Main Dishes
Pork and kimchi stew
This pork and kimchi stew is just the thing to warm you up on a chilly day. Kimchi tends to be garlicky, gingery, hot and spicy, so taste it before you add the gochujang – you may not need to add so much.
Ingredients
- 750g/1lb 10oz diced pork (shoulder or leg)
- 2 tbsp gochujang (Korean fermented chilli paste)
- 10g/⅓oz dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, thickly sliced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 turnips or 1 small swede, peeled and cut into wedges
- 200g/7oz kimchi
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 250ml/9fl oz chicken stock or water
- bunch spring onions, roughly sliced (including the green parts)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
- steamed rice
- small bunch coriander, leaves separated
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- pinch gochugaru (Korean red chilli powder), or other chilli flakes
Method
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Put the pork in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the gochujang and stir until the pork is completely coated. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes–1 hour.
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Put the mushrooms in a bowl, add warm water to cover and leave to soak for 20–30 minutes.
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Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole. Add the onion, carrot and turnips and fry over a high heat, stirring regularly, until starting to brown. Add the pork and fry until browned all over.
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Drain the mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid, and roughly chop. Add to the casserole. Strain the liquid and add this too, along with the kimchi, soy sauce and chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, until the pork is tender.
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Remove the lid and simmer until the sauce has reduced.
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Add the spring onions and simmer until they start to soften. Serve the stew over steamed rice, garnished with coriander leaves, a sprinkling of sesame seeds and a few chilli flakes.