Spicy soft tofu stew with kimchi and pork belly

It’s about time for some sizzling, comforting stew, isn’t it? How about sundubu-jjigae? It’s hot, spicy, filling, comforting, delicious, soft tofu stew and has many reasons to be one of the most popular items in Korean restaurants.

I made a video and recipe for sundubu-jjigae seven years ago (!) and it’s been watched over a million times on YouTube (!!). So it was about time for an HD remake and a variation on the recipe, too. That recipe was for seafood sundubu-jjigae, which is my favorite, but since then I’ve learned that kimchi-sundubu-jjigae is more popular. This recipe is is for that version, it’s sundubu-jjigae made with kimchi and pork belly, really hard to go wrong with this dish. Whichever one you choose, you won’t be disappointed. Both are delicious, spicy, and savory, much better than anything you can order at a restaurant.

This recipe serves 1 or two people, but you can double or triple the recipe for more people, and use a large stainless steel or cast iron pot for the cooking. If you want to serve everyone in a ttukbaegi then you’ll need to cook them on multiple burners, just like a restaurant!

Enjoy my recipe, and let me know if you make this! Take a photo and send it to me!

Ingredients (Serves 1 or 2)

• 8 large dried anchovies, heads and guts removed
• 5 ounces of radish, peeled, washed, and sliced thinly
• dried kelp (6 x 4 inch piece)
• 2 tablespoons hot pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• ½ cup pork belly (or any cut of pork: 2.5 ounces), cut into small pieces
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 green onion, chopped
• ½ cup well-fermented kimchi (4 ounces), chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 1 tube of soft tofu (sundubu)
• 1 egg

Directions

Make anchovy kelp stock (myeolchi dasima yuksu):

1. Put dried anchovies, radish, dried kelp, and 4 cups of water in a pot. Cover and boil over medium high heat for 10 minutes until it starts boiling.
2. Reduce the heat to low and boil another 20 minutes
3. Remove from the heat and strain. It will make about 2 cups of stock.
   

Make the spicy paste:

1. Combine the hot pepper flakes and the sesame oil in a small bowl and mix well.

Put it all together:

1. Heat up a 3 cup earthenware pot (ttukbaegi) on the stove over medium high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes. If you use a small heavy pan or pot, it will take less.
2. Add the vegetable oil, onion, and garlic. Stir it with a wooden spoon for 1 minute.
   
3. Add the pork. Stir for 3 minutes until the pork is no longer pink.
   
4. Add kimchi and keep stirring for a minute. Add ½ cup anchovy stock. Cover and cook for 7 minutes over medium heat.
5. Add the salt and the sugar and mix well.
6. Cut the tube of soft tofu into half and squeeze it out into the pot. Gently break up the tofu with a wooden spoon. If you want, add a few tablespoons of stock.
7. Put the hot pepper mixture on top and spread it with the spoon.
   
8. Crack the egg and put it on top, in the center of the stew. Let it bubble and sizzle for 1 minute.

Serve:

1. Sprinkle with the chopped green onion and serve with rice and a few more side dishes.