3 in 1 Make Ahead Kimchi Pork Belly Recipe

Ingredients

• 340 g (12 oz)sliced pork belly
• 960 ml (4 cups)sour cabbage kimchi
• 15 ml (1 tbsp)vegetable oil
• 15 ml (1 tbsp)cooking sake or rice wine
• 480 ml (2 cups)kimchi pork base mix (frozen is fine)
• 960 ml (4 cups)water
• 10 ml (2 tsp)Korean red chilli powder (gochugaru)
• 10 ml (2 tsp)Korean soup soy sauce (guk ganjang)
• 1.25 ml (¼ tsp)garlic powder
• 60 ml (¼ cup)extra-firm tofu, cut into squares
• 480 ml (2 cups)cooked short-grain rice
• 240 ml (1 cup)kimchi pork base mix
• 15 ml (1 tbsp)vegetable oil
• 5 ml (1 tsp)gochujang
• 2.5–5 ml (½–1 tsp), to tastesugar
• 1egg
• 10 ml (2 tsp)sesame oil
• 5 ml (1 tsp)sesame seeds
• 1green onion, chopped
• 1 sheetdried seaweed gim for kimbap (nori)
• 1 pack (453.59 g / 16 oz)extra-firm tofu
• ½onion, sliced
• 15 ml (1 tbsp)onion
• 480 ml (2 cups)kimchi pork base mix, preferably defrosted
• 10 ml (2 tsp)gochujang
• 5 ml (1 tsp)sugar
• 15 ml (1 tbsp)mirin or cooking sake
• 5 ml (1 tsp)chopped garlic
• 2.5 ml (½ tsp)Korean red chilli powder (gochugaru)
• 1green onion

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the pork

   Cut the pork belly into small pieces.

2. 2

   Cook the base

   Heat a pan over medium-high heat, add the oil and cook the pork until partly cooked. Pour in the cooking sake or rice wine. Add the fresh, sour kimchi and cook for a few minutes, until the pork is fully cooked. If using whole baechu (pogi) kimchi, cut it into smaller pieces first.

3. 3

   Freeze portions

   Divide the kimchi and pork mixture between containers and freeze.

4. 4

   Start the stew

   Put frozen kimchi pork mix in a pot with the water. Add the gochugaru, Korean soup soy sauce and garlic powder or fresh garlic.

5. 5

   Simmer with tofu

   Bring the pot to a boil, add the tofu and simmer for 15 minutes or longer.

6. 6

   Prepare the rice

   Cook enough rice to make 2 cups. Chilled leftover rice works particularly well.

7. 7

   Portion the base

   Slice or chop half of the frozen kimchi pork mix, about 1 cup.

8. 8

   Heat the pan

   Set a frying pan over medium-high heat and drizzle in the vegetable oil. Add the chopped or sliced kimchi and pork, then stir.

9. 9

   Season the kimchi

   Add 1 tsp gochujang and 1 tsp sugar. Sauté for 2–3 minutes, until the mixture is fully defrosted and cooked through.

10. 10

    Add the rice

    Reduce the heat to medium, add the rice and mix it with the kimchi. Sauté for another 2–3 minutes.

11. 11

    Scramble the egg

    Push the rice to the edges of the pan to make space in the centre. Add a little oil, crack in the egg and let it cook for several seconds; then break it up and stir to scramble.

12. 12

    Finish and garnish

    Mix the egg into the rice and cook for 1–2 minutes more. Finish with sesame oil and garnish with sesame seeds, chopped green onion and torn or snipped seaweed. For browned rice, leave it in the pan over low heat for a few more minutes.

13. 13

    Prepare the tofu

    Cut the extra-firm tofu into squares and slice the onion.

14. 14

    Soften the onion

    Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat, drizzle in a little vegetable oil and sauté the onion for 3–4 minutes, until translucent.

15. 15

    Add the kimchi mix

    Add frozen or defrosted kimchi pork mix. If it is fully frozen, lower the heat until the mixture has melted. Raise the heat to medium and sauté the kimchi and onion for a few minutes.

16. 16

    Season the mixture

    As it cooks, add the gochujang, sugar, cooking sake, chopped garlic, gochugaru and Korean soup soy sauce. Stir everything together and cook for another minute or two, until well combined.

17. 17

    Plate with tofu

    Arrange the tofu slices in a circle or on one side of a plate. Spoon the hot kimchi pork belly mixture over the plate and serve.

What is kimchi pork belly?

