Gochujang Jjigae
고추장찌개·(go-chu-jang jji-gae)
Friday Night Jjigae: End-of-Week Comfort Stews
While kimchi jjigae gets all the glory, this unapologetic, thick red chili paste stew is the unsung hero of the Korean home kitchen. The grandmother's secret isn't a rare ingredient, it's technique: never just boil the paste in water. You fry it in rendered pork fat to awaken the heat, hide a spoonful of fermented soybean paste in the base to ground the sweetness, and hit it with raw garlic right before the bowl hits the table. It is fridge-clearing comfort food at its absolute finest.
Ingredients
- well-marbled pork belly or pork shoulder3/4 lb
- toasted sesame oil1 tbsp
- gochujang3 tbsp
- doenjang1 tbsp
- gochugaru1 tbsp
- sugar2 tsp
- Yukon Gold or Russet potato1 med
- green zucchini1 med
- yellow onion1/2 med
- scallions3 med
- jalapeño or serrano peppers2 small
- rice wash water or plain water3 cup
- gukganjang1 1/2 tbsp
- fish sauce1 tbsp
- garlic1 1/2 tbsp
- firm or medium-firm tofu7 oz
- black pepper1 pinch
Method
- 01
Render the pork fat.
Place a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat with the sesame oil and pork. Sauté until the meat browns heavily on the edges and releases a pool of its own fat; do not rush this, as this fat is the essential vehicle for the spices.
- 02
Awaken the chili pastes.
Drop the heat to low so the sugars do not scorch. Add the gochujang, doenjang, gochugaru, sugar, and the white parts of the scallions directly into the hot pork fat. Stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes until a vibrant red chili oil pools at the edges of the meat, cooking off the raw, chalky flavor of the paste.
- 03
Add the potatoes and bring to a boil.
Toss the potato chunks in the red oil for a minute to coat them, then pour in the rice water. Increase the heat to medium-high. Once boiling, stir in the soup soy sauce and fish sauce, cover, drop the heat to a steady simmer, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the potatoes are nearly fork-tender.
- 04
Boil the softer vegetables.
Uncover the pot and add the zucchini and onion. Continue to boil for 5 to 7 minutes until the zucchini is tender but not turning to mush.
- 05
Activate the final aromatics and serve.
Gently tuck the tofu into the stew. Add the jalapeños, scallion greens, and the raw minced garlic. Boil for a final 2 to 3 minutes to warm the tofu, then kill the heat and finish with a heavy crack of black pepper. The sharp, volatile garlic oils will cut right through the rich pork fat and wake up the whole pot.
Notes
Save your rice water.
Using the second or third wash water from short-grain rice is an authentic shortcut. The starch emulsifies the chili oil and water into a cohesive broth. If you don't have it, plain water works fine because the potatoes provide enough natural starch of their own.
Mind your soy sauce.
If you only have standard soy sauce, use just 1 tablespoon and make up the difference with an extra splash of fish sauce or a pinch of kosher salt. Standard soy sauce will make the broth too dark and sweet if overused.
From Cook Korean in America.