Kimchi Jjigae with Beef

     There are many Korean Jjigae entrees to chose from.  Korean restaurants usually offer 5 to 10 jjigae entrees on the menu.  Some of the traditional specialty jjigae recipe ingredients are very specific.  Some have Korean red bean curd paste and some do not.  Some are garnished with tofu and egg.
     Jjigae can be served as a stew or as a soup.  Usually jjigae stew has tofu in the ingredients and the soup version does not.  Egg is optional and it is offered at the table in fine Korean restaurants.  Many Korean restaurants place an egg in every jjigae.
     The number one favorite jjigae in Korea is Kimchi Jjigae!  Jjigae is almost always served as part of a Korean multi course dinner.  Most of the times that I have had kimchi jjigae in Korean restaurants, there was no red bean paste in the recipe.  One jjigae that I had in a Chinese Koean border cuisine restaurant included pork stomach and tripe in the stew.  That was a very nice regional Korean jjigae version that had a very rich taste!
     I have posted a few Americanized jjigae recipes and a few authentic Korean jjigae recipes in my blog so far.  There is a reason why.  Jjigae is one of my favorite Korean entrees!  You can make this recipe as spicy hot or as mild as you wish.  A good spicy Jjigae will wake up the senses!  The health benefits of kimchi and hot chile peppers make jjigae very appealing.
     Traditionally, a true Jjigae is served in a red hot earthenware bowl.  The ingredients and broth are placed in the red hot bowl.  The jjigae is carried to the table while it is boiling in the hot bowl.  A raw egg is cracked into the boiling jjigae at the table and the egg instantly poaches.  The jjigae continues to boil long after it is brought to the table.  The boiling jjigae fills the air with a captivating aroma!
     As with many Korean entrees, many small portions of a variety of appetizers on little dishes accompany the entree.  Koreans restaurants simply refer to little appetizers as side dishes.  Korean waitresses usually offer more side dishes, if the plates are empty.  That is a nice way to make a customer happy!  A bowl of white rice is always served with jjigae.
     Not everybody has a jjigae earthenware stewing bowl.  Not to worry!  My recipes are written for the jjigae to be cooked in a standard pot and then the jjigae is placed in a soup bowl.  It is better to poach the egg separately when using this serving method, so the egg is not broken apart when placing the jjigae into the soup bowl.
     If you do have a jjigae pot, then heat the jjigae bowl and serve the jjigae in the jjigae bowl.  The egg then can be poached in the boiling jjigae at the table.
   
     Kimchi Jjigae with Beef Recipe:
     Jjigae is cooked at a high temperature, so be quick when doing the saute work at the beginning of the recipe.  Have all the ingredients ready ahead of time!
     This recipe is written for making Jjigae without the use of a red hot earthenware Jjigae pot.  If you use a hot earthenware pot to serve Jjigae, place the tofu and the raw egg directly in the pot before serving.  The egg will poach in the boiling jjigae on the way to the table.  Or, crack the egg into the jjigae at the table.  
     Heat a sauce pot over medium high heat.
     Add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil.
     Immediately add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic.
     Add 1 teaspoon of minced ginger.
     Add 4 ounces of thin sliced strips of lean beef strips.
     When the beef is cooked rare, add 1/2 tablespoon of thin soy sauce.
     Cook the beef in the soy sauce for a minute, so the beef picks up the flavor.
     Add 2 1/2 cups of beef broth.
     Bring the Jjigae to a boil.
     Add 1/2 tablespoon of Korean Chili Powder.  (If no Korean or Chinese Chili Powder is available, then a mixture of cayenne pepper, mild red chili powder and paprika can be substituted.)
     Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of Korean Red Serrano Chile Pepper Paste or sambal.  (Jjigae gets its reddish color from hot red chile peppers, not tomato!  There is no tomato in a jjigae recipe!)
     Add sea salt and white pepper.
     Add 3 to 5 thick slices of daikon radish.
     Add 5 thick slices of carrot.
     Add 1/2 cup of Korean Cabbage Kimchi.
     Boil the soup, till the daikon radish is about half way cooked.
     Add 3 thick bite size pieces of seeded yellow squash.  (optional)
     Add 3 thick bite size pieces of seeded zucchini.
     Add 4 large bite size pieces of green bell pepper.
     Add 4 large bite size pieces red bell pepper.
     Add 8 bite bite size pieces of onion.
     Add 1 shallot that is cut in half.
     Add 1 thick sliced green jalapeno pepper or green serrano chile pepper.
     Add 2 to 3 trimmed small baby bok choy.
     Add a few green onions that are cut into long bite size pieces.
     Stir 1 tablespoon of Korean red bean paste or red miso paste into the jjigae.
     Poach 1 egg in salted water in a separate pan over medium heat.
     Pour the Jjigae into a large bowl.
     Arrange some of the ingredients on top, so the Jjigae looks nice.
     Place 1 thick slice of firm tofu on top of the jjigae and partially submerge the tofu slice into the broth.
     Place the poached egg on top of the Jjigae.
     Place 1 small bunch of fresh cilantro sprigs on one side of the bowl.
     Serve with some steamed white rice on the side.
     Serve with a variety of Korean banchan side dishes.
   
     The aroma and flavor of Kimchi Jjigae with Beef is overwhelming!  The rich chile pepper beef broth with the kimchi and vegetables emits a very healthy aroma.  The beef is very tender after stewing.  Jjigae is a chop stick and spoon entree.  Cold Korean beer is perfect with jjigae.  Delicious!  ...  Shawna