Rich Pork Jjageuli (Thick Spicy Pork Stew)
A stew where pork and potatoes are stir-fried with seasonings and simmered down until thick, making it perfect for mixing into rice.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This stew begins by stir-frying seasoned pork in green-onion-infused oil to eliminate any gaminess before simmering. The sweet and spicy gochujang sauce pairs wonderfully with tender potatoes and tofu, making it great for spooning over rice. It is an easy way to use up leftover vegetables or meat for 2 to 3 servings.
- Servings
- 2–3 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Pork200 g
- Tofu100 g
- Potato1
- Onion1/2
- Large green onion (daepa)1/2 stalk
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)1
- Water2 1/2 cups
- Broth tablet (or anchovy broth)2 tablets
Meat marinade
- Soy sauce1 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Minced ginger1/2 tsp
Jjageuli seasoning
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)2 tbsp
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)1 tbsp
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) (or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang))1 tbsp
- Sand lance fish sauce (or dried anchovies)1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Green plum syrup (maesil-cheong)1 tbsp
- Ground black peppera little
- The original recipe calls for pork shoulder, but I had 200g of pork front leg meat on hand, and I will also add a little bit of leftover tofu.
- Zucchini, mushrooms, or eggplant are also great additions to jjageuli.
- Instead of pork, Spam or canned tuna is delicious, and I also really like making it with squid.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
The original recipe calls for pork shoulder, but I had 200g of pork front leg meat on hand, and I will also add a little bit of leftover tofu.
Here are the potato, onion, large green onion, and Cheongyang chili pepper.
Zucchini, mushrooms, or eggplant are also great additions to jjageuli.
Cut the ingredients
Cut the pork, tofu, potato, and onion into spoon-sized bite pieces.
Thinly slice the large green onion and Cheongyang chili pepper.
Make the seasoning sauce
Add all the jjageuli seasoning ingredients—2 tbsp gochugaru, 1 tbsp gochujang, 1 tbsp regular soy sauce, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp green plum syrup, and a pinch of ground black pepper—and mix well to combine. The original recipe uses both sugar and green plum syrup, but I omitted the sugar.
Stir-fry the ingredients
Heat a pan with a little oil, add half of the onion and large green onion, and once the aroma rises, add the pork.
Season with 1 tbsp regular soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, and 1/2 tsp minced ginger, then stir-fry until the meat is cooked through.
Add the potato and seasoning sauce...
Mix well and stir-fry briefly.
Simmer
Add 2 1/2 cups water and 1 broth tablet (or anchovy broth). Once it comes to a rolling boil, simmer gently for 5 minutes so the ingredients and seasoning blend well together.
Once it simmers down thick, finish by adding the tofu and the remaining onion, large green onion, and chili pepper, and bring it to a brief boil.
Finish
Jjageuli is a wonderful dish for clearing out the fridge.
Instead of pork, Spam or canned tuna is delicious, and I also really like making it with squid.
You can make it easily with whatever is in your fridge without worrying about side dishes, making it great for lunch or a quick dinner.
Enjoy a warm home-cooked meal and have an energetic day.
Ppunwife's tips
- To keep the meat from smelling gamey, this method first stir-fries it in oil infused with large green onion before simmering. Since my pork came from the freezer, I also added a bit of ginger while stir-frying to remove any odor.
FAQ
Which cut of pork is best to use?
Both pork shoulder and pork front leg meat work well; use whatever suits your preference or what you have in your fridge.
Are there good substitutes for pork?
Spam or canned tuna are delicious alternatives, and making it with squid also works very well.
How can I reduce gaminess when using frozen meat?
Adding the meat to oil infused by stir-frying green onion and onion, then seasoning it with soy sauce, mirin, and minced ginger as you stir-fry, helps eliminate unpleasant odors.
What additional vegetables work well besides the basic ones?
Adding zucchini, mushrooms, or eggplant works wonderfully in jjageuli.
