil, add mushrooms and continue to boil for 3 - 4 minutes.
Add the soft tofu in big chunks. Stir in salt to taste (I rarely add salt), start with 1/4 teaspoon, and black pepper.
Cook for 4 -5 minutes. Add chopped scallions just before removing the pot from the heat.
If desired, crack an egg into the soup to serve while it’s still boiling hot.
Serve with rice.

Notes

Shiro dashi concentrate is seasoned, reduce salt and/or soy sauce if used.

Seoul Satisfying: Bulgogi-Korean Grilled Beef

By threejamigos | November 21, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

Maybe it’s a way to stay connected to my kid who is living in South Korea and teaching English. My current obsessions are K-Dramas and Korean food. I absolutely adore both. My gateway to K-dramas was Amazon (damn you-Jeff Bezos, just kidding). Suffice to say the rom-com genre is alive and well in South Korea. My favorite show is about an immortal who has been searching for his “bride”, the only person who can actually put him out of misery-I know, ironic. It’s called Goblin or Guardian.

My other obsession is Korean food. Korean cuisine is right up my alley-spicy, flavorful tofu soups, pickled vegetables-Kimchi, Korean barbecue, noodles (Japchae), dumplings (mandu), and bap (rice), the cornerstone. When I was a kid I would always unceremoniously dump my bowl of rice into my soup. I’d swish the rice around to let it absorb the flavors of the soup before eating. Now I find myself enjoying Korean Tofu Soups in the same fashion.

Then there is Korean barbecue. Beef, pork, chicken marinated in soy sauce, garlic, sesame, and onions-grilled over charcoal giving the meat that lovely smokiness, so good.

Like Chinese meals, Korean meals are very communal. Dishes are placed in the center of the table to be shared by all. Parents select choice tidbits to place in each child’s bowl. Teens serve their grandparents. Everyone feeds the babies. Chopsticks constantly moving food from plates and bowls and finally to mouths. Eating is such a connection. For Koreans and Chinese we often greet family and friends not with hello but with “have you eaten yet?”.

Bulgogi is thin strips of beef, marinaded, grilled quickly and wrapped in a lettuce leaf. Nestled in the lettuce along with the beef, is a bite of rice, kimchi, and a dab of ssamjang (bean-chili sauce). Think tacos. So delicious. I adapted a recipe for bulgogi I found in Seoul Food Korean Cookbook (Kindle version for 4.99 right now) by Naomi Imatome-Yun.

The marinade starts with the trifecta of Korean seasonings, soy sauce, garlic, and sesame and builds on this with honey, Asian pear and scallions. So much flavor. Most Asian markets generally have pre-cut thin slices of short rib, pork, or chicken, which makes life easy. If you start with a whole piece of meat, toss it in the freezer for a couple of minutes. Makes cutting thin slices a walk in the park.

It’s not always easy to find Asian pears. Use a combination of finely grated apple (Fuji or Honeycrisp are nice) and pineapple juice in place of the Asian pear. Don’t let it marinate in pineapple juice too long as it will break down the meat. Add pineapple juice no more than a couple of hours before cooking.

Red leaf, Boston, or Gem lettuce, are the perfect shape, size, and texture for a bulgogi wrap. Winner winner, bulgogi dinner-sweet, salty, garlicky, and smokey wraps and you can use your hands, just like tacos! Broke da mouth good.

Don’t forget the kimchi!

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Bulgogi

Bulgogi, beef thinly and marinated in soy, garlic, and onions. Served with rice and saamjang, wrapped in lettuce. This classic Korean dish is a sure fire hit with its bold flavors.

Course Main Course, Meat

Cuisine Asian, Korean

Keyword beef, Bulgogi, Grilled

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 5

Marinade time 3

Total Time 20

Servings 4

Ingredients

3 tablespoons chopped garlic CHOPPED, not minced, which would be too much
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons grated Asian pear include juice substitute any apple, fuji or honerycrisp, grated 1/2 and 1/2 pineapple juice
1 tablespoon mirin substitute sake which is not sweet
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
3 scallions finely chopped
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound sirloin steak ribeye or short rib, thinly sliced

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix together the garlic, soy sauce, sugar, honey, pear juice, mirin, sesame oil, scallions, and pepper and stir until the sugar and honey are dissolved.
Add the meat and toss to coat thoroughly with the sauce. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. For tougher cuts of meat, marinate the meat longer.
Grill the beef until well done and caramelized on the outside, about 3 minutes per side. You can also fry the beef in a cast iron pan.
Serve with rice, ssamjang and lettuce leaf. Garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve hot

Notes

TIP: Top sirloin or tenderloin work best, but almost any steak cut will do. The best quality meat will be more tender and will taste the best. Trader Joe's has thinly sliced ribeye that works well.

