깍두기– Kkakdugi (Kkak-du-gi/Kkaktugi) Cubed Radish Kimchi

January 2, 2012 § 5 Comments

Can you think of a better way to start off the new year than with a huge batch of delicious, spicy cubed radish kimchi (kkakdugi)?

I can’t.

🙂

Now that I have the green light to reintroduce spicy foods back into my post-cleanse diet, I am so excited to share this delicious kimchi recipe with you. For me, this is easier to make than regular kimchi, as the marinade/sauce is super-simple and the process is much less time-consuming. And did I mention that it is outrageously tasty?

Oh, and the prep-cooking-time takes only around 1 hour. (That one was for you, superspy.)

Notes:

1. Please don’t be frightened to use salted shrimp, they’re really quite delicious and I call them Asian Anchovies. And, they will practically dissolve in the liquid the kkakdugi will give off during the fermentation process, so no need to fear!

2. Try to use sweet rice flour, I recommend Mochiko. Of course, I didn’t have any at home so I ground up some rinsed and dried sweet rice into a powder and it worked just fine.

3. If your spice-tolerance is not quite Cozybogie-level, feel free to use 1 cup of red chili powder.

4. This tastes especially amazing with a hearty-meaty soup, like my ox-tail gori gom-tang. 

깍두기– Kkakdugi (Kkak-du-gi/Kkaktugi) Cubed Radish Kimchi

Ingredients

  • 8-9 lbs Korean radish (around 3 medium-large radish)
  • 1/2 cup VERY coarse sea salt
  • 2 tbsp sweet rice flour
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 4 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 tsp grated ginger
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp salted shrimp
  • 1 1/4 cup Korean red chili powder (must be Korean gochukaru)
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 8-9 green onion stalks, cut into 1.5 inch pieces

Directions

  1. Clean, peel and dice your radish into cubes. I like my radish cubes to be on the smaller side (around 1.5 times bigger than a game-dice) but feel free to cube them however you’d like (but I would keep them MAX 1.5 inch cubes).
  2. In a HUGE metal bowl, sprinkle 1/2 cup of the coarse sea salt and using kitchen gloves, mix well so that all of the radish are coated evenly with the salt. Marinate for 30 minutes.
  3. While the radish is being salted, assemble your marinade ingredients. First, mix the sweet rice flour with the water and microwave it for around one minute, and then stirring well to mix, and microwaving it for an additional 20 seconds. You should have a nice paste. Set aside and cool completely.
  4. In another bowl, assemble the rest of your marinade – garlic, ginger, fish sauce, salted shrimp, sugar, and gochukaru. Mix gently, and then when the sweet rice paste is cooled, mix all of the ingredients together until it forms a nice paste.
  5. Carefully drain the radish from the liquid it has given off, and rinse half of the radish with water and drain. Add it back to the bowl with all of the radish (there should be no liquid) and add the sauce.
  6. Using the kitchen gloves, carefully mix all of the radish so that every piece is coated generously with the sauce. Add the green onion and toss a few more times, and then transfer the mixture into air-tight containers.
  7. If you want your kkakdugi to last longer, refrigerate immediately and taste in 6-7 days, if you can’t wait to eat it, leave it out in room-temperature for 1-2 days and then refrigerate and try it 2 days after. It will take a couple weeks for the flavor to fully-develop, but if you are like me and can’t wait, waiting one week is fine for some fresher-tasting kkakdugi!
  8. Hope you enjoy!

Kimchi Jjigae 김치찌개

October 18, 2011 § 3 Comments

There are a million different ways to make Kimchi Jjigae 김치찌개, and I think I’ve tried about 999,999 of them. 🙂 THIS, however, is the most foolproof, most simple, most delicious kimchi jigae ever, and I really hope you try it since it’s the easiest thing to make.

Notes:

1. You can use either pork or beef, but pork definitely imparts a more velvety-flavor that goes hand in hand with kimchi. Mmm….

2. Pork belly is also great for this, but perhaps a little more fatty (is this a bad thing?)

3. If you are using the last of your kimchi, don’t just throw away the jar! Pour some water in there and pour the little juices/spices into the stew. The more flavor, the better.

4. Must eat with rice.

5. Feel free to add tofu or vermicelli noodles!

Kimchi Jigae Recipe – Kimchi Stew

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp vegetable/canola oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 lb pork belly, loin, or rib, sliced thinly
  • 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 4 cups ripe kimchi
  • 3 1/2 cups water (use around 2-3 tbsp kimchi juice from container)

Directions

  1. Heat oil in heavy-pot on medium-high.  Add sliced pork, salt, and pepper and saute until nice and golden, 3~4 minutes.
  2. Add 4 cups of ripe kimchi to the pot and stir-fry with the pork around 5 minutes.
  3. Add 3 1/2~4 cups of water (or until kimchi and pork are JUST covered) and simmer on medium heat, covered, for 40-45 minutes.
  4. ENJOY!!

