An Korean Stew-easy and spicey. GOOD STUFF!!

[freethought]

I recently found a Korean restaurant in my local area. I must have passed it 100 times without ever noticing it. I've been there a few times and tried some of the Korean soups and stews. I am seriously lovin' it-SPICEY STUFF! Any way my favorite so far is a simple Kim Chee stew that is easy to make, and if you like spicey like I do, this is for you.

Ingredients
olive oil- about 2 tablespoons
1 tspn crushed garlic (Since I am big on garlic, I use triple this amount. Follow your own tastes)
1 lb Kim Chee-drained and liquid set aside
(Up here in the Northeast the supermarkets stock two types of kim chee-one is using regular heads of cabbage and is shredded up like coleslaw-avoid this type if possible. The type you want is the kim chee that uses napa cabbage which looks more like Romaine lettuce or bok choy and is cut into longer 1 in or longer pieces. Most supermarkets I have been to usually have one or the other but rarely both. Try Asian markets as well, they should have it)Note: some larger kim chee pieces may need to be cut up into smaller 1 inch pieces.
1 cup kim chee juice (you can do just fine with less-half this amount may be just fine)
6 oz thinly sliced pork(from an inexpensive pork chop, you can use more or less as you like)
1-2 cups water
8 0z firm or extra firm tofu(again you can use more or less if you like)
4 Scallion stalks cut into 1 in pieces.

Step 1-add olive oil to a deep pot over medium/high heat. Toss in pork and garlic and saute till pork changes color then add drained kim chee. Cook until larger kim chee pieces have softened some. Just a few minutes.

Step 2-Add water and kim chee juice. Just enough water to cover everything. Bring to boil

Step 3- Add tofu and scallions and bring to boil for a few minutes again.

Options-If you want to add more savory flavor, take the pork chop bone and throw it in with the water and kim chee juice and boil it several minutes too extract any flavor. Pull out later and discard
If you're a glutton for punishment add some crushed red pepper flakes for more heat. Just a pinch though. Some soups and stews are often at their best when they have been allowed to sit for a day and there are exceptions with this recipe. Reheat when you want to eat.

Since this stew uses kim chee, sodium levels may be elevated.

I am going to try this same recipe using chicken and later some thin sliced beef to see how they work with it.

Have fun folks!

[yellerpup]

1. Thanks for sharing.

This looks intriguing.

[The empressof all]

2. I'm intrigued by Kim Chee but have never tried it

Is it sour like a spicy kraut? Does anyone in PNW know of a specific brand I should look for. I have access to Central Market and all the other major markets and I sometimes get to the Uwajamaya in Bellevue.

I want to try it but I want the good stuff.

[hippywife]

3. Same here, Empress.

I like spicy but not take-the-top-of-your-head-off spicy. I've always gotten the impression that this was very, very hot so I've never tried it.

[freethought]

8. An actual Korean probably thinks

the Kim Chee in the American supermarkets is wimpy stuff. I don't doubt they like it about as hot as a thermonuclear reactor. Apparently it is a staple over in Asia.

[Warpy]

5. I do the Chinese equivalent

from Barbara Tropp's cookbook. The only difference is that it's fresh cooked and allowed to cool and served as a salad. It's not salted and fermented the way kimchee is.

I make it red hot and always eat it with fire roasted almonds.

[kestrel91316]

6. I made homemade kimchee, thinking I just might like it.

NOPE.

And I LIKE spicy. And kraut. So go figure - maybe I should just use "boughten".

[freethought]

7. Kim Chee is spicy

Kraut is salty, rather briney. Kim Chee uses some salt but it also used spices and chilis. Kim Chee is kind of spice sour but not as salty as kraut. They often describe it as a "living food" for even when it's sitting on the shelf at the market it's still actively fermenting. When you open a jar it bubbles and can give off an odor but this is normal.

I'm not sure what brands you have in your area. All I can say is try to find the napa cabbage type. They usually make it mild, medium and spicy or hot. I always go for hot.

[Warpy]

4. Try it with turkey

I find that I can substitute turkey in a lot of classic Chinese recipes that specify pork. The only alteration I have to make to some recipes is to add a bit of oil to the dim sum fillings or to the final dish to compensate for the lack of fat in turkey meat.

I use white meat for delicately flavored dishes. I'd use a thigh for the above dish.

[freethought]

9. Sounds like good idea

You can back of the fat that pork may bring in. I think that the meat part of the recipe is only to add some savor to the stew. The bulk of it is supposed to be kim chee anyway.

[freethought]

10. For anyone interested, I have tried it with chicken

Follow the same recipe but substitute a chicken breast for pork. Seems to work just as well, flavor is still good. Flavor of the stew is less heavy, lighter but just as spicy. A bit lighter in color but that is neither here nor there.

The very first time I tried the recipe is substituted a low salt chicken broth for water thinking it would add to the flavor. BIG MISTAKE! STICK TO USING WATER! IT WILL EXTRACT PLENTY OF FLAVOR FROM THE MEAT AND/OR ANY BONES THAT YOU MAY THROW IN. DO NOT USE A CANNED BROTH OF ANY KIND!

[freethought]

11. Tried it with beef too. Works just fine! Tastes Good1

I bought some stir fry steak, not much about 5-6 oz worth, cut it up and substituted for pork in the same recipe. Again! Good Stuff! Although, I would suggest being light on the beef, if that is what you use, the flavor is somewhat heavier than pork and definitely heavier than chicken. Given that I would suggest keeping the quantity of beef on the lighter side, 5-7 oz or thereabouts.

Same rules apply, vary the garlic to taste, cut up the tofu in bite size pieces. Again, being a stew, it is at its best if it is allowed to sit overnight and let the flavors blend. But beef, chicken, and pork all seem to work just fine!