Korean recipe

Pork kimchi jjigae

Name: Pork kimchi jjigae
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Korean cuisine
Ingredients: 400 g well-fermented napa-cabbage kimchi, cut into 5 cm pieces; 250 g skinless pork belly, sliced 1 cm; 800 ml unsalted anchovy-kelp stock; 120 ml kimchi brine; 300 g firm tofu, cut into 2 cm slabs; 150 g yellow onion, sliced; 30 g scallions, sliced; 15 g garlic, minced; 15 g gochugaru; 15 ml toasted sesame oil; 10 ml Korean soup soy sauce; 5 g granulated sugar

Well-fermented kimchi and pork belly simmer into a tangy, savoury stew with tofu, onion, and a controlled chile heat.

South Korea

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 55 min
Servings: 4

Red pork kimchi stew with tofu and softened napa cabbage — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by foolishmoon2Source page · Original file · CC BY 2.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

400 g
well-fermented napa-cabbage kimchi, cut into 5 cm pieces
250 g
skinless pork belly, sliced 1 cm
800 ml
unsalted anchovy-kelp stock
120 ml
kimchi brine
300 g
firm tofu, cut into 2 cm slabs
150 g
yellow onion, sliced
30 g
scallions, sliced
15 g
garlic, minced
15 g
gochugaru
15 ml
toasted sesame oil
10 ml
Korean soup soy sauce
5 g
granulated sugar

Method

01
Separate kimchi and brine
Measure 400 g kimchi and 120 ml brine separately. Cut the kimchi into 5 cm pieces over a bowl so no juice is lost, and prepare every remaining ingredient before heating the pot.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Render and brown the pork
Heat a heavy pot over medium for 2 minutes, add sesame oil and pork, and cook 5–6 minutes until some fat renders and the edges brown. The pork will finish cooking in the broth.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Fry the kimchi
Add kimchi, garlic, gochugaru, and sugar. Stir over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the cabbage softens and the red oil evenly coats the pork.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Add stock and brine
Pour in 800 ml stock and 120 ml kimchi brine, scraping the browned base. Bring to a full boil over medium-high heat, then lower to an active simmer.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Simmer until pork is tender
Cover slightly ajar and simmer 15 minutes. Check the thickest pork piece reaches at least 71°C and the kimchi stems bend easily but have not dissolved.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Set the onion and tofu
Add onion and lay the tofu slabs on top. Simmer uncovered for 8 minutes, spooning broth over the tofu twice without breaking it.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Adjust once and finish
Taste the broth, then add up to 10 ml soup soy sauce only if needed. Simmer 1 minute, scatter scallions, turn off the heat, and rest 3 minutes before serving from the pot.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Taste only after the main paste or kimchi has simmered; its salt and acidity become clearer in the broth.
Keep a lively simmer, not a violent boil, so the broth concentrates without breaking delicate tofu or vegetables.

Common mistakes

Adding all seasoning before the broth reduces can make the final stew too salty; reserve the last adjustment for the end.
Once soft tofu is added, stir with a spoon only where necessary; repeated stirring turns the stew cloudy and fragmented.

Substitutions

Replace pork belly with 250 g boneless pork shoulder cut to the same thickness; simmer until it also reaches 71°C.
For a fish-free broth, use 800 ml unsalted kelp-shiitake stock; keep the kimchi only if its label is also fish-free.

Storage

Cool within 2 hours and refrigerate airtight for up to 3 days. Reheat to a full simmer and at least 74°C throughout; do not repeatedly cool and reheat the same pot.

Cultural context

Kimchi jjigae is designed for mature, sour kimchi; cooking turns that sharp acidity into a deep broth rather than hiding it.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Korean.food-Kimchi jjigae-01 — Photograph by foolishmoon2; CC BY 2.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Korean recipes

Pork kimchi jjigae

Ingredients

Method

Separate kimchi and brine

Render and brown the pork

Fry the kimchi

Add stock and brine

Simmer until pork is tender

Set the onion and tofu

Adjust once and finish

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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