Ingredients
- 1/3 lbs pork belly sliced very thin
- 1/2 small onion sliced
- 1 1/2 C loosely packed kimchi
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/2 C kimchi juice
- 2 C water
- 1/2 tsp dried ginger
- 1 Tbs cooking wine (such as mirin or shaoxing)
- 2 tsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 2 tsp miso or dengjang
- 2 tsp Korean soup soy sauce (or light soy sauce)
- 2 Tbs gochugaru (Korean dried chili flakes) optional
- 8 oz silken tofu sliced into cubes
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 tbs butter
Preparation
Step 1
1. Use the kimchi juice, this is the red liquid that is released from the cabbge as it’s being pickled. Every package will have some at the bottom and you can squeeze the kimchi with your hands to get more.
2. Add miso. I know, this is technically a Japanese ingredient, but it adds an earthy flavour that juxtaposes the tart kimchi nicely. If it makes you feel more authentic, feel free to substitute doenjang, but in tests, I’ve found that doenjang is a little too strong and overwhelms the kimchi.
3. Add butter at the very end. This may sound really odd, but it thickens the soup and gives it a wonderful richness without being greasy. The key is to add it just before serving so it emulsifies in the soup (if you add it too early the milk solids and fat will separate and make the soup oily).
Heat a small laquered cast iron pot (like a Le Creuset) until hot, then add the pork belly and onion. Allow some of the fat to render out of the pork belly, then add the kimchi and garlic. Saute until the mixture is very fragrant, then add the kimchi juice, water, ginger, cooking wine, gochujang, miso and soy sauce, stirring everything together to combine.
Bring to a boil and taste for spiciness. Add as much gochugaru to taste until it’s pleasantly tingly (I usually add about 2 Tbs, but this may be way to much for some people). Add the tofu, turn down the heat to a simmer and let it cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the pork and kimchi are tender.
When you’re ready to serve, add the green onions and butter and give it a quick stir to incorporate. Put a trivet on the table and serve it straight out of the pot along with a bowl of rice.