Adapted from Imatome-Yun, Naomi. Seoul Food Korean Cookbook: Korean Cooking from Kimchi and Bibimbap to Fried Chicken and Bingsoo

Pickled Obsession (Pork and Kimchi)

By threejamigos | July 20, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

My last trip to the Hankook Korean Supermarket, I took the plunge. Yep, finally bit the bullet and bought a BIG jar of Kimchi. No more little pint size containers for me. I didn’t go completely crazy and get the gallon size, although I thought about it for a fleeting moment since it was on sale, lol. I refrained and prudently bought a quart size jar.

The question running through your brain right now, which Kimchi did she buy? Am I right? Lucky for you I did the exhaustive, backbreaking, mentally draining research-so you don’t have to. I stood in the Kimchi section of HMart for an hour, watching which Kimchi customers were buying and then I repeated this at Hankook Market (much to Hubster’s chagrin). I also “interrogated” my friends and forced them to reveal their favorite Kimchi. Okay, I just texted them and they replied, consensus was Ocinet or Tobagi brands were good. So there I was in Hankook Market, upgrading to the quart size jar of Kimchi by Ocinet.

With a large jar of kimchi to consume, I searched for quick and easy Kimchi dishes to try. I scored big time when I found a Pork Belly Kimchi recipe on the blog, Spice the Plate. The kitchen gods were smiling on me, I had sliced pork belly, kimchi and Gochujang in the fridge, didn’t even need to make a grocery run. This dish literally comes together in minutes. While the rice is cooking, you have plenty of time to prep, cook and plate the Pork and Kimchi.

The pork is marinaded in Gochujang, soy sauce and a touch of sugar. While the pork marinades, thinly slice a yellow onion, grab some kimchi and slice the bigger pieces into strips. A couple of minutes of stir-frying, garnish with toasted sesame seeds and green onions to make it pretty, voila’ dinner is served. This pork and kimchi dish hits the spot, spicy with a touch of sweetness from the Gochujang, heat and crunch from the kimchi, and a bit of nuttiness from the sesame oil. This is “party in my mouth” food. Delicious and soooo easy.

I managed to pop a taste in my mouth before heading out for a meeting, pretty yummy. I foolishly thought I’ll have some when I get home. When I got home, the bowl was empty and my kid, a sheepish grin plastered on his face, gave me the two thumbs up. Consolation I guess.

Good thing I bought a big jar of Kimchi. To help you pick your own bottle of pickled goodness, Serious Eats also reviewed Kimchi which you can find here.

Update:

I love this simple, homey dish and it has become part of my regular rotation. Starting with ingredients like kimchi, Japanese curry blocks or Thai Curry pastes are such a boon to homecooks. A flavorful meal in minutes!

Added cellophane or bean thread noodles to this dish to give it even a little more “oomph” without adding more pork. Bean thread noodles are made of mung bean and once cooked are transparent, and are absolute flavor magnets.

A Deep Dive On This Thread

Cellophane Noodles are found in just about every Asian cuisine, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai…you get the picture. The confusion begins with labeling. Bean thread noodles, glass noodles, and vermicelli refer to noodles made of mung bean or sweet potato. BUT the term vermicelli noodles are also used for thin rice noodles. Both come dry and look very similar.

On the left is bean thread noodles made of mung bean. Hydrate them in water and they turn transparent. On the right, once hydrated rice noodles or vermicelli are opaque white. If you have had pho or Pad Thai, the noodles are made of rice. Hawaiian Long Rice (don’t get me started), or Korean Japchae, the noodles are made of mung bean. I could be wrong, but most Cantonese dishes use glass noodles not rice noodles.

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Stir-Fry Pork and Kimchi

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Keyword stir-fry pork and kimchi

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Ingredients

1/2 pound kimchi larger pieces cut into strips
1/2 pound pork belly sliced (or pork shoulder or butt would work also)
1/2 yellow onion thinly sliced
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
Toasted white sesame seeds

Marinade for the pork:

1 tablespoon Korean hot pepper paste Gochujang
1 tablespoon soy sauce Kikkoman is fine
½ teaspoon sugar

Instructions

Marinate the pork with Korean hot pepper paste, soy sauce and sugar for about 10 minutes.
Heat oil over medium high heat, stir-fry the onion for about 3 minutes until soft and browned.
Add the pork and cook for 3-4 minutes until pork loses pinkness.
Add in the kimchi and stir fry for another 2 minutes.
Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle with toasted white sesame seeds and green onions.
Serve with rice

Notes

I had some tteobokki (rice cakes)so I threw those in too. Yummy

Gettin’ Jjigae with Anthony Bourdain (Korean Army Stew)

By threejamigos | June 22, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

Ok. Are you looking at the pic above and thinking WHAAAT? Hot dogs? Spam? Kimchi? VanCamps BAKED Beans? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? It’s like Mom pulling things out of the fridge and the pantry to make dinner… in the 1960s. But stay with me, these are actually the building blocks for Anthony Bourdain’s version of Budae Jjigae or Army Stew. A crazy concoction created during the Korean War when food was scarce and the US Army PX was ground zero for processed foods like SPAM and hot dogs-cheap, available protein. Combined with familiar Korean ingredients, a not so healthy but totally delicious, comforting stew was born.

