Kimchi jjigae with pork belly and tofu

• 250 g skin-on pork bellysliced into 5mm strips
• 300 g aged kimchiroughly chopped, reserve the liquid
• 60 ml kimchi liquidfrom the kimchi jar
• 350 g firm tofucut into 2cm cubes
• 1 tbs gochugaru
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1. 1

   Place the pork belly strips in a cold Dutch oven and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the edges turn golden and crispy, about 5-6 minutes. The pork should sizzle steadily and smell richly porky.

   Tip: Starting in a cold pot helps render the fat slowly so you get crispy, not chewy, pork.

2. 2

   Add the chopped kimchi to the pot with the pork and cook, stirring frequently, until the kimchi darkens slightly and smells deeply funky and caramelized, about 3-4 minutes. The kimchi will absorb some of the pork fat and turn translucent at the edges.

3. 3

   Sprinkle in the gochugaru and stir for 30 seconds until the oil turns a vibrant red and smells toasty and fragrant.

   Tip: If your kimchi is already very spicy, reduce gochugaru to 1 teaspoon.

4. 4

   Pour in 600ml of water and the reserved kimchi liquid. Add the soy sauce and stir to combine. Bring to a boil — you'll see the broth turn a deep reddish-orange and start bubbling vigorously.

5. 5

   Gently nestle the tofu cubes into the stew. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer until the tofu is heated through and the broth has concentrated slightly, about 10 minutes. The stew should maintain a gentle, lazy bubble and the broth will taste punchy and well-rounded.

   Tip: Don't stir too aggressively — you want the tofu to stay in nice cubes rather than crumble.

6. 6

   Remove from heat and drizzle the toasted sesame oil over the surface of the stew. Give it one gentle stir. The sesame oil should hit the hot broth and release a nutty, toasty aroma immediately.

   Tip: Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days and actually tastes better the next day as the flavors deepen. Reheat gently in the same pot over medium-low heat until bubbling.

• Dutch oven (4-liter (4-quart))
• cutting board
• knife

Per serving

Nutritional values are estimates only.