Spicy Korean Pork Stew Recipes

GAMJATANG (SPICY PORK BONE STEW)

Steps:

• Soak the bones for an hour or longer in cold water. Change the water half way through if you can. Drain.
• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Drop the bones in. Let it come back to a boil. This will take about 7 to 8 minutes.
• Drain the bones. Wash the bones under running water. Clean the pot. Return the bones back to the pot. Add 8 cups of water, the onion, garlic, ginger and scallion. Bring it to a boil. Continue to boil, uncovered, for 10 minutes over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low. Continue to boil, covered, for 50 minutes to an hour until the meat is tender and the broth is milky.
• Mix the seasoning ingredients well together.
• Bring a medium pot of water to a rapid boil. Blanch the cabbage until the white parts turn soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the cabbage from the pot (keep the hot water to boil the potatoes) and shock in cold water to stop the cooking. Drain and squeeze out water. Cut into 2 to 3-inch lengths.
• Mix the cabbage well with 1 tablespoon of the seasoning.
• Cut the potatoes in half with the skin on. In the pot of water used to blanch the cabbage, boil the potatoes until almost cooked. Peel the potatoes.
• Remove the meat from the broth. Discard the aromatic vegetables, reserving the broth (about 5 cups). Place the bone back in the pot with the broth. Add the cabbage, potatoes, and the remaining seasoning. Boil for about 10 minutes.
• Throw in the perilla leaves and scallion. Add salt and pepper to taste. Boil for an additional couple of minutes, and then add the crushed perilla seeds.

SPICY KOREAN PORK BELLY (JEYUK BOKKEUM)

Steps:

• Marinade: The day before cooking, slice pork belly into bite-size pieces: 2-inch squares, ¼-inch thin. (Note: Cut the pieces thinner than shown in the video.) Set aside. Smash and peel the garlic, then finely chop. Use the flat part of your knife to press down on the garlic to further break it down, then continue to mince. Place in a mixing bowl along with the pork, sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, sake, mirin, and gochujang. Mix the ingredients together and set aside.
• Peel and trim the onion, then slice in half. Cut each half into thin half-moon slices. Place the sliced onions on top of the pork mixture, but do not mix. Cover the bowl with plastic and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
• Garnish: Prior to cooking, trim and discard scallion roots. Fill a bowl with water. Line up scallions in a flat, even layer and use a sharp knife to cut them thinly, employing a slicing motion, not a chopping motion. (Slicing with minimal pressure will keep the scallions bright and vibrant.) Place sliced scallions in water and move around to remove impurities. Drain in a colander, then wrap in a clean towel and squeeze out remaining liquid. Spread scallions on a paper towel-lined plate to further dry while cooking the pork.
• Pork: Remove marinated pork from refrigerator and mix in the onions. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, 1 minute. Add ½ tablespoon oil and continue heating, 30 seconds. Add some of the pork and onion mixture in an even layer, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Lower heat to medium and let the pork cook undisturbed until caramelized on one side, shaking the pan occasionally, 4-5 minutes. Flip meat over and cook the other side, 3-4 more minutes. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining pork in batches. Garnish with scallions and serve with white rice.

SPICY KOREAN PORK STEW

Steps:

• Add 1 tbsp sunflower oil to a large pan over a high heat. Add 500g pork leg to the pan and brown for 3-4 minutes
• Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 finely diced onion and 2 finely diced celery stalks to the pork and cook for 2 minutes
• Cut 3 carrots into thick chunks and add them to the pan along with 2 tbsp gochujang, 1 tbsp doenjang, 1 tbsp gochugaru, 2 tbsp honey3 cloves minced garlic, ¼ tsp pepper and stir through
• Add 500ml chicken stock and 2 tbsp light soy sauce and stir thorough
• Turn down to a low heat and cook with the lid on for 30-40 minutes until the carrots are tender
• Cut 1 red pepper into a large dice and add to the pan, cook uncovered for 10 minutes on a medium/low heat until the sauce has thickened
• Serve with sticky rice

GAMJA-TANG (KOREAN PORK AND POTATO STEW)

Steps:

• For the Gamja-tang: Season ribs on all sides with salt. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of the ribs, meat side down, and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on both sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer browned ribs to a plate and set aside. Repeat browning process with remaining ribs, then let browned ribs rest for 5 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut between ribs to separate into single-rib pieces. Return ribs to plate and set aside.
• Lower heat to medium-low and add onion to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, gochugaru, and doenjang and continue to cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock, fish sauce, and potatoes, and return ribs to pot along with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until potatoes are slightly tender on the exterior but still firm at the center, so that they offer resistance when poked with a paring knife, about 30 minutes.
• Remove lid, stir in daikon radish, and arrange cabbage leaves in an even layer over the surface of the stew to form a lid. Continue to cook, adjusting heat as needed to maintain a simmer, until potatoes are fully cooked through, offering little resistance when poked with a paring knife, and daikon is just tender, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, grind perilla seeds into a coarse powder. Set aside 2 teaspoons of the crushed perilla seeds and, once potatoes are cooked through, add the rest to the stew. Gently stir to incorporate perilla seeds and cabbage leaves into the stew.
• Continue to cook until meat on ribs is fully tender, offering minimal resistance when poked with a paring knife, and potatoes have begun to break down slightly, thickening the stew, about 20 minutes longer. Season with salt to taste.
• For Serving: Divide stew between individual serving bowls, topping each portion with scallions, perilla leaves, chile (if using), and sliced cabbage core. Serve immediately.