Kalbi Jjim – Korean Braised Short Ribs with Radish and Carrots

October 16, 2011 § 4 Comments

Dear Korean Food,

I love you.

Love,

Stephanie

Kalbi jjim, galbi jjim, any way they’re spelled, these Korean-style braised short ribs are perfect. With only just a few ingredients and around two hours, you will end up with a foolproof, delicious, and impressive meal. This entry is for you my little Bobo 🙂 And thank you, chapster, for all of your help.

Notes:

1. When reserving the beef broth, make sure you discard all the foam and impurities in the broth.

2. Make sure you rinse the ribs really well and drain fully to get most of the tiny bone fragments out.

3. Cook covered for the first hour and half, on medium low heat, and then after you add the vegetables, uncover and cook on medium high heat for the last thirty minutes to reduce some of the sauce.

4. Many people like putting potatoes in, and up to a couple years ago, so did I! But, I found that the broth is much cleaner, light, and more consomme-esque without potatoes but for a heartier meal, feel free to put some in.

Kalbi Jjim Recipe – Korean braised short rib

Ingredients

  • 5-6 lbs thick English-cut short rib, also called “Beef short rib for soup”
  • 8 cups boiling water
  • 3/4 cup of soy sauce
  • 7 tbsp brown sugar
  • 6 tbsp mirin rice wine
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 16 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1/ tsp black pepper
  • 1 large onion or 2 medium onions, sliced thinly
  • ~2 cups Korean radish (moo), cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 3-4 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

Directions

  1. Soak beef ribs in a big bowl, submerged in cold water for 1 hour. Rinse and drain a few times.
  2. Boil 6 cups of water in a big pot, and add the ribs when the water is boiling. Bring to a rapid boil for 10 minutes, and you will see lots of foam and impurities come out. Take off the heat, and then reserve around 4-6 cups of the broth and discard the foam and impurities and fat.
  3. While the beef is boiling, mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl: soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine, sesame oil, garlic, sesame seeds, and black pepper.
  4. Wash the pot well and put the semi-cooked short ribs back to the pot. Turn heat to medium high and add the marinade to the beef, and 4-6 (if you like more sauce, then add the full 6-cups, if you like it more braised and less saucy, 4 cups) cups of the beef broth. Bring to a boil, and then cover and reduce the heat to medium low for an hour and a half, at least (2 hours is better).
  5. Prepare your vegetables, wash and peel the radish and carrots and onions. (My dogs were begging me for some carrot pieces and how could I refuse those cute little faces?) After the beef has been simmering, add the vegetables and mix well into the pot. Keep the pot uncovered and bring the temperature up to medium high and boil for 30 minutes. The liquid should reduce a bit.
  6. Serve with hot rice! Enjoy!

Bulgogi (불고기 Korean Marinated BBQ Beef)

September 9, 2011 § Leave a comment

This is probably one of the most popular Korean dishes and one of the easiest to make.

1. Probably best to marinate for at least 1 hour, overnight is ideal but 1 hour will still be pretty delicious.

2. This can completely be vegetarian-friendly if you make the sauce for some mushrooms, onions, cabbage, whatever vegetables you’d like, and then grill the same way! I like to marinate some of my onions in the sauce. Another quick and easy snack, served with rice!

3. This can be great for a jungol as well, please see my other post!

Stephanie’s Bulgogi Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2.5 – 3 lbs of thinly sliced rib-eye or beef brisket
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 10-15 minced garlic cloves (around 3 heaping tablespoons)
  • 1/4 cup mirin (rice wine)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
  • 3-4 green onions, minced
  • 2 onions, sliced thinly
  • 1 carrot, sliced thinly at an angle * optional
  • mushrooms, sliced thinly * optional
  • 2 hot green peppers, sliced thinly * optional

Directions

  1. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl and taste. If you like your sauces a little sweeter, add a little more honey or sugar to your liking.
  2. Add your beef, onions, and green onion. Toss gently to combine with your hands, that’s the best way. Add other veggies if wanted.
  3. Marinate for at least one hour (up to overnight), and then grill and cook until the beef is cooked through. (Only a few minutes.)
  4. Serve with rice and some kimchi, the best combination.
  5. Enjoy!!

Cucumber Kimchi – 오이 소바기 (O-i Sobagi)

July 29, 2011 § 2 Comments

Cucumber kimchi is certainly one of my favorite types of kimchi. It is also quite easy to make! Win-win.

Notes:

1. Must use Korean cucumber, also called “Kirby” Cucumber.  American cucumbers don’t work for this, as they have different types of skin and seed-structures that make it impossible to make a delicious, crunchy cucumber kimchi.

2. I highly recommend the fish sauce I used for this recipe, it’s the best I’ve found. Fish sauce is a pretty important part of this recipe, don’t skip it!

3. If you have a mandolin to julienne the carrots, do that instead of using a cheese grater.  A cheese grater will work fine, but it’s more tiring and labor-intensive.

Thank you Amy and Julian for being a part of the best cucumber-kimchi-making team with me!