Anthony Bourdain’s mischevious side was in overdrive when he decided to make this dish for Anderson Cooper. He thoroughly enjoyed watching Anderson squirm as he popped open the can of SPAM, container of kimchi, hot dogs, rice cakes, plopped them in a pan and added a generous dollop of Gochujang or Korean pepper paste on top. Anchovy stock is poured over this bed of deliciousness and set to simmer for 30 minutes. A pack of INSTANT RAMEN is added at the very end. Ten minutes later Bourdain was doing a happy dance while slurping his noodles. So was an amazed Anderson. Catch the episode here, watch it, smile and remember his wicked sense of humor, his intellect and his ability to never take himself too seriously. Then go make your family a pot of Budae Jjigae to fill your tummy, warm your soul and comfort your heart.

This dish is like that bad boy you were always crazy about in high school, knew you should stay away from but just couldn’t. My favorite line in the clip is when he says to Anderson, “it seems so wrong but taste so right, like true love”. Budae Jjigae is right up my alley, processed meats, fermented vegetables, ground meats and instant ramen noodles, yum. I grew up on baloney sandwiches on white bread, Fizzies as the fruit in my lunch, Spaghetti out of a can, thanks to Chef Boyardee, and Friday night Swanson’s TV dinners. In college, I survived on instant ramen and Banquet frozen fried chicken. Those were the days.

Just before serving, place a slice of American cheese right on top so it melts and oozes all over your ramen. That literally takes it over the top. Thank you, David Chang, for that addition.

Tips for your Budae Jjigae

Use Korean instant ramen, my favorite brand, Shin Ramen. If you don’t make Budae Jjigae, at least try the instant noodles. Use the seasoning packet and up your ramen game with an egg cracked into your bowl of noodles (the soup will cook it) and topped with a Kraft single (uh-huh you all know what I am talking about, real cheese food). You end up with a pretty fine bowl of totally unhealthy but ridiculously yummy noodles. To appease your conscious add some veggies, corn, peas, kimchi or shredded lettuce.

If you can find it, use Vienna Sausages (those old enough know EXACTLY what I am talking about, mini hot dogs in a flip top can) in place of hot dogs.

Rice cakes (tokbokki) come either tubular or disc shape, either will work. You can find them at Korean markets, along with kimchi, Gochujang and pepper flakes.

In place of anchovy stock you can use Japanese dashi or broth.

Have plenty of beer on hand to wash it all down and to toast the life of Mr. Bourdain.

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Gettin’ JJigae with Anthony Bourdain (Korean Army Stew)

Ingredients

1 dried shiitake mushroom
4 large dried anchovies heads and guts removed, wrapped in cheesecloth
One 3 × 5-inch sheet dried edible kelp or konmbu Use Japanese dashi in place of anchovy stock
½ teaspoon sea salt
12 ounces SPAM cut into ½-inch- thick slices
1½ cups Napa cabbage kimchi tongbaechu drain
8 ounces sliced Korean rice cakes
1 white onion peeled and thinly sliced
2 scallions white and light green parts, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
3 hot dogs thinly sliced
6-8 ounces ground pork
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons gochujang Korean fermented chili paste
3 tablespoons medium/fine gochugaru ground Korean red pepper he uses a dash only I used about a teaspoon, he did not come close to 3 T in the video...trust me start small
3 tablespoons cheongju Korean rice wineor Chinese rice wine of Sake
3 tablespoons canned baked beans
1 package ramen noodles preferably the Korean brand Shin, seasoning packet discarded

Instructions

To make the anchovy broth, combine the mushroom, anchovies, kelp, 4 cups water, and the salt in a medium, heavy-bottom pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, strain and discard the solids, and set the broth aside.
Place the SPAM, kimchi, rice cakes, onion, scallions, garlic, hot dogs, and pork in small separate piles in a large shallow pot.
Add the soy sauce, gochujang, gochugaru, and cheongju to the pot, then slowly pour in the reserved anchovy kelp broth. Add the baked beans and 1½ cups water. Bring the contents to a steady simmer over high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Cook for about 10 minutes, then add the ramen noodles. Ladle the broth over the noodles to help them break apart. Continue to cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until the noodles are cooked through but still chewy.