Kimchi jjigae is a Korean stew built around kimchi, while kimchi fried rice and kimchi served with tofu are familiar ways to make a meal from the same tangy, savoury pairing. This recipe prepares pork belly and sour kimchi together as a flexible base for all three.

Sour, well-fermented kimchi brings acidity and seasoning, and pork belly adds richness. Cooking them together first means the base can be portioned and used in several different ways.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 550 calories, 23g protein, 39g carbs, 36g fat.

Pork belly and the added oils contribute most of the fat, while the rice supplies much of the carbohydrate and the pork, tofu and egg provide protein. Kimchi, gochujang and soup soy sauce also contribute sodium. Pair a serving with extra vegetables, and choose the stew or tofu preparation if you want a meal without the rice portion.

Choose the right kimchi

Sour kimchi: The recipe specifically calls for sour cabbage kimchi, whose tangy flavour stands up to pork belly and makes a more rounded base. If using whole-leaf pogi kimchi, chop it into manageable pieces before cooking.

Pork belly: Cut it small so it cooks through alongside the kimchi and is easy to divide between later dishes. Add the cooking sake or rice wine while it cooks, as directed.

Make and freeze the base

Cook through: Sauté the pork until partly cooked, then add the sake and kimchi. Keep cooking until the pork is fully cooked before packing the mixture away.

Portion first: Divide the base into containers before freezing. The later recipes call for different amounts, so useful portion sizes make it easier to take out what you need.

Build the stew

Liquid and seasoning: The jjigae starts with water, gochugaru, Korean soup soy sauce and garlic powder or fresh garlic. Bring it to a boil before adding the tofu.

Gentle simmer: Simmer for at least 15 minutes after adding tofu. The recipe allows a longer simmer, so use the time to let the flavours come together without rushing the final bowl.

Get good fried rice texture

Cold rice: Chilled leftover short-grain rice works especially well here. Break up clumps as you stir it with the kimchi pork mixture so the rice heats evenly.

Egg in the centre: Move the rice aside and scramble the egg in the open space in the pan, then mix it through. For a browned layer, leave the finished rice over low heat for a few extra minutes.

Serve the tofu version

Onion first: Sauté the sliced onion for 3–4 minutes, until translucent, before adding the kimchi pork mix. If the mix is frozen solid, turn the heat down until it melts before raising it to medium.

Tofu finish: Arrange the tofu on the plate and add the hot kimchi mixture over or beside it. Extra-firm tofu holds its shape when plated this way.

Plan the timing

The recipe lists 35 minutes overall, although the base and the three serving ideas are separate stages rather than one single meal cooked all at once. If the base is already made, choose one of the three preparations and follow its quantities.

Allow the stew at least 15 minutes to simmer. The fried rice and tofu preparations each have their own short cooking stages, including time to heat any frozen base through.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use properly sour kimchi for the tangy flavour this base is designed around.
• Cut whole-leaf kimchi into smaller pieces before adding it to the pork.
• Let pork cook fully with the kimchi before dividing the base for freezing.
• Use chilled leftover rice for fried rice that is easier to stir through.
• If the frozen base is solid, lower the heat while it melts before continuing.
• Tear or snip the dried seaweed into small pieces for an even garnish.

Variations

• Fresh garlic: Use fresh garlic in the stew in place of the garlic powder, as the method suggests.
• More heat: Add extra gochugaru to the stew or tofu mixture to suit your taste.
• Less heat: Reduce the gochugaru in the dish you are preparing.
• Browned rice: Leave the finished fried rice over low heat for a few extra minutes.
• Tofu platter: Arrange the tofu in a circle or serve it to one side of the hot kimchi pork mixture.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Large kimchi pieces: Chop whole-leaf kimchi smaller before cooking so it is easier to serve.
• Undercooked pork: Keep cooking the pork and kimchi until the pork is fully cooked before freezing the base.
• Frozen base on high heat: Lower the heat while a solid portion melts, especially for the tofu preparation.
• Crowded rice: Move the rice to the edges before scrambling the egg so it can cook in the centre of the pan.
• Overlooking the simmer: Give the stew at least 15 minutes after adding the tofu.
• Soft fried rice: Use chilled leftover rice if available, and stir it through the kimchi mixture rather than adding it in clumps.

How to store

Divide the cooked kimchi pork base into containers and freeze it, as directed. Defrost a portion before using it where convenient; the stew and tofu methods also describe using it from frozen. The recipe does not specify a storage duration, so follow your freezer’s food-storage guidance.

Frequently asked questions