Cucumber Kimchi Recipe – Oi Sobagi 오이 소바기

Adapted from Aeri’s Kitchen

Total preparation and cooking time: 2 hours

Ingredients

  • ~20-25 Kirby cucumbers
  • 1 cup coarse sea salt
  • 10~13 cups of water
  • 2 cups chopped garlic chives
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped green onion
  • 3 carrots, julienned finely
  • 7 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 7 tablespoons water
  • 1 cup gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
  • 10 cloves of garlic, minced finely
  • 1 tbsp minced ginger
  • 2 tbsp white sugar

Directions

  1. Wash and trim your cucumbers. Carefully, use your knife to make two perpendicular slits in each cucumber, creating an “X” shape on top.
  2. In a large pot, boil the water with 1 cup of salt. Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat.
  3. Carefully, pour the boiling salt water over the trimmed and cut cucumbers. Leave for 1 hour.
  4. While the cucumbers are brining, make the sauce.  Chop the chives and green onions, more finely towards the bottom of the stalk and then increasing the size of the pieces up to 1/4 inch towards the top of the stalks. Using a mandolin (BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL OF YOUR FINGERS), julienne the carrots finely. Put green onions, chives, and carrots aside in a big bowl.
  5. In another bowl, add minced garlic, ginger, sugar, fish sauce, water, and gochugaru and mix well.
  6. Add the gochugaru mixture into the chives, carrots, and green onions and mix until well combined.
  7. After the cucumbers have been brining for 1 hour, drain the water and rinse once with cold water.
  8. Using gloves, put about 2 tablespoons of sauce into each cucumber. Carefully open the “X” and stuff the cucumber with the sauce, making sure all four fingers of the cucumber are well coated, as well as the outside of the cucumber.
  9. Place the stuffed cucumbers into a large, airtight container closely together.
  10. Leave overnight at room temperature and then refrigerate.  Depending on how ripened you like your kimchi, you can eat it anywhere from 1 day later and this lasts a few weeks! (If you have enough self-control ;))
YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Enjoy plain or with rice or anything, really. 🙂

Dongchimi (동치미) Radish Kimchi

February 11, 2011 § 8 Comments

Dongchimi is one of the easiest types of kimchi to make, and most delicious.  Traditionally, it is often enjoyed during the winter, but I think due to its refreshing and ice-cold nature, it can be enjoyed all year round.  It is a non-spicy variety of kimchi well-suited for people who like anything pickled, vinegary, and tasty! And this one happens to be vegan.

Dongchimi kimchi is traditionally served in large wedges that are cut into smaller pieces when serving, but I am a glutton for simplicity. So, I cut my radish into slices or little fat french-fry pieces.  For this post, I decided to cut them into the french-fry shape, but you can also leave them as 1/2 inch slices (as the recipe states).

Dongchimi Kimchi

3-4 medium-sized Korean radish, about 6-8 pounds peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 cup coarse sea salt (use 3/4 cup for 8-10 pounds of radish)
2 large onions, quartered
10-12 green onions, cut into 3-inch slices
2 large red jalapeno peppers, tops trimmed and halved (with seeds for added spiciness)
2 large green jalapeno peppers, tops trimmed and halved (with seeds for added spiciness)
Around 40 garlic cloves, tops trimmed and cleaned
1 large Korean pear, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup ginger, peeled and sliced into 1/4-1/2 inch slices
1/4 cup white sugar (if possible, use organic cane sugar)
2 quarts water

Directions

1. Prepare your radish. After you’ve completed slicing, put the pieces into a large bowl and sprinkle 1/2 cup of coarse sea salt over them. Mix thoroughly with your hands, making sure all the radish are coated with a layer of salt, and then let it stand for one hour.

2. While the radish is marinating, prepare the rest of your vegetables, garlic, pear and ginger.

3. After one hour, the radish will have accumulated about a cup and a half of salt water mixture. Drain the radish and reserve the salty liquid to taste later on.

4. Combine the radish and the rest of the vegetables, garlic, pear, and ginger into the large pot or bowl.

5. Mix the sugar with a quart of the water so that it dissolves completely, and then add that to the pot with the radish and vegetables. Then add the rest of the water and stir gently. Taste, and add the salt liquid reserved from the radish according to your taste. I generally use around a cup of the salt liquid mixture back into the pot.

6. Cover the pot or bowl and leave it at room temperature for 2 days. Then, refrigerate immediately and enjoy! The dongchimi will ferment beautifully almost immediately, so it’s up to your personal preference of when to consume. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.  My dad recently told me that it’s best with a thin layer of ice at the top so for all of my fellow New Englanders who have faced this brutal winter, store your jar/pot/etc outside so it can have ice chunks in it!  When in Rome…

I hope you enjoy this!  I like my kimchi really fresh and not too-fermented, so this was perfect for me about 3-4 days after I made it.  It’s all according to taste, so try a little bit every day and see what you like the best.

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