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Kimchi jjim
김치찜 (kimchi jjim): whole leaves of sour kimchi braised with a slab of pork belly
Kimchi jjim is what Korean households make in late winter, when the big batch of kimchi from the autumn kimjang has turned deeply sour and is too strong to eat raw. Whole quarters of the old kimchi are laid over a thick piece of pork belly and braised slowly until the cabbage is silky and the pork is meltingly soft. At the table you snip the pork with scissors and wrap a piece in a kimchi leaf with rice. The usual mistake is using fresh kimchi, which gives a flat, raw-tasting stew; it needs well-fermented, sour kimchi. Chef's tip: add a splash of the kimchi brine near the end if the sauce tastes sweet rather than tangy.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb well-fermented (sour) napa cabbage kimchiin whole quarter-heads
- 1 ⅓ lb skinless pork bellyin 2 thick pieces
- 1 onionthickly sliced
- 5 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- ½ cup kimchi brine
- 3 cups water or anchovy-kelp stock
- 2 spring onionscut into lengths
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Lay the 1 onion over the base of a heavy casserole. Put the 1 ⅓ lb skinless pork belly on top, then cover it with the whole 1 ¾ lb well-fermented (sour) napa cabbage kimchi quarters, leaves left intact.
5 minStep 2: Scatter over the 5 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp Korean chilli flakes (gochugaru) and 1 tsp sugar, drizzle with 1 tbsp sesame oil, then pour in the ½ cup kimchi brine and 3 cups water or anchovy-kelp stock. The liquid should come about two-thirds up the kimchi.
3 minStep 3: Bring to the boil, cover and simmer over a low heat for 70 minutes, spooning the liquid over the top every 20 minutes. Add a little water if it drops below a third of the depth.
70 minStep 4: It is ready when the cabbage is soft and translucent and the pork is tender enough to cut with the edge of a spoon. Pork belly braised this long is well above the safe 160°F.
2 minStep 5: Add the 2 spring onions for the last 2 minutes. Bring the pot to the table, snip the pork and kimchi into pieces with scissors and serve with rice.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 45 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kimchi jjim take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 